Chicago Kingsmen continue unbeaten run with emphatic win over Shaheens

DARWIN: Chicago Kingsmen continued their winning streak in the ongoing Top End T20 Series with a commanding 69-run victory over Pakistan Shaheens at the DXC Arena on Tuesday.

Batting first, the Kingsmen posted a formidable 206-5 in 20 overs, courtesy of a 102-run partnership between Milind Kumar and Tajinder Dhillon, who steadied the innings after early setbacks.

Milind top-scored with a blistering 74 off 37 deliveries, featuring eight fours and three sixes, while Dhillon contributed a steady 58 off 37 balls.

Opening batter Shayan Jahangir chipped in with 30 from 25 deliveries, but the rest of the batting lineup struggled to convert starts into big scores.

Sharjeel Khan (8 off 14) and Shehan Jayasuriya (2 off 4) fell cheaply, while Hassan Khan (8*) and skipper Hammad Azam (1*) remained unbeaten.

For the Shaheens, Mohammad Wasim Jr was the most successful yet expensive bowler, picking up 2-57 in his four overs, while Saad Masood and Shahid Aziz took one wicket each.

In reply, Pakistan Shaheens faltered under scoreboard pressure and were restricted to 137-8.

Opener Yasir Khan top-scored with 38 off 32 balls, while skipper Irfan Khan and Shahid Aziz added 24 runs apiece.

Wasim Jr (16*) and Ubaid Shah (13*) offered some resistance late on, but wickets kept tumbling at regular intervals, sealing their defeat.

The Kingsmen bowling attack shared the spoils, with Scott Kuggeleijn starring with three wickets. Ehsan Adil picked up two, while Ghulam Mudassar, Hassan Khan, and Umer Khan chipped in with one wicket each.

With three consecutive wins, Chicago Kingsmen sit comfortably at the top of the points table with six points and a healthy net run rate of 1.740.

Meanwhile, the Shaheens are placed third with four points from two wins in four matches, holding a net run rate of 0.832.

For the unversed, Irfan Khan’s Shaheens will now look to bounce back in their next clash against Adelaide Strikers Academy on August 20.