CRICKET – BAHRAIN thrashed Malawi by 10 wickets yesterday in their concluding league match of the Cricket Malawi Quad Nations T20 Cup-Arjun Menon Memorial.
Their dominant display earned them a place in today’s final against Tanzania.
The match was a one-sided affair, with Bahrain chasing down a paltry target of 73 in just 6.2 overs without losing a wicket.
Opting to bat first, Malawi struggled from the outset against a disciplined Bahrain attack.
Muhammad Rizwan, the star of the day and later named Player of the Match, ripped through the batting lineup with a sensational six-wicket haul (nine runs in 3.5 overs), including a hat-trick of sorts with three quick dismissals.
This remarkable spell also marked a personal milestone for Rizwan, as he reached 100 wickets in just 66 matches, becoming the fourth-fastest in the World T20I rankings to achieve this feat and further cementing his reputation as Bahrain’s premier bowler.
This was also his fourth five-wicket haul in T20 cricket.
Debutant Shashank Shekar Shukla also made an immediate impact, claiming three wickets for 19 runs, while Abdul Majid Abbasi chipped in with a wicket.
Malawi’s innings folded for a meager 72 in 14.5 overs, with only Aaftab Limdawala (27 off 21) showing some resistance.
In response, Bahrain’s skipper Ahmer Bin Nasir, who surprisingly opened the innings instead of vice-captain Asif Ali, unleashed a brutal assault, smashing 50 off just 28 balls (four fours, four sixes).
Partnering with Prashant Kurup (22 off 13), the duo raced to the target in 6.4 overs, finishing the game with a flurry of boundaries.
Bahrain will now face Tanzania in the summit clash today, with both teams in strong form having won against each other by six wickets in the league games.
Bahrain’s bowling firepower and explosive batting make them slight favourites, but Tanzania, led by their own set of match-winners, will be no pushovers.
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