Super sixes: Pak wins against Aus in 1st semi final

MONG KOK: Pakistan successfully defended 121 score against Australia in Hong Kong International Sixes in the first semi-final of the tournament.

Pakistan beat Australia by one run, while Khawaja Nafie with 50 score and Abdul Samad with 34 runs remained prominent for Pakistan.

The match remained thrilling until the very end, with Australian Andrew Tye and Chris Green amassing quite a few runs in the final balls, in addition to a no ball conceded by the Abbas Afridi.

Pakistan gave a blistering batting display setting the 122-run target inside six overs with a flurry of sixes and boundaries.

Openers Khawaja Nafay and Abdul Samad came out firing, taking Chris Green for 15 runs in the opening over. Nafay set the tone early, hammering two towering sixes to give Pakistan a flying start at 15/0 after one.

In the second over, Nafay shifted gears, launching Jack Wood for three consecutive sixes and racing to 37 off just 11 balls. By the time the over ended, Pakistan had reached 29/0, with both batters in full command.

The third over saw the onslaught continue as Nafay tore into Andrew Tye, smashing two more sixes to bring up a breathtaking 50 off just 14 balls, including seven sixes and one four, before retiring hurt. Pakistan surged to 52/0 at the halfway stage of the third.

Abdul Samad then took over, clearing the ropes twice off Tye and later returning to join the action after briefly retiring hurt himself. In the fourth over, Abbas Afridi joined the fun, launching Nick Hobson for three consecutive sixes as Pakistan amassed 25 runs to move within striking distance at 77/0.

The fireworks continued into the fifth over, where both Afridi (19 off 5) and Samad (34 off 13) found the boundary with ease. Although both fell to Alex Ross in the final over, the damage had long been done.

Muhammad Shahzad sealed the chase in style, cracking a boundary off the last ball to finish the innings at 121/2 in six overs.

Australia’s batters came out all guns blazing, and managed to hammer 120 runs despite losing five wickets in a whirlwind start to the innings.

Pakistan’s Shahid Aziz conceded 19 runs in the first over but also claimed the wicket of Jack Wood (7 off 4). Nick Hobson followed soon after, run out for 6, as Maaz Sadaqat’s over yielded 12 runs but two wickets.

Momentum shifted when Chris Green launched an assault on Muhammad Shahzad, smashing three sixes and a four in one over. Green’s 22 off just five balls propelled the total to 54/3 by the end of the third over.

Then came Alex Ross, who got 31 runs out of Maaz Sadaqat with four sixes and three fours. Ross’ explosive 36 off 8 balls (SR 450) lifted Australia to 85/3 at the halfway mark.

Abbas Afridi provided a breakthrough, removing Ross, but the fireworks continued with Green right until the very end.