Sohail Helps Sialkot Beat Hampshire

Sialkot Stallions will go back home with some pride as they pipped Hampshire by six wickets in their inconsequential Pool 1 qualifying match of the Champions League Twenty20 tournament on Thursday.
It was a dead rubber since both the teams have already been eliminated. Auckland Aces had qualified for the main draw from Pool 1 after defeating both Hampshire and Sialkot in the earlier matches.
Stallions did a good job by restricting Hampshire to 143 for eight after electing to bowl and then overcame a poor start to overhaul the target with five balls to spare.
Left-handed batsman Haris Sohail played a vital unbeaten knock of 63 runs and raised a 96-run match-winning partnership with skipper Shoaib Malik (39) for the fourth wicket in Stallions' win.
The Pakistan domestic T20 champions were playing in the CLT20 tournament first time but could not qualify for the main competition.
Earlier, Glenn Maxwell's quick-fire 42 off 29 balls and his 56-run partnership with Shahid Afiridi (14) that had lifted the English County team to a decent total from a miserable 66 for four in 11 overs.
Hampshire bowlers raised hopes of win by getting three quick wickets, reducing the rivals to 28 for three in seven overs but Malik and Sohail responded to the SOS call well.
They took time to settle down as the ball was doing a bit for the bowlers and gradually shaped and paced the innings.
Stallions had lost both the openers - Imran Nazir (0) and Shakeel Ansar (15) inside fifth over. Nazir was castled by spinner Liam Dawson in the very first over while Ansar was scalped by David Griffiths.
Shahid Yousuf (3) was brilliantly caught by Maxwell at point off Chris Wood and Stallions were struggling at 28 for three in seven overs.
Malik together with Sohail repaired the innings well before being stumped off Afridi at the start of the 18th over. Sohail, whose knock came off 57 balls with eight fours and a six, though completed the job by staying till the end.

Brief scores
Hampshire 143 for 8 (Maxwell 42, Umaid Asif 2-42)
Sialkot Stallions 144 for 4 (Haris Sohail 63*, Shoaib Malik 39)
Result Sialkot Stallions won by 6 wickets
MOM Haris Sohail (Sialkot Stallions)
Points Sialkot Stallions 4, Hampshire 0

Mills Sets up Auckland's Big Win

The Auckland Aces are on the brink of securing entry to the Champions League Twenty20 tournament after crushing Pakistan's Sialkot Stallions by six wickets.

Played at New Wanderers Stadium in South Africa, the Aces limited Sialkot to 130 for nine, before blasting their way to victory with six wickets and 17 balls in hand.
The win ensures they will have every chance of progressing, with a victory tonight over English side Hampshire guaranteeing their berth in the tournament.
Martin Guptill and Lou Vincent got the Aces pursuit off to the perfect start, putting on 32 for the opening wicket off 3.3 overs.
Having dashed to 20, Vincent fell when his thick edge was caught at thirdman. His replacement, Azhar Mahmood, ensured that the Aces maintained their momentum, who alongside Martin Guptill put the New Zealand side in a dominant position.
Halfway through the innings the Aces were looking comfortable at 79 for one, leaving just 52 to get off the last 60 deliveries. Four runs later though they lost their strike weapon, when Guptill was dismissed on 40.
 That brought about the arrival of Anaru Kitchen who rotated the strike effectively in the initial stages.
Sialkot though found some hope when Sarfraz Ahmed made a double strike in the 14th over.
Firstly Ahmood was caught off a wide delivery on 24, before Colin de Grandhomme edged one without scoring.
That left the Aces at 97 for four at the end of the 14th over. Kitchen remained in the middle and was joined by Colin Munro and together the pair wrestled back control of the match.
The duo found the boundary regularly in a quick-fire partnership of 39 and surpassed the required total after 17.1 overs. Kitchen launched a six over wide long-on to end the chase and finish unbeaten on 33.
Earlier the Aces had taken wickets at crucial moments throughout the Sialkot innings, not allowing them to form big partnerships.
Michael Bates took a wicket off his fourth delivery to dismiss the dangerous Shakeel Ansar in the second over. The pressure was maintained when Kyle Mills captured an extremely rare Twenty20 maiden in the following over.
Mills continued to frustrate the Pakistani side, who were struggling to get anything away. Three of the top four batsmen made starts, but were unable to push on to a much needed big score.
Andre Adams was effective with two wickets, while Hira also chipped in with a couple. At the end of the 15th over Sialkot were 97 for six.
Shahid Youself was the main contributor with 39 off 25 balls, while Ali Khan also had an impact when he smashed two big sixes in the 18th over.

Brief scores
Sialkot Stallions 130 for 9 (Yousuf 39, Mills 2-6)
Auckland Aces 136 for 4 (Guptill 40)
Result Auckland Aces won by six wickets
MOM Kyle Mills (Auckland Aces)
Points Auckland Aces 2, Sialkot Stallions 0

Miller Helps Yorkshire to Victory

An injured David Miller came back to power Yorkshire to a close 5-wicket victory over Uva in the first qualifier.

Chasing 151 for victory, English side Yorkshire completed the task with three balls to spare at the New Wanderers Stadium.
David Miller (39 not out) and Adil Rashid (36 not out) were the top scorers for the winners.
Opener Phil Jaques gave the chase right impetus after the early departure of skipper Andre Gale and Joe Root.
But after racing his way to 32 off 21 balls, Jaques offered a return catch to Dilshan Munaweera.
Miller, who came back after retiring hurt, along with Rashid, then finished the job for Yorkshire, giving them hope of qualifying for the main tournament that kicks off on Saturday.
Miller struck four fours and a six during his 29-ball knock while Rashid found the fence two times and cleared it once during his 30-ball innings.
Opting to bat, a disciplined bowling effort earlier helped Yorkshire restrict Uva Next to 150 for seven.
Steven Patterson and Moin Ashraf picked up two wickets apiece while there was one each for Ryan Sidebottom, Azeem Rafiq and Rashid.
Thilina Kandamby top-scored for Uva with an unbeaten 29 even as his other batters failed to convert the starts into big scores.
Kandambi aside, three other batsmen got to the 20s, while Andrew McDonald made 17.
Adil Rashid is the Man of the match.

Brief scores
Uva Next 150 for 7 (Kandamby 29)
Yorkshire 151 for 5 (Miller 39*, Rashid 36*)
Result Yorkshire won by five wickets
Points Yorkshire 2, Uva Next 0
MOM Adil Rashid (Yorkshire)