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Top End T20 2024 | Pakistan A Crash In Semis To Adelaide Strikers Despite Abbas Afridi’s Heroics

Pakistan Shaheens played against Adelaide Strikers (X.com)Pakistan Shaheens played against Adelaide Strikers (X.com)

Brief Scores: Adelaide Strikers Academy: 197-5 (20 overs) [Jake Winter: 104 (61), Harry Manenti: 52 (32); Abbas Afridi 3/51 (4), Faisal Akram 2/58 (4)] defeated Pakistan Shaheens: 167 all out (18.1 overs) [Abbas Afridi: 54 (29), Usman Khan: 32 (20); Liam Scott 3/44 (3.1), Lloyd Pope 2/32 (3)] by 30 runs.

Adelaide Strikers defeated table-toppers Pakistan Shaheens in the semis at Darwin’s TIO Stadium to qualify for the final of the Top End T20 2024 series.

Jake Winter tons up after early Strikers setback

Adelaide Strikers Academy lost opener Harry Matthias and number three batter Tom O'Connell both to Abbas Afridi inside the first four overs of the innings. Captain Liam Scott also failed to get going as he mistimed one towards Usman Khan off Faisal Akram for 15 as the Strikers slipped to 57-3 in eight overs.

Overcoming early setbacks, Adelaide Strikers opener Jake Winter smeared six boundaries and eight sixes to clobber 104 runs from just 61 balls. He shared a 73-run counterattacking partnership with half-centurion Harry Manenti (52 off 32) and another 67 runs with silent partner Sam Rahaley (13*) to take Strikers to a daunting 197-5.

For Pakistan Shaheens, only Abbas Afridi (3-51) and Faisal Akram (2-58) chipped in with wickets, albeit by conceding over 50 runs from their respective four-over spells.

Pakistan fall 30 short despite Afridi’s heroics

Chasing 198, Pakistan Shaheens managed to conjure just 167 from 18.1 overs to fall 30 runs short of their target. They even slipped to 33-4 at one stage following the early strikes from Jordan Buckingham, Tim Oakley and captain Liam Scott.

Abbas Afridi at number seven smacked 54 runs from 29 balls with five boundaries and three sixes to lead some resistance, but his fireworks were soon subdued by the collective efforts of Adelaide Strikers bowlers. Captain Scott himself picked up three wickets in the innings to bag figures of 3-44, while Buckingham and Lloyd Pope claimed two wickets each.

Adelaide Strikers took home the game by 30 runs and qualified for the finals of the Top End T20 2024 series alongside Bangladesh High Performance XI.