On the seventh day of the Karachi Premier League (KPL) Season 2, North Hawks secured a 10-run victory over Gulshan Stallions, while Johar Bears dominated Liyari Eagles with a nine-wicket win at Naya Nazimabad Cricket Ground.
In the 13th match, Rafay Safdar’s impressive bowling figures of 3/23 overshadowed Sami Afridi’s quick half-century, helping the Hawks claim their third win. Batting first, the Hawks posted a solid total of 160/7, led by Rabish Ahmed’s late hitting. Rabish top-scored with 34 off 22 balls, smashing three fours and a six. Shahzar Hassan and Qadir Khan also contributed with 28 and 27 runs, respectively. For the Stallions, Shahzaib Ahmed took two wickets, while M Abiss, Rumail Ahmed, Zia Ullah, and Jaleel Khanzada picked up one each.
The Stallions, chasing 161, managed 150/8 in their 20 overs. They started strong with an 86-run opening partnership between Sami Afridi (54 off 34 balls) and Mubashir Nawaz (33 off 43 balls), but after Sami’s dismissal in the 12th over, the team collapsed and fell short by 10 runs. Rafay Safdar was the standout bowler for the Hawks with three wickets, while Zain Anwer and Suleman Khan took two each, and Dawood Khan claimed one.
In the 14th match, Akbar Khan’s unbeaten half-century powered the Bears to a decisive win over the Eagles. Batting first, the Eagles were bowled out for 121 in the 19th over, with Hannan Achakzai top-scoring with 33. Mirza Ahsan Jameel led the bowling for the Bears, taking three wickets, while Yaqoob Jan, Rehman Ghani, and M Ismail each claimed two.
Chasing 122, the Bears comfortably reached their target with 67 balls remaining and only one wicket down. Opener Akbar Khan struck 51 not out off 28 balls, with three fours and five sixes. He was well-supported by Sohail Khan, who hit 43 off 16 balls, featuring four fours and four sixes. Abbas Khan took the lone wicket for the Eagles.
With this win, the Hawks now stand second in the KPL standings with six points from four matches, while the Bears move up to third with four points from the same number of games.