MIT vs PXI

We now come to the end of our coverage of this contest. Three more ECS matches to come over the course of the day - keep an eye on our tabs for our coverage of the same. This is Rajarshi Das, signing off on behalf of Arya Sekhar Chakraborty. See you later!

Match summary:

President XI win by 13 runs

Jamshid Nasiri 45(18) | Dawood Ahmadzai 3/21 (2)
Noor Arslan 48*(16) | Noor Arslan 2/22 (2)

A case of so near, yet so far for Mitry! They were done for - they were out of it at the start of the 7th over, and the end to the game seemed imminent. Noor Arslan, though, had other ideas - he and Ahmed Bilal took the game really, really deep from the impossible - they first pinched that point first, and then had a go at the actual target. The LBW call will hurt them for sure - there were doubts as to where the ball pitched, and whether it'd clip the top of the stumps.

While Arslan Zafar got Mitry going early on, the Mitry batting line-up around him fell apart. The batters kept picking fielders out in the outfield as the President XI produced a beautiful exhibition of catching. The slower bowlers then came in and went on to chip away at the Mitry middle order. Panic set in - there were false shots and needless running, and Mitry seemed out of the game with just under four overs to go.

Noor Arslan, though, decided on going down while swinging, and as it turned out, he struck the ball better than most of his top-order colleagues! Number 11 Ahmed Bilal provided him ample support until the last over - with 14 to get, he tried to pinch the single, but ended up copping one on the pad, and so, the fairytale didn't take place for Mitry.

9.1 Zaheer Zahiri to Ahmed Bilal, WICKET! That's the end of the game, did it pitch in line? On a good-length around middle, Bilal tries to work it away towards the on side, gets beaten and is struck on the front pad and the umpire raises his finger. President XI wins by 13 runs.

Ahmed Bilal LBW b Zaheer Zahiri 10 (6b 0x4 1x6)

9.1 Zaheer Zahiri to Ahmed Bilal, that's a full toss well wide outside off, Bilal slashes but was well outside off, evades the keeper and off to the fence it goes. 

Mitry's number 10 has just moved to 48! 19 needed off the final over - the last-wicket partnership is worth fifty! The President XI had this in the bag, and now, having accounted for nine batters, they're suddenly under immense pressure going into the last over!

8.6 Rahmatullah Mangal to Noor Arslan, FOUR! On a length well wide outside off, Arslan throws his hands at that and the outside edge flies away towards the vacant deep third man region. 

8.5 Rahmatullah Mangal to Noor Arslan, FOUR! That has been drilled for a boundary. Slower fuller-length delivery a shade outside off, smashed along the carpet, past the extra cover fielder and off to the fence it goes. 

8.4 Rahmatullah Mangal to Noor Arslan, SIX! Sliced away for a maximum. Fuller-length a shade outside off, opening the bat face at the last moment and it sails over te deep point fence. 

8.3 Rahmatullah Mangal to Noor Arslan, on a fullish-length outside off, angling away and Arslan tries to launch this over extra cover, gets beaten.  

8.2 Rahmatullah Mangal to Noor Arslan, SIX! This is extraordinary batting from Noor Arslan. Fuller a shade outside off, shows the full face of the bat and sends it over the long-off fence. 

8.1 Rahmatullah Mangal to Ahmed Bilal, dropped again. Fuller a shade outside off, sliced away up in the air which has been spilled by the cover fielder. 

Tell you what - 42 off 12 isn't the most unattainable of equations - particularly in the ECS. The only issue for Mitry is that they only have one wicket remaining.