Tag: Balochistan vs Central Punjab

RAWALPINDI: Balochistan batter Imam-ul-Haq scored a vital century, while skipper Asad Shafiq scored a gritty knock of 62* and propelled their side to force a draw in the second-round fixture against Central Punjab (CP) of the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23.

Balochistan began the final day of their second-round fixture at 137/1 with a 213-run deficit.

Imam, resuming on 72*, converted his overnight score into a valiant century before walking back after scoring 108. The left-handed batter smashed 13 fours in his 231-ball innings.

Following Imam’s dismissal, Balochistan skipper Asad led his team’s fightback and added 63 runs for the fifth wicket with Ali Waqas (25 off 64), denying CP bowlers any more inroads.

Asad remained undefeated on 62 from 140 deliveries at the conclusion of the action, leading Balochistan to 303 for six in 118 overs.

Meanwhile, at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, the second-round fixture between defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Southern Punjab (SP) also ended in a draw as SP could finish at 101/2 while chasing 266.

KP batter Kamran Ghulam missed what could have been his second consecutive century by 14 runs. The right-handed batter made 86 off 175 (10 fours and two sixes) before Ahmed Bashir ended his stay at the crease.

Another second-round fixture of QEAT ended in a draw as Sindh were 160/4 in their second innings at the conclusion of the final day.

Earlier, Northern started the day on 363/6 and finished on 417, with Nauman’s 123-ball 65 being the highlight of the day (nine fours and two sixes).

Following this, Sindh started their second innings with a 40-run lead and at one stage were 23/3 but Saad Khan and Fawad Alam, with 72 and 60 not out, respectively, denied any trouble and powered the side to finish the match as a draw.

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FAISALABAD: Northern batters Umar Amin and Faizan Riaz scored a century each to power their side to cut Sindh’s lead to 94 at the conclusion of the third day of the ongoing second round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23.

Resuming at an overnight score of 129/2 in response to Sindh’s 457/8, Umar and Faizan scripted an astounding fightback for their side as the pair added 85 runs for the third wicket.

Umar converted his overnight score of 60 into a magnificent century before walking back to the pavilion for 105 off 209 with the help of 14 boundaries and a six.

Faizan, on the other hand, held his ground firm and followed the footsteps of his skipper as he too, smashed a brilliant century.

Mubasir Khan and Rohail Nazir bagged a duck each, while Sarmad Bhatti played a crucial knock of 46. Faizan remained unbeaten for his 106 off 252 including eight boundaries and a six.

Faizan will now resume his magnificent knock alongside Nauman Ali (38) as the side still trail by 94 runs.

Meanwhile, at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, the second-round fixture between defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Southern Punjab (SP) remained in the balance as the hosts accumulated a 207-run lead as their batting line-up struggled to 275/7 at the stumps on Day 3.

SP bowlers Hasan Ali and Ali Usman claimed three wickets each to halt defending champions from amassing a big total.

Sahibzada Farhan fell short of his century by 17 runs as he scored 83 off 147, while opening batter Waqar Ahmed was impressive with his brilliant 75 early on.

At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Imam-ul-Haq led Balochistan’s fightback against Central Punjab (CP).

The left-handed opener scored an unbeaten 72 as Balochistan ended the day at 137/1 after CP declared their first innings at 545/6 after securing a massive 350-run lead.

Imam hit eight boundaries amid his 157-ball knock and provided his side with a vital 132-run first wicket start with Imran Butt (53).

Earlier, CP resumed at an overnight score of 417/4 with centurion Tayyab Tahir (118) and Qasim Akram (59).

Tayyab fell after scoring 137 off 244 balls, laced with 12 boundaries and a six, while Qasim missed his maiden first-class century by a mere eight runs as he fell to Amad Butt at the score of 92. The right-hander’s 136-ball innings included 13 fours and a six.

Aamer Yamin was the other CP batter amongst runs as he scored a quickfire 50* off just 30 balls with the help of seven boundaries and a six.

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RAWALPINDI: Central Punjab (CP) batters Azhar Ali and Tayyab Tahir scored centuries to bolster their side to take a commanding 232-run lead over Balochistan at the conclusion of the second day’s play in the second round fixture of the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) 2022-23.

Resuming at an overnight score of 91/2 after the bowlers bundled out Balochistan for a paltry 185, CP finished the second day on a high as the side accumulated a hefty 232-run lead after finishing at 417/4.

Veteran right-handed batter Azhar stroked his 44th first-class century while Tahir scored his second consecutive hundred in the ongoing tournament.

Azhar scored 107 off 196 with 11 fours and a six and Tayyab remained unbeaten on 118 off 205 and had hit 10 fours and a six.

Tayyab will resume his brilliant knock on the third day with young all-rounder Qasim Akram, who scored 59 not out off 77, laced with eight boundaries and a six.

Meanwhile, Northern are trailing by 328 runs after finishing at 129/2 in response to Sindh’s 457/8 at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.

