Pakistan Shaheens’ Abdul Samad played a lone hand in taking his team to a competitive 178-5 during a clash with Melbourne Renegades Academy in the Top End T20 Series.
The Top End T20 tournament is an annual competition for talented young players from across several districts worldwide. This year, 11 teams are taking part, including seven from Australia. The other teams include Bangladesh A, Chicago Kingsmen, Nepal and Pakistan Shaheens.
The tournament, which started last week, had the Shaheens facing the Melbourne Renegades Academy in Darwin today (August 18). Batting first, the Shaheens faced double blows early on, as both their openers, Yasir Khan and Khawaja Nafay, departed for ducks. From 2-2, they soon became 55-4, but No.3 batter Abdul Samad kept the team going with a brisk hundred.
Abdul Samad rescues Pakistan Shaheens
The 27-year-old Samad, who made his T20I debut earlier this year against New Zealand, played all five games in the series, making 66 runs at a strike rate of 113.79. He also had a quiet PSL, where he scored 61 runs in four innings, and has not been picked for the international team since. He has played 27 T20 games in his career, making 367 runs with a strike rate of 144.48.
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On Monday (August 18), Samad hit six fours and as many sixes during his 63-ball 110*, scoring his runs at a strike rate of 174.60. No other player in the side crossed 23, with four others registering single digits.
In reply, Melbourne’s opener Josh Brown made a sedate 30-ball 36, but had little support as no other batter in the top seven made more than five. From 40-2, they collapsed to 66-8 after 12.3. By the midway mark, left-arm spinners Maaz Sadaqat and Faisal Akram had picked up two wickets apiece to leave the opposition in disarray.
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Match 15, Melbourne Renegades Academy vs Pakistan Shaheens
Adelaide Strikers Academy won the Top End competition in 2024, after defeating Bangladesh A in the final. Pakistan Shaheens' best-ever performance in the tournament has been a runners-up finish in 2023.
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