Stats: Central Punjab records the highest run-chase in Pakistan's T20 history

Central Punjab recorded the highest successful chase in Pakistan’s National T20 Cup history on Tuesday in the game against Northern Areas. Ahmed Shehzad took the responsibility of the 223-run chase scoring an unbeaten 111 from 63 balls. No other batsman crossed 30 for the chasing team but the small contributions helped while Shehzad was around.

Earlier, the Northern Areas posted 222/6 in their 20 overs after electing to bat first. Asif Ali’s 35-ball 93 gave the boost to their innings as he struck ten maximums. Mohammad Nawaz scored 50 off 35 balls and shared a 107-run stand with Asif Ali for the 4th wicket.

All the statistical highlights from Central Punjab’s record chase against Northern Areas:

1 – Both the teams used only five bowlers in this match to complete their 20 overs. This is the first instance in the history of Twenty20 cricket where both the teams used only five bowlers despite conceding 200+ totals. The match aggregate of 448 runs is also the highest in a T20 game where only ten bowlers were used.

5 – The unbeaten 111 by Ahmed Shehzad in this game was his 5th century in Twenty20 cricket; the most by a Pakistani in this format. He surpassed Kamran Akmal’s tally of four T20 tons. Shehzad has scored three of his five T20 centuries in Pakistan. Mukhtar Ahmed and Khurram Manzoor are other players with as many as three T20 tons in Pakistan.

10 – Number of sixes Asif Ali struck during his 35-ball 93; only the 3rd player from Pakistan to hit 10 or more sixes in a T20 format; all the three came in domestic T20s. Kamran Akmal hit 12 sixes during his unbeaten 150 in the 2017 Domestic T20 Cup while Bilal Asif also hit 10 maximums during the 2015 edition when he scored 114.

The game of sixes

18 – A total of 18 sixes were hit by Northern Areas in their innings; the most by any team in a Twenty20 inning in Pakistan. The previous most was 17 by Balochistan on Monday night against Sindh.

As many as 27 sixes were hit across this game; the joint-most in a T20 in Pakistan. The PSL game between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United this year in Karachi witnessed a total of 27 sixes hit by both the teams.

223 – The 223-run chase by Central Punjab is the highest successful run-chase in Twenty20 cricket in Pakistan. The previous highest T20 chase in Pakistan was 211 by Lahore Eagles way back in 2005 against Sialkot Stallions. It was the highest chase and only the 3rd 200+ successful chase at that time in T20s.

448 – A total of 448 runs were scored in this game in 39.5 overs for the loss of 12 wickets; the 2nd highest match aggregate in a Twenty20 match in Pakistan. The highest is 451 runs during the game between Karachi Dolphins and Lahore Eagles in 2010.