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That's all that we have for you from the first ECS game of the day. Four more matches to come - keep an eye on our tabs for our coverage of them. This is Rajarshi Das, signing off on behalf of Lavil Saldanha. See you later!
Match summary:
Royal Eagles win by 5 wickets with 4 balls to spare
Shahab Alam 34 (15) | Pavel Florin 2/24 (2) Jass Saini 23 (21) | Samiullah Safi 3/12 (2)
The game swayed heavily towards the Zalmi in the first over itself - Samiullah Safi, aided by some really good catching from his teammates, picked up three wickets in it. There were a few sundries every now and then, but the Zalmi bowlers managed to keep the squeeze on in the first half of the run-chase. Waqas Rana and Taimoor Cheema were tied down, and Cheema, trying to force the scoring, perished off Saini's bowling.
Having been reduced to 4 for 28 in the first five, the Eagles were in desperate need of some impetus. Shahab Alam provided them with just that - he rode his luck, found the boundaries frequently, and Rana at the other end got going eventually as well. The tide turned towards the Eagles in the second half of the chase - runs in double digits came from each over.
Shahab's wicket sent a bit of jitters amongst the Eagles camp, but Saood Jan had it covered. He got a thick outside edge to get it under 6, and dispatched a stray delivery to finish the game off.
9.2 Faysal Akas to Saood Jan, SIX! Full toss from Akas, Jan hits that one hard and sends it over the boundary ropes for a maximum to end the over. That's game over as Royal Eagles beat Bucharest Zalmi by 5 wickets
9.1 Faysal Akas to Saood Jan, full length delivery outside the off stump. Jan plays it towards point and looks to take a run but is sent back. No run
Faysal Akas (1-0-8-0) is back into the attack
Shahab's wicket gave the Zalmi a bit of glimmer, but it might be all too late now. One over remains, three runs to get. Surely there are no twists remaining in the game?
9
overs
82/5score
4
1
1wd
0
W
4
1lb
runs
Saood Jan*
4(2)
Waqas Rana
25(22)
Abdur Rahman-I
1/10
8.6 Abdur Rahman to Saood Jan, full length delivery going down the legside. Jan misses and is rapped on the pads. The pair run hard and completes a single there. Leg byes called
8.5 Abdur Rahman to Saood Jan, FOUR! Back of a length delivery outside the off stump, Jan cuts that one hard and it flies over short third down to the boundary for a four
Saood Jan, RHB, comes to the crease
8.4 Abdur Rahman to Shahab Alam, BOWLED HIM! Length delivery on the line of the off stump. Alam has a wild swing at that one but misses and his middle stump is pegged back. Anticlimactic dismissal, is there a twist in the game now?
Shahab Alam b Abdur Rahman 34 (15b 4x4 2x6)
8.3 Abdur Rahman to Shahab Alam, length delivery outside the off stump. Played towards short third. No run
8.3 Abdur Rahman to Shahab Alam, length delivery going down the legside. Called wide by the umpire
8.2 Abdur Rahman to Waqas Rana, length delivery on the off stump. Rana hits that one down the ground for a single
8.1 Abdur Rahman to Waqas Rana, FOUR! Back of a length delivery outside the off stump, Rana swings his bat hard at that one and it flies towards point for a boundary
Abdur Rahman, right-arm medium, comes into the attack
14 needed off the last two - seems like the Eagles have this one in the bag. They were handed a scare, but Shahab is helping them pull through.
8
overs
71/4score
1
0
4
2
4
4
runs
Shahab Alam*
34(13)
Waqas Rana
20(20)
Sudip Biswas
0/15
7.6 Sudip Biswas to Shahab Alam, FOUR MORE! Back of a length delivery on the line of the off stump, Alam hits it straight and down the ground for a boundary to end the over
7.5 Sudip Biswas to Shahab Alam, FOUR! Length delivery on the line of the middle and leg stump. Alam gets deep in his crease and plays it towards deep backward square leg for a boundary
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Bucharest Zalmi
Saood Jan
*
Abdur Rahman-I
Video
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