Sports Bulletin

Four sides in contention for Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final By Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD (November 30, 2019):-After 27 first-class matches since the revamped Quaid-e-Azam Trophy commenced on 14 September, it has come down to the 10th and final round of the four-day tournament (starting on 2 December) that will determine which two sides will progress to the 27-31 December final at the National Stadium. With a maximum of 24 points (five batting, three bowling and 16 win) available, the top four sides are separated by 18 points, whereas Sindh and Balochistan will fight out to avoid the wooden spoon at the National Stadium in the six-team competition. Table-toppers Central Punjab will go into their last round match against fourth-placed Southern Punjab leading by 18 points. This match will be played at the State Bank Stadium in Karachi.   Second-placed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have a 13-point advantage over their third-placed opponents Northern. This match will be played at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi, the venue that has produced results in the last two round matches. This means the top four sides – Central Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern and Southern Punjab – will be fighting tooth and nail to not only collect maximum points but to also keep their rivals to the minimum to ensure they remain in the hunt for the winner’s purse of PKR10million along with the prestigious silverware. The management of the four sides will have additional responsibilities from 2-5 December as they will have one eye on the proceeding at the other venue as this may potentially force changes to their game plans and strategies. So, all in all, the fans, followers and supporters of domestic cricket are up for thrilling and exciting next week in Karachi that is expected to produce some of the very best cricket. Central Punjab v Southern Punjab In the last four rounds, Central Punjab and Southern Punjab have both collected 42 points. When the two sides had met in the tournament opener at the Gaddafi Stadium, the match had ended in a high-scoring draw with Southern Punjab scoring 467 and 107-1, and Central Punjab scoring 473 in their only outing.  As points are awarded after 110 overs of the first innings of each side, both the teams pocketed 11 points apiece from this Punjab derby. Southern’s Sami Aslam had launched his first-class season with 243 and he is now the leading run-getter with 861 runs. Adnan Akmal, who scored 113 runs in the match, has 554 runs. In contrast, Central’s leading run-scorer to date is Kamran Akmal (750 runs), while Salman Butt is the tournament’s sixth most successful batsman with 662 runs.  Amongst the bowlers, Central’s Zafar Gohar is second on the overall list with 36 wickets, while his team-mate Bilal Asif is nine wickets behind with 27 wickets. For Southern, Mohammad Irfan has been the pick of the bowlers with 22 wickets, while Rahat Ali has 17 wickets.  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern  The two sides were involved in an exciting first-round fixture in Abbottabad when Northern escaped with a draw after being forced to follow-on. In reply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 526 for nine declared, which revolved around Mohammad Rizwan (176) and Ashfaq Ahmed (106), Northern were dismissed for 262 before finishing at 433 for six, thanks to centuries from Asif Ali (114) and Mohammad Nawaz (100). In the last four rounds, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have earned 66 points while Northern have gained 62 points, including wins over Sindh and Balochistan by 145 runs and eight wickets, respectively. Ashfaq Ahmed has been the mainstay of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, scoring 766 runs with four centuries and three half-centuries, while Sahibzada Farhan has contributed 548 runs with four half-centuries at an average of over 45. Faizan Riaz leads Northern’s run-scoring chart with 634 runs with two centuries and two half-centuries, while Zeeshan is the 10th and last batsman in the 600-run club with 613 runs (one century and four half-centuries). In the bowlers’ table, Nauman Ali leads the leaderboard with 46 wickets. He is followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s duo of Sajid Khan (19) and Junaid Khan (14). Sindh v Balochistan When the two sides met in their first-round match, Sindh scored 473 for five declared and Balochistan replied with 355 for nine. However, their campaigns failed to take off as they remain the only sides to not win a match in the tournament to date. In the process, Sindh lost twice, while Balochistan ended up on the losing side thrice. However, Balochistan’s Imran Butt will be one of the players to watch-out for in this match. The 23-year-old Lahore batsman is sitting on 830 runs and currently occupying number two spot on the tournament’s batting list. On the opposite side is Fawad Alam, who is the fifth leading scorer in the tournament with 665 runs (three centuries and two half-centuries). Amongst the bowlers, Balochistan’s Mohammad Asghar is fourth on the most successful bowlers list with 26 wickets, while Sindh’s Tabish Khan is one wicket behind with 25. Tenth round fixtures: Central Punjab v Southern Punjab – State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern – UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh v Balochistan – National Stadium, Karachi

Hasan Ali ruled out of Sri Lanka Tests Abdullah Asjad Islamabad [ November,29, 2019]:Fast bowler Hasan Ali has been ruled out of home Tests against Sri Lanka after fresh CT scans revealed cortical rib fractures, involving ninth rib on the right side and eighth and ninth ribs on the left side. The fractures will require up to six weeks to heal and he will start a rehabilitation process at the National Cricket Academy from Monday.  Hasan, after passing fitness tests, had rejoined Central Punjab for their ninth round Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on 22 November. However, prior to the match, he complained of pain on his left side for which he underwent precautionary scans in Karachi that revealed fractures. The fractures were confirmed in the follow-up scans that were carried out in Lahore.  

PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day tournament second round matches begin  Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (November 29, 2019):-Balochistan Under-16 were left reeling at 27 for five in their first innings at close of play on day-one of the PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day match against Central Punjab U16 at the Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad on Friday.  After scoring 268 for eight in their allotted 80 overs on the back of fifties by Azan Awais and Rafay Rana, Central Punjab took the first five Balochistan wickets with Muneeb Wasif and Samama Riaz taking two wickets each. Earlier, Faizullah had taken six wickets for Balochistan.  Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad  At Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, Sindh were 86 for six in their first innings in reply to Southern Punjab’s first innings score of 116 all out.  Southern Punjab who batted first were dismissed in 48.4 overs with Mohammad Ammar top-scoring with 48. Aaliyan Mahmood took five while Mohammad Sikandar took three wickets.  Sindh were reduced to 86 for six at close, Shayan Saad top-scored with 20 runs, Bilal Ahmed took three while Mohammad Bilal took two wickets.  Scores in brief:  Central Punjab U16 v Balochistan U16, Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad  Central Punjab 268-8, 80 overs (Azan Awais 78, Rafay Rana 54 not out; Faizullah 6-107)  Balochistan 27 for 5, 13 overs (Muneeb Wasif 2-6, Samama Riaz 2-21)  Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad  Southern Punjab 116 all out, 48.4 overs (Muhammad Ammar 48, Alamzaib Khan 21; Aaliyan Mehmood 5-60, Mohammad Sikander 3-22)  Sindh 86 for 6, 40 overs (Shayan Saad 20; Bilal Ahmed 3-6, Muhammad Bilal 2-2)               PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day tournament, second round matches begin  Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (November 29, 2019):-Balochistan Under-16 were left reeling at 27 for five in their first innings at close of play on day-one of the PCB-Pepsi National U16 three-day match against Central Punjab U16 at the Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad on Friday.  After scoring 268 for eight in their allotted 80 overs on the back of fifties by Azan Awais and Rafay Rana, Central Punjab took the first five Balochistan wickets with Muneeb Wasif and Samama Riaz taking two wickets each. Earlier, Faizullah had taken six wickets for Balochistan.  Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad  At Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, Sindh were 86 for six in their first innings in reply to Southern Punjab’s first innings score of 116 all out.  Southern Punjab who batted first were dismissed in 48.4 overs with Mohammad Ammar top-scoring with 48. Aaliyan Mahmood took five while Mohammad Sikandar took three wickets.  Sindh were reduced to 86 for six at close, Shayan Saad top-scored with 20 runs, Bilal Ahmed took three while Mohammad Bilal took two wickets.  Scores in brief:  Central Punjab U16 v Balochistan U16, Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad  Central Punjab 268-8, 80 overs (Azan Awais 78, Rafay Rana 54 not out; Faizullah 6-107)  Balochistan 27 for 5, 13 overs (Muneeb Wasif 2-6, Samama Riaz 2-21)  Southern Punjab U16 v Sindh U16, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad  Southern Punjab 116 all out, 48.4 overs (Muhammad Ammar 48, Alamzaib Khan 21; Aaliyan Mehmood 5-60, Mohammad Sikander 3-22)  Sindh 86 for 6, 40 overs (Shayan Saad 20; Bilal Ahmed 3-6, Muhammad Bilal 2-2)  

