Faisal Waqar JEDDAH — Rising Star, Elaf Gold, Kerry Packers and Elaf Red booked semifinal spots in Elaf Super-7, after beating Waheed-XI, Young Star, Elaf Blue and Srilankan Titans, respectively. The five-over spectacle is sponsored by Elaf Jeddah Hotel and organized by United Premier League (UPL). Rising Star, which had a disappointing performance in previous UPL event, proved it is still a formidable side as it beat Waheed-XI convincingly in the first semifinal. Waheed-XI set a target of 54-4. Zubair scored 16 (8 balls), giving some respectability to the total. Waqas and Imtiyas bowled brilliantly, bagging 1 wicket each for 5 and 6 runs, respectively. Waqas starred by playing a glorious knock of 43 (16) helping Rising Star breeze to victory without losing a wicket. The second quarterfinal was a much closer encounter between favorite Elaf Gold and high-flying Young Star. Young Star, which reached quarters without losing a game, was in top form, particularly captain Rifaqat. Scoring 43 from 18 deliveries against the mighty Elaf Gold attack, he propelled his team to 66. Elaf Gold started the chase aggressively. Qamar led the way with a stunning 31 (13). Adnan supported well with 19 (8) and Shahid stayed till the end to hit a six off the penultimate delivery to give his team victory and a spot in the semifinals. Qaisar and Rifaqat claimed one wicket each. Kerry Packers continued its awe-inspiring batting form to beat Srilankan Titans in a high-scoring match. Batting first, Kerry Packers' batsmen blitzed their way to 95. Zahid played a brutal knock of 36 (16) but it was Abdul Wahid's 27 off 8 and Samiullah's 17 off 4 that delivered the knockout punch to Srilankan Titans. Its batsmen Zawahir and Asela played a determined innings of 31 (13) and 33 (17), respectively, but a target of 95 proved too much as it fell short by 16 runs. Elaf Blue lost the last quarterfinal against Elaf Red which has been in red hot form throughout the tournament. Put into bat, Elaf Red piled up 71-3. Anwar Chandi smashed a quick-fire 27 off 14 deliveries. Extras also helped Elaf Red's cause as 12 wides were gifted by Elaf Blue. The chase was started promisingly by Elaf Blue's batsmen Nipuna and Sarfraz who scored 24 (15) and 16 (12), respectively. Although Elaf Blue didn't lose a wicket, two tight overs from Abdul Wahid and Abu Huraira put the brakes on the chase. Elaf Blue managed to score 62 and lost by 9 runs. The semifinals and final will be played Thursday at the UPL grounds. The first semifinal will be between Rising Star and Elaf Gold, while Kerry Packers and Elaf Red will contest the second semis.
