Foster, Mahmood steer Virgo Super Kings home in a thriller

Virgo Super Kings 149-6 (Franklin 44no) beat
Leo Lions 146-7 (Mahmood 48) by four wickets
Ninth match, Masters Champions League, Sharjah 

James Foster scored an unbeaten 11-ball 23 as Virgo Super Kings scored 17 runs off the final over to beat Leo Lions by four wickets in game nine of the Masters Champions League in Sharjah.

Earlier, it was Azhar Mahmood (48) who made the victory possible from an improbable position with the Super Kings needing 63 runs off the final six overs.

Leo Lions won the toss and elected to bat first despite their batting had let them down in the previous two times in the tournament.

After losing wickets at regular intervals, Leo Lions found themselves at the 55 for four after 10 overs. Johan Botha's (27) 24-ball vigil ended with Gareth Batty (1-28) dismissing him in the 12th over.

Scott Styris struck a couple of sixes and a four off Brett Lee (0-47) in the 14th over to inject momentum into the innings but perished in the next over to Kartik.

A late flourish from James Franklin (44 not out) and Heath Streak (21 not out) pushed the Leo Lions total to 146 for seven in the 20 overs.

Kartik was the pick of the Super Kings bowlers after registering figures of 18 for three in his four overs.

Chasing under 7.50 an over, Grame Smith (13) and Mohammad Yousuf (19) gave the Super Kings a steady start of 36 in the first five overs.

However, with both the openers falling in successive overs followed by the dismissal of Owais Shah (5) put the Super Kings in a spot of bother at 56 for three after 10 overs.

Neil McKenzie (30) kept the hopes alive for with a 39-run stand with Mahmood (48) but by the time he got dismissed, the Super Kings needed 49 runs from 24 deliveries.

Mahmood got struck into Robin Peterson (2-39) as he smashed 20 runs off the 18th over to bring down the target to 18 from the final two overs. 

But Kyle Jarvis (2-21) produced a turnaround with his double strike in the penultimate over to dismiss Mahmood and John Mooney (1) leaving the Super Kings 15 to get off the final over.

However, Foster held his nerve and scored a boundary and a six off the final two deliveries to ensure a four-wicket victory for the Virgo Super Kings.

Mahmood bagged the man of the match for his all-round performance.

© Cricket World 2016