WCL 2024 Final
On Friday, the Pakistan Champions secured their place in the final of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) 2024 by defeating the West Indies Champions by 20 runs in a thrilling first semi-final at the County Ground in Northampton.
This victory propelled the Pakistani team into the final, where they will face the winner of the other semi-final between India and Australia.
Pakistan set a competitive target of 199 runs for the West Indies to chase. The Pakistani bowlers then delivered an impressive performance, with Sohail Khan leading the charge. Sohail took four crucial wickets, restricting the West Indies to a total of 178 runs.
The West Indies team had a slow start, managing just seven runs in the first four overs. However, they found their rhythm when Chris Gayle started hitting boundaries in the fifth over. Despite his promising start, Gayle’s innings was cut short at 26 runs by a brilliant delivery from Sohail Khan.
The West Indies team struggled to maintain momentum, losing wickets at regular intervals. Ashley Nurse, however, provided some resistance with a rapid knock of 36 runs off 24 balls, looking like the key player to lead the West Indies’ chase.
Unfortunately for the West Indies, Nurse was run out by Kamran Akmal, a turning point in the match.
Lower down the order, Rayad Emrit played a quickfire 29 runs off 9 balls, but his innings was ended by Shoaib Malik. Besides Sohail Khan’s four wickets, Wahab Riaz and Shoaib Malik also contributed with two wickets each.
Earlier in the match, Pakistan, after being asked to bat first, did not have an ideal start. They lost three key batters—Sharjeel Khan, Sohaib Maqsood, and Shoaib Malik—early in the innings without contributing significantly to the score.
The West Indies bowlers exploited the swinging conditions effectively, putting Pakistan on the back foot.
However, a crucial 77-run partnership between skipper Younis Khan and Kamran Akmal steadied the innings and pulled Pakistan out of danger. Akmal played a crucial knock of 46 runs off 31 balls, including eight fours, before losing his wicket.
Following Akmal’s dismissal, Pakistan lost two more quick wickets, with Shahid Afridi (1) and Misbah-ul-Haq (0) both walking back to the pavilion.
Younis Khan continued to anchor the innings and scored a vital 65 runs before being dismissed by Fidel Edwards. Despite the setbacks, Pakistan managed to keep the scoreboard ticking, thanks to a late surge from Aamer Yamin and Sohail Tanvir.
The pair added 61 runs down the order, with Yamin scoring 37 runs off 17 balls and Tanvir contributing 33 runs off 17 deliveries.
For the West Indies, Fidel Edwards was the standout bowler, taking three wickets. Sulieman Benn picked up two wickets, while Jerome Taylor and Dwayne Smith each claimed one.
This hard-fought victory not only highlighted Pakistan’s resilience and depth in both batting and bowling but also set the stage for an exciting final in the WCL 2024.
The team’s ability to recover from early setbacks and their bowlers’ skill in defending a challenging total will give them confidence as they prepare to face either India or Australia in the championship decider.
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