Southern Punjab win Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Second XI tournament  SB Report Lahore, 29 November 2019:Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fought gallantly on the fourth and final day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2nd XI tournament but had to be content with a draw as Southern Punjab won the final on the basis of securing a first innings lead at the State Bank Stadium, Karachi on Friday. Chasing 484 runs for victory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 379 for seven in their second innings when stumps were drawn for the final time in the match. They had resumed their second innings at the overnight score of 11 for no loss. Opener Mohammad Mohsin scored 123 off 163 balls with the help of 11 fours and two sixes to lead his side’s charge towards the target. Left-handed middle-order batsman Khushdil Shah scored 51 off 45 balls (one four, three sixes) while top-order batsman Musaddiq contributed 50 off 82 balls. However, the task of scoring 474 additional runs on the final day proved to be beyond the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa batsman as they lost wickets at regular intervals and had to eventually settle for a draw. Veteran left-arm-spinner Zulfiqar Babar took three wickets for 90 runs after registering figures of five for 56 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s first innings. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab, State Bank Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 369-5, 83 overs (Tayyab Tahir 107 not out, Mukhtar Ahmed 103, Anas Mustafa 61, Mohammad Umair 45 not out; Asif Afridi 2-87) and 333 all out, 113 overs (Mohammad Umair 113, Tayyab Tahir 106, Maqbool Ahmed 35; Asif Afridi 4-85, Irfanullah Shah 3-72) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 219 all out, 50.4 overs (Musaddiq Ahmed 59, Khushdil Shah 48, Mohammad Mohsin 39; Zulfiqar Babar 5-56, Ataullah 3-58) and 379 for 7, 78 overs (Mohammad Mohsin 123, Khushdil Shah 51, Musaddiq Ahmed 50; Zulfiqar Babar 3-90) Result: Match drawn; Southern Punjab win the tournament on first innings lead

Quaid-e Azam Trophy Second XI Final: Imran and Tayyab score centuries for Southern Punjab SB News LAHORE (November 28, 2019):-Mohammad Imran and Tayyab Tahir scored centuries for Southern Punjab against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on day-three of the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2nd XI tournament being played at State Bank Stadium in Karachi on Thursday. Resuming their second innings on 86 for four in 32 overs, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were in trouble at one point with six wickets down for 140 runs on the board. Tayyab Tahir who remained unbeaten in the first innings with 107 off 90 balls, got together with Muhammad Imran and forged a valuable 118-run partnership for the seventh wicket.  Tayyab scored a 242-ball 106, hitting eight fours and a six. Imran struck a 156-ball 113 laced with 16 fours and a six. Southern Punjab were dismissed for 333 runs in 113 overs. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Asif Afridi took four wickets for 85, while Irfanullah Shah grabbed three wickets for 72 runs in 19 overs.  Chasing 484 runs for victory, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 11 for no loss in three overs, when stumps were drawn.   Scores in brief:  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab, State Bank Stadium, Karachi  Southern Punjab 369-5, 83 overs (Tayyab Tahir 107 not out, Mukhtar Ahmed 103, Anas Mustafa 61, Mohammad Umair 45 not out; Asif Afridi 2-87) and 333 all out, 113 overs (Mohammad Umair 113, Tayyab Tahir 106, Maqbool Ahmed 35; Asif Afridi 4-85, Irfanullah Shah 3-72)  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 219 all out, 50.4 overs (Musaddiq Ahmed 59, Khushdil Shah 48, Mohammad Mohsin 39; Zulfiqar Babar 5-56, Ataullah 3-58) and 11-0, three overs

Northern beat Balochistan by eight wickets  SB Report KARACHI (November 28, 2019):-Impressive all-round performance against Balochistan at UBL Sports Complex handed Northern their second four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy win, which helped them climb to third spot on the points table. On the last day of the ninth round fixture, Northern chased down the 192-run target in 32.2 overs, scoring at an impressive run rate of 5.94. Ali Sarfaraz and Faizan Riaz remained unbeaten on 95 and 52, and cracked an undefeated 118-run partnership after openers Umar Amin and Zeeshan Malik fell for one and 37.  Ali cracked 15 fours and a six in his blistering knock, which lasted 87 balls. Faizan smashed four fours and four sixes in the 43 balls he faced. Earlier in the day, Balochistan added 44 runs to their overnight score of 189 for eight.  Wicketkeeper-batsman Bismillah Khan, after resuming his innings on 32, marched on to his first-class career’s 20th half-century and scored 69 off 101 balls with six fours and two sixes.  Northern captain Nauman Ali bagged his fifth five-wicket haul of the tournament – the most for any bowler this season. The left-arm orthodox returned five for 75. He was supported by Waqas Ahmed, who claimed for wickets at the expense of 72 runs.  After gaining 22 points from the match, Northern have jumped to the third spot on the table with 106 points. They were on ranked fourth before the commencements of the ninth round. Balochistan, at the bottom of the points table, are out of the race for the final.  Northern take on second-ranked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at State Bank Stadium in Karachi in the final round, which begins on 2 December. Balochistan play Sindh, ranked fifth and also out of the contention for final, at the National Stadium.  Scores in brief:  Balochistan 300 all-out, 90.2 (Imran Butt 124, Umar Gul 51, Imran Farhat 32; Sadaf Hussain 4-75, Nauman Ali 3-80) and 233 all-out, 79.5 overs (Bismillah Khan 69, Imran Farhat 55, Akbar-ur-Rehman 41; Nauman Ali 5-75, Waqas Ahmed 4-72)  Northern 342 all-out, 86.2 overs (Jamal Anwar 93, Sarmad Bhatti 86, Umar Amin 69; Taj Wali 6-89, Umar Gul 2-61) and 192-2, 32.2 overs (Ali Sarfraz 95 not out, Faizan Riaz 52 not out, Zeeshan Malik 37)

