Pakistan Cricket Club Taipei (PCCT) claimed this years Jan Hong title by three wickets in a last over thriller in Chiayi yesterday.
Their opponents, Taiwan Southerners Cricket Club, found themselves needing to use a sixth bowler, captain Duane Christie, with nine runs required from the last over. A couple of wides eased the pressure somewhat, but good deliveries pinned Rehan Raheem (64 not out from 50 balls) and No. 8 Rahid Khan to the crease.
Rahid was then run out, but Rehan played a cool leg-side flick for four to tie the game and then launched a drive over mid-on to spark manic celebrations.
Earlier, the Southerners’ batsmen found themselves in trouble as their two best players were dismissed early. Shezhad Khan (1-17) bowled a miserly three-over spell and his opening partner, Shuaib Meer, matched him until the fifth over, when Jeff Black (60 from 48) hit consecutive boundaries to break the shackles. Black formed a succession of mini partnerships with Andrew Carrick (20 from 22), Roy Horgan (11 from 9) and Shane Daly (9 from 7) to set a challenging target of 155 in the Southerners’ 20 overs.
Southerners chairman Carrick believed the target could be defended as long as his team bowled well, but that plan didn’t pan out initially as wides dominated the first four overs.
Black (2-20) backed up his fine batting display with the ball to peg back the run rate and the wickets started to fall.
Firstly, star batsman Shezhad Khan was sent packing leg before wicket for only 1 run.
Then Carrick took a catch at fine-leg to dismiss PCCT captain Mujahid Muhammad (12 from 21).
Through it all, Rehan batted sensibly, picking up singles and hitting loose deliveries for 11 boundaries, but wickets continued to fall and the pressure continued to build until PCCT eventually avenged their defeat to the same opposition last year.
Earlier, hosts Pakistan Badshaws Cricket Club beat Formosa Cricket Club to take third place.
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