Northern captain Umar Amin scripted an astounding recovery for his side with a gritty knock of 60 not out as he added 92 runs for the second wicket with Mohammad Huraira, who fell eight short of his half-century.

Earlier, Sindh captain Saud Shakeel converted his overnight 12th hundred into a brilliant 158. The left-handed batter faced 319 balls and hit 14 boundaries and two sixes.

Wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed further bolstered the side to a massive total as he stroked his second fifty on the bounce with a 70 not out off 136 including eight fours.

In another second-round fixture, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), batting second, are trailing by 64 as the defending champions concluded the second day at 4/1 in response to Southern Punjab’s (SP) 308.

Umar Siddiq’s 13th first-class century had earlier lifted SP to 308 at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium after KP had scored 240 the day before. SP were 48/3 at the start of the second day before Umar hammered 19 fours in his 199-ball innings.

Salman Ali Agha then lifted his side’s score with a brilliant knock of 64 off 88 deliveries with the help of 10 boundaries.

Ihsanullah led the bowling attack for KP with 3/45, while Arshadullah and Arshad Iqbal bagged two each.

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ISLAMABAD: In the eighth-round match of the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Sindh sealed a thrilling victory in a rain-affected match over the home side, Northern, to secure the top spot in the points table.

In the 23rd match of the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Sindh sealed a thrilling victory in a high-scoring clash against Northern by eight runs.

Batting first, Sindh posted a massive total on the board as they scored 221/5 in the allotted 25 overs, the opening batter Saim Ayub shone with his half-century, while the rest of the batters also chipped in.

The openers Sharjeel Khan and Saim provided a solid start to the side as they put on a magnificent 92-runs partnership for the first wicket. Sharjeel, who scored a double-century in the last match against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) fell early as he went back to the pavilion after scoring 39 off 30 balls.

Saim, on the other hand, kept going and went on to score a brilliant half-century as he top-scored for the side with 57 off just 34 balls with the help of eight boundaries and two sixes.

Danis Aziz’s onslaught down the order further bolstered the side’s score to 221/5 in 25 overs as the left-handed batter scored a quickfire 46 off 27 balls, laced with four boundaries and a six.

For Northern, Mubasir Khan, Shadab Majeed, and Zaman Khan struck out a batter each.

Set to chase a mammoth 222 in 25 overs, the home side fell eight runs short despite the fifties from Imad Wasim and Umar Amin.

The side had a poor start to their run chase as they lost their first wicket for none. Opening batter Nasir Nawaz bagged a golden duck. The side then kept losing wickets at a regular interval and in the end, fell eight runs short as Sindh bowlers did well to produce timely breakthroughs.

Imad scored 53 off 44 balls, while Umar top-scored for the home side with 66 off just 38 deliveries, laced with the help of seven boundaries and three sixes. Their heroics too, could not help the side to secure the victory as the rest of the batters failed to contribute significantly in the run chase.

For Sindh, Muhammad Umar, Shahnawaz Dahani, Asif Mehmood, and Saim bagged two wickets each.

In another match of the Pakistan Cup, Balochistan thumped Central Punjab (CP) by 76 runs, thanks to the centuries from Imran Butt and Asad Shafiq.

Batting first, Balochistan scored a mammoth 371/4 in the allotted 50 overs. Opening batter Imran and the experienced right-handed batter Asad scored brilliant centuries to bolster the total.

Asad remained not-out for his terrific 104 off 73 balls with the help of 16 boundaries, while Imran top-scored for the side as he scored 129 off 93 deliveries, laced with 18 boundaries and two sixes.

The middle-order batter Mohammad Saad also chipped in with his 50 off 44 balls; smashing four boundaries and two sixes.

For Balochistan, Hussain Talat bagged two wickets, while Wahab Riaz and Raza Ali Dar made one scalp each.

In the run chase, CP fell short of 76 runs, as the home side bowled for 295 runs in the 48th over despite the fifties from Ahmed Shehzad and Saad Nasim.

Ahmed top-scored for the home side; scoring 66 up the order. He faced 54 balls and hit 12 boundaries including two sixes, while Saad scored 59 but remained a touch too slow as he conceded 62 balls in the course of his innings.

The rest of the CP batters could not go big with the bat and the side bowled out for 295; handing an easy 76 runs victory to Balochistan.

For Balochistan, Asad and Amad Butt led the way with three wickets each, while Yasir Shah claimed two. Akif Javed, on the other hand, struck out a batter.

In the 24th match of the ongoing domestic tournament, KPK sealed a consolidating 35 runs victory over Southern Punjab (SP).

Batting first KPK put on a commendable 285/7 on the scoreboard in the allotted 50 overs. Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Sarwar Afridi went big with the bat; both scoring half-centuries, while the rest of the batters also made collective efforts to power the side to a reputable total.

Fakhar, who was looking solid, missed on his well-deserved century by a mere five runs as he perished after scoring run-a-ball 95 with the help of seven boundaries and four sixes. Sarwar, on the other hand, played a gritty knock of 72 runs off 85 deliveries; smashing seven boundaries and a six.

