Cricket: Khan blasts unbeaten 81 to star in Saudi victory – Gulf Digital News

Cricket: Khan blasts unbeaten 81 to star in Saudi victory – Gulf Digital News

OPENER Faisal Khan blasted an unbeaten 81 off just 32 balls to lead Saudi Arabia to a dominant nine-wicket win over Bahrain last night in the final group match of the Desert Cup T20I Series 2022 at the Al Amerat Cricket Ground in Muscat.

The portly right-hander peppered six sixes and nine fours as he put on 68 runs with captain Abdul Waheed (20 off 17 balls) in an unbroken second-wicket partnership to ensure that the Saudis chased down a 113-run target in just 10.5 overs and secured their first win of the tournament after five consecutive losses.

Earlier, after captain Sarfaraz Ali won the toss and elected to bat, Bahrain were never in the contest from the start, slumping to 32 for five in the sixth over and then 60 for seven in the 12th.

They only managed to reach their eventual total of 112 for nine off 20 overs thanks to Haider Butt, who was ninth out in the 18th over after top-scoring with a battling 41 off 43 balls.

In reply, the Saudis faced no real threat from the Bahraini bowlers as Khan flayed them at will, watched admiringly from the other end by his opening partner, Kashif Siddique, who contributed