Sohail Tanvir reprimanded for code of conduct violation Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD (November 28, 2019):-Sohail Tanvir has been reprimanded for a Level 1 offence which relates to abuse of cricket equipment or clothing, ground equipment or fixtures and fittings during a match in Northern’s ninth round four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture against Balochistan at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi.  The incident occurred after the conclusion of the 41st over of Balochistan’s second innings when Sohail kicked the ball out of frustration for being unable to take a wicket. The Northern bowler was charged by on-field umpires Qaiser Waheed and Imran Jawed for the violation of Article 2.2 of the PCB’s Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel. Sohail pleaded guilty and was reprimanded by match referee Ahmer Saeed.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Central Punjab by 211 runs SB News LAHORE (November 28, 2019):-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa handed Central Punjab their first defeat of the season as they recorded a 211-run win in the ninth round of the four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture at NBP Stadium. Central Punjab, chasing 325, were bowled out for 113 in the afternoon session on the last day of the match.  Mohammad Saad and Umar Akmal, who resumed their innings on the overnight scores of one and 0, showed resistance in the earlier part of the morning session, adding 45 runs for the fifth-wicket. But, Central Punjab began losing wickets, one after another, after drinks and were 89 for seven at Lunch. Umar top scored with 43 from 76 balls, hitting seven fours, while Saad made 12 from 50 balls. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa dismissed the remaining three wickets in the earlier half of the second session with leg-spinner Mohammad Mohsin doing most of the damage with three for 34. Middle-order batsman Usman Salahuddin was not out on 29 from 118 balls. He hit two fours and a six. That Central Punjab found themselves in a precarious situation at the start of the day’s play was due to Usman Shinwari’s fiery spell yesterday in which he took three wickets for two runs in 2.2 overs. This is Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s second consecutive win in the tournament. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 355 all-out, 123.3 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 96, Khalid Usman 72 not out, Mohammad Moshin 56, Israrullah 51, Ashfaq Ahmed 29; Zafar Gohar 4-143, Bilal Asif 3-98, Usman Qadir 2-60) and 197-7d, 54 overs (Israrullah 40, Sahibzada Farhan 36, Zohaib Khan 31 not out, Khalid Usman 21 not out, Fakhar Zaman 21; Zafar Gohar 4-82) Central Punjab 228 all-out, 84.1 overs (Mohammad Saad 49, Kamran Akmal 39, Umar Akmal 34, Usman Qadir 32 not out; Khalid Usman 4-67, Sajid Khan 3-55, Mohammad Mohsin 2-57) and 113 all-out, 59.5 overs (Umar Akmal 43, Usman Salahuddin 29; Usman Shinwari 3-20, Mohammad Mohsin 3-34, Sajid Khan 2-15)