For SP, Zia-ul-Haq shone with the ball; taking four wickets, while Ali Majid, Muhammad Imran, and Aamer Yamin struck out a batter each.

In the run chase, SP could only score 250 before getting bowled out in the 45th over. The middle-order batter Salman Ali Agha fought hard with his gritty knock as he top-scored for the side; scoring 56 off 77 balls.

Left-handed explosive batter Khushdil Shah and Azam Khan, on the other hand, scored 40 each but that too could not assist the side securing the victory as the rest of the batters failed to make an impact with the bat.

For KPK, Khalid Usman led the way with three wickets, while Imran Khan Snr and Sameen Gul picked two wickets each. Kamran Ghulam, on the other hand, struck out a batter.

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KARACHI: In the ongoing Pakistan Cup, the table-toppers Kyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) and Balochistan secured fourth-round victories over Sindh and Central Punjab (CP) respectively, while Southern Punjab (SP) edged past Northern, on Tuesday.

In the 12th match of the ongoing domestic event, KPK have strengthened their top position with a thumping victory of 113 runs over Sindh.

Batting first, the defending champions managed to score 220 before being bowled out in the last over.

Ahmed Khan and Sameen Gul provided a gritty 70-runs partnership for the ninth wicket to anchor the innings when the side was stranded at 121-8. Ahmed scored 44, while Sameen top-scored with his 46. Young wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Haris, on the other hand, scored an important 33 off 35 balls, up the order.

For Sindh, Danish Aziz led the way with three wickets, while Abrar Ahmed and Sohail Khan bagged two each. Mir Hamza and Anwar Ali, on the other hand, managed to make one scalp.

Set to chase 221, Sindh’s batting line-up failed and was bowled out for a mere 107; handing a thumping 113-runs victory to KPK.

The right-handed opening batter Khurram Manzoor resisted a bit with his gritty 26, while the rest of the batters walked back to the pavilion after scoring cheaply.

For KPK, Khalid Usman starred; taking a five-fer, while Arshad Iqbal and Sameen claimed two wickets each. Asif Afridi, on the other hand, struck out a batter.

In the 10th match of the Pakistan Cup, the second-ranked Balochistan sealed a crushing eight-wicket victory over CP, thanks to the unbeaten century from Imran Butt.

Set to chase a skimpy 180, Imran’s brilliance drove the side to the victory in the 37th over. The right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 100 off 168 balls, laced with eight boundaries, while Haseebullah and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai also chipped in with 32 each.

For CP, Qasim Akram and Raza Ali Dar managed to pick one wicket apiece.

Batting first, CP batters failed to bolster their side at a commendable position as the side could only score 179 before being bowled out in the 28th over.

For CP, Qasim and Raza showed resistance with the bat also as Raza scored a valiant 39, while Qasim top-scored with an astonishing 63. The rest of the batters, on the other hand, remained clueless in front of Balochistan’s bowling attack.

For Balochistan, Yashir Shah and Akif Javed took three wickets each, while Khurram Shahzad picked two. Amad Butt, on the other hand, claimed one wicket.

In another match of the ongoing domestic event, SP edged past Northern by 67 runs to secure their first victory of the tournament.

Batting first, Salman Ali Agha’s power-show with the bat powered the side to a commendable total of 284 before bowling out in the 49th over.

Salman scored a terrific 171 off 204 balls, laced with 18 boundaries and six maximums, while the rest of the batters could not contribute significantly.

For Northern, Aamir Jamal took three wickets, while Athar Mehmood, Mubasir Khan, and Musa Khan picked two wickets each. Imad Wasim, on the other hand, claimed one wicket.

Set to chase 285, Northern bowled out for 217 in the 44th over despite brilliant knocks of Mubasir and Rohail Nazir. Mubasir top-scored with 63, while Rohail scored a valiant 40 but the two could not steer their side to the victory as the rest of the batters made their way back after scoring cheaply.

For SP, Aamer Yamin, Khushdil Shah, and Muhammad Imran bagged two wickets each, while Mohammad Abbas Afridi and Salman made one scalp each.

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KARACHI: Ather Mahmood and Kashif Ali shared 14 wickets to help Northern beat table-toppers Sindh by an innings and 39 runs in the eighth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) here at UBL Sports Complex.

Following on the first innings total of Northern, Sindh were bowled out for 182 runs thanks to Ather who took four wickets, and Kashif who bagged three.

Khurram Manzoor and Ahsan Ali provided good start to Sindh after they were enforced a follow-on. Khurram scored 39 whereas Ahsan made 44 before walking off. Omair Bin Yousuf fought hard and scored 52 runs with the help of three boundaries.

But, it was bowlers’ day at UBL as they managed to get a complete haul of Sindh. Apart from Ather and Kashif, Mohammad Musa and Zaid Khan shared two wickets each. In the first innings, Ather and Kashif bagged as many wickets as the second innings respectively.

In the first match of the on-going eighth round, Central Punjab bowlers put the side on driving seat against Balochistan.

