National T20 Cup 2021: Match 20, Balochistan vs Northern - Preview, predicted XIs, pitch report, weather forecast, match prediction and live streaming details

Balochistan will lock horns with Northern in the 20th match of the National T20 Cup on Wednesday, October 6 at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Both sides have had contrasting journeys so far in the competition. Balochistan have won only two of their six games played. They suffered a heavy loss in their last game against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and need to come back harder to get back to winning ways.

The decision to bowl first backfired for Balochistan as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa scored a mammoth 202. The bowlers failed to pick up wickets and it was up to the batters to contribute. Sohail Akhtar tried hard with the bat but lacked support from the other end as they only managed to score 147, falling short by 55 runs.

Meanwhile, Northern defeated Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in their last game. They have won four games and have eight points under their belt. They will be eager to keep the winning momentum going forward in the competition.

Against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the batters were brilliant as they posted 181 on the board after being put in to bat. Mohammad Nawaz and Shadab Khan contributed with the bat lower down the order. The bowlers then stepped up to restrict Mohammad Rizwan’s men to 167, winning the game by 14 runs. Haris Rauf, with his pace, picked up three wickets.

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Match Details

Match: Balochistan vs Northern, Match No.20, National T20 Cup 2021

Date and Time: October 5, 2021, Wednesday, 08:00 PM IST

Venue: Gaddafi Stadium Stadium, Lahore

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Weather Report

Clear skies will greet both sides on Wednesday. The temperature is expected to range between 19 to 33 degrees Celsius.

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Pitch Report

The pitch at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore is a belter of a track. The ball comes nicely onto the bat and the batters can hit through the line. Fans can expect a high-scoring game on Wednesday.

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Predicted Playing XIs

Balochistan

The bowlers have failed to step up for them in the competition. In their last game, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa posted a mammoth total on the board as the bowlers failed miserably to pick up wickets. The team's bowling unit need to put in a much-improved performance in their next game against Northern.

Predicted XI: Abdullah Shafique, Abdul Bangalzai, Bismillah Khan (c & wk), Haris Sohail, Sohail Akhtar, Mohammad Mohsin, Amad Butt, Kashif Bhatti, Umaid Asif, Khurram Shahzad, Junaid Khan,

Northern

The Northern side have found their groove in the competition. The middle-order batters have contributed but the opening batters need to step up in coming games. They have the winning momentum behind them and a change in the playing XI is highly unlikely.

Predicted XI: Nasir Nawaz, Ali Imran, Haider Ali, Umar Amin, Mohammad Nawaz, Shadab Khan (c), Asif Ali, Haris Rauf, Sohail Tanvir, Rohail Nazir (wk), Salman Irshad

Match Prediction

The Northern side have found the right combination going into the business end of the tournament. The Balochistan team has struggled and needs to be at their best while facing the Northern side.

Northern have the winning momentum behind them and it won’t be a surprise if they defeat Balochistan on Wednesday.

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TV and live streaming details

TV: N/A

Live Streaming: Cricket Pakistan’s YouTube channel