Abdul Samad’s magnificent unbeaten century helped Pakistan Shaheens to outclass Melbourne Renegades by 73 runs in their third match of the Top End T20 Series in Darwin on Monday.
Being asked to batting first, the Shaheens posted 178 runs for the loss of five wickets in their allotted 20 overs.
The innings initially faltered as openers Yasir Khan and Khawaja Nafeh departed without scoring, while Mohammad Faiq (21) and Moazzam Sadaqat (4) also fell cheaply, leaving the team struggling at 55 for four.
At this critical stage, Abdul Samad took charge with solid power-hitting.
He smashed 110 not out off 63 balls, laced with six sixes and six fours, anchoring the innings and rescuing the side from early trouble.
In response, Melbourne Renegades faltered against the disciplined Shaheens bowling attack and were bundled out for just 105 in 19.2 overs, falling well short of the target.
Joshua Brown top-scored with 36 runs, including one six and five fours, but found little support from the other end.
Moazzam Sadaqat was the pick of the bowlers, grabbing three wickets for 22 runs.
Faisal Akram bagged two scalps, while Mubasir Khan, Saad Masood, Wasim Junior, and Ubaid Shah chipped in with one wicket apiece.
This commanding victory marked Pakistan Shaheens’ second win in three matches.
They had earlier thrashed Bangladesh A by 79 runs in the tournament opener before suffering a narrow two-wicket defeat against Perth Scorchers in their second outing.
The Shaheens will now take on Kingsmen in their fourth match of the series on Tuesday, August 19.