Asif Ali was in blistering form and his all-round performance took Danube Lions past Al Jabeen in a Group C match of the Aseel Islamic Finance 26th Sharjah Ramadan Cup 2014 Twenty20 tournament.

After Al Jabeen put on 162 in 20 overs with Ali claiming two wickets, he then smashed a 39-ball 70 as Danube Lions overhauled the target in 19.3 overs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

Opting to bat first after winning the toss, Al Jabeen were led by a strong batting performance from opener Yaqoob Masih, who fired a 26-ball 53.

Masih also shared a 61-run opening partnership with Ateque Mehmood, who chipped in with a fine 23 from 28 balls.

Yasir Khalim (30), Amith Varma (17) and Naeem (12) added more runs to the scoreboard as the Al Jabeen reached 162-7 in 20 overs.

In reply, Lions got off to a bad start with both openers out early. Andri Berenger (27) was the only batsman to offer some resistance as Lions were reduced to 76-4.

Ali rose to the occasion, hammering five sixes and three boundaries during his stay as Danube Lions overhauled the target with three balls to spare.