Fawad, Sarfaraz score big hundreds against Southern Punjab SB News Islamabad 27 November 2019: Fawad Alam scored a double hundred and captain, Sarfaraz Ahmed a century as Sindh grinded down Southern Punjab on day-three of the four-day day first-class ninth-round Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match at the National Stadium on Wednesday. Fawad stroked his way to the fourth double century of his career making (211 from 309 balls) while Sarfaraz (131 from 174 balls) scored his first hundred in domestic cricket in five-years to put together a big partnership of 278 runs for the fifth wicket. Their partnership allowed Sindh to end on 486 in response to Southern’s 517 for 9 declared. Fawad achieved another personal milestone when he also crossed 12,000 first-class runs. Their stand effectively ended any hopes that the Southern team harboured of forcing a result in the match and trying to grab second spot in the points table when Sindh resumed on 142 for three this morning. The two forged their alliance and took Sindh to 253 for four at lunch after overnight batsman, Saad Ali fell early adding just four runs to his overnight score as he was caught for 60 from 106 balls on the bowling of Bilawal Bhatti who finished with four for 82. But Saad’s overnight partner, Fawad who resumed on 60 showed no intentions of giving up his wicket and he found an able partner in his captain as their century partnership came from just 138 balls in 107 minutes. Southpaw Fawad who is a prolific scorer in first-class cricket with an imposing batting average of 56 completed his third century of the season after lunch. Sarfaraz who last scored a century in domestic first-class cricket for PIA against ZTBL way back in 2014 was more aggressive reaching his hundred from 119 balls with 12 fours. As the two batted together the Southern bowlers wilted on an unresponsive pitch and even the second new ball didn’t produce the desired results for pacers, Bilawal, Zia-ul-Haq and Umaid Asif. Eventually it was the tall left-arm spinner, Muhammad Irfan who broke through when bowling consistently round the wicket he got one to bounce more from a bowlers run-up patch and Sarfaraz going forward to play a defensive shot top edged to the bowler. Sarfaraz’s innings of 131 spanned 174 balls and included 13 fours. Fawad, however, found Anwar Ali (28) to be a good partner and carried on reaching his double hundred by hitting off-spinner, Agha Salman to deep mid-wicket for a four to reach his personal milestone. He was finally caught at deep mid-on trying to hit the same shot against Irfan as his innings included 25 fours. Bilawal than trapped Hassan Khan leg before for nine and also picked up Anwar caught  at first slip and Waleed Ahmed to hasten an end to the Sindh innings while last man Shahnawaz Dhani was run out. Both teams took the 5 bonus points for batting as they scored 400 plus in their 110 overs. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab 517 for 9 declared, 133.3 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 133, Adnan Akmal 107 not out, Sohaib Maqsood 81; Anwer Ali 5-75, Hassan Khan 2-110) Sindh 486 all out, 132 overs (Fawad Alam 211, Sarfaraz Ahmed 131, Saad Ali 60; Zia-ul-Haq 3-105, Muhammad Irfan 2-129)  

Balochistan lead Northern by 147 runs with two wickets remaining Abdullah Asjad Islamabad, 27 November 2019:Bowlers dominated day three of the ninth round four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture between Balochistan and Northern at the UBL stadium as Balochistan were 189 for eight in their second innings. Thirteen wickets fell on Wednesday as Northern, continuing their first innings, were skittled out for 342 after adding only 45 runs to their overnight score before Nauman Ali and Waqas Ahmed shared Balochistan’s seven out of eight wickets. In the first session of the day, Balochistan's paceman Taj Wali ripped through the Northern's batting line-up to claim his 15th five-wicket haul in first class cricket. The left-arm medium-fast took three more wickets on day three to return six wickets for 89 runs in 20.2 overs. Sarmad Bhatti and Jamal Anwar added three and 32 runs, respectively, to their overnight scores. Sarmad made 86 off 176, hitting nine fours and a six, while Jamal cracked 11 fours in his 93 from 120 balls. With a deficit of 42 runs, Balochistan's openers failed to provide the desired beginning as both openers Imran Butt (28) and Azeem Ghumman (eight) were back in the dressing room by Lunch. Akbar-ur-Rehman and skipper Imran Farhat consolidated the innings to escort Balochistan to 113 at Tea. The pair stitched an 84-run partnership for the third wicket with Akbar scoring a 114-ball 41 and Imran recording his 70th first-class half-century with a 114-ball 55. In the final session of the day, Northern's bowlers came into the act, snapping up quick wickets to squeeze Balochistan. Wicketkeeper-batsman Bismillah Khan put up resistance with 32 not out from 41 balls (4x4s). Balochistan are 147 runs ahead and will be relying on Bismillah – who is joined by Mohammad Asghar (three) – to help them post a decent target. Scores in brief: Balochistan 300 all-out, 90.2 overs (Imran Butt 124, Umar Gul 51, Imran Farhat 32; Sadaf Hussain 4-75, Nauman Ali 3-80) and 189-8, 65 overs (Imran Farhat 55, Akbar-ur-Rehman 41, Bismillah Khan 32 not out; Nauman Ali 4-62, Waqas Ahmed 3-54) Northern 342 all-out, 86.2 overs (Jamal Anwar 93, Sarmad Bhatti 86, Umar Amin 69; Taj Wali 6-89, Umar Gul 2-61)