LPC LAHORE: Honda Chenab qualified for another main final in a row after overpowering Guard Group by 9-6 in the Shoe Planet Polo Cup 2017 match played here at the Lahore Polo Club ground on Thursday.
Ahmed Ali Tiwana played heroic role in Honda Chenab’s tremendous triumph by hammering a hat-trick while Shaharyar Khan, Ghulam Mustafa Monnoo and Bilal Haye pumped in two goals each to complete the tally. From Guard Group, which had half goal handicap advantage, Taimur Ali Malik and Ahmed Nawaz Tiwana banged in a brace each while Taimur Mawaz Khan and Rehan Babar hit one goal apiece.
Honda Chenab dominated the match right from the start as they hammered a hat-trick to take 3-0 lead which was later reduce to 3-2 before the end of the first chukker. Honda Chenab struck another hat-trick to further increase their lead to 6-2 and in the dying moments of the second chukker, Guard Group struck one to reduce the gap to 6-3.
Shoe Planet Polo Cup 2017: Day 2
The third chukker was fully dominated by Guard Group, who changed their strategy which paid off and they succeeded in thwarting in two important goals to further reduce the deficit to 6-5. They attacked one after another but couldn’t succeed in converting more goals due to strong defence of Honda Chenab. The fourth and last chukker once again saw Honda Chenab dictating their terms and adding another hat-trick in their tally to take unassailable 9-5 lead. Guard Group though tried hard to score more goals but they succeeded in converting only one to finish the match at 9-6. Saqib Khan Khakwani and Mumtaz Abbas Niazi officiated the match as field umpires.
In another match of the day, Elan outpaced United Snacks by 8-4 to qualify for the subsidiary final. Saqib Khan Khakwani emerged as top scorer from the winning side as he slammed in a quartet while Bilal Hayat Noon hammered a hat-trick and Agha Musa struck one. From the losing side, Hissam Ali Hyder thwarted three goals while Sufi Amir hit one goal. Omar Asjad Malhi and Hamza Mawaz Khan supervised the match as field umpires.
On Friday, Diamond Paints, Sakuf and Dawood Group will vie against each other under American system at 2:00 pm while Newage will take Black Horse Paints/Artema Medical in the second encounter of the day at 3:30 pm.
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