Lanna started 2016 with a freindly against CMCC at Gymkhana and a depleted side put up admirable resistance after losing their first five wickets for 24 and then claiming six wickets in just 14 overs as CMCC chased a target of 135.
Pete Warner’s decision to bat first seemed to have backfired as early wickets against fine new ball bowling from Suhail who claimed three wickets in his first three overs. Shine Thomas played and missed countless times but he survived to launch an impressive counter-attack and was helped by Dominic Williams who had scored just four when the pair brought up the fifty partnership for the sixth wicket.
Shine reached his fifty with 7 fours and a sixe but was bowled by Burhan without adding to his score and although Big Dom soon followed for an admirable 12 from 27 balls, the recovery continued thanks to Captain Pete and Russell Ward, playing his last match before departing for Australia, who added 27 for the eighth wicket and such was the depth of Lanna’s batting line-up there was even a last wicket partnership of 15 as the last wicket fell from the final ball of the 25 overs.
It was a case of mission accomplished for Lanna as they had used up the full quota of overs and reached a respectable total of 135 and Hugh Williams quickly dismissed both openers and Russell gained a stumping as Nisar literally ran past the ball. With CMCC at 22 for 3 the match was still alive but Ubaid and Asif steadied the ship and soon began to launch the ball to all corners of the ground.
Ubaid made 25 from 18 balls and Asif completed his fifty from just 25 balls and hit five sixes before falling to guest player Chris Love who took 2 for 29 from his 2 overs. With only four runs needed for a CMCC victory Locky was called into the attack and he rose to the occasion to claim a wicket second ball as Tanveer was all at sea.
Basharat saw his side home as CMCC’s innings was a fast-paced 139 fro 6 from 13.4 overs and CMCC celebrated what they felt was a notable success but the two sides will soon meet again with Lanna looking to gain the next victory in what is proving an entertaining series of matches at Gymkhana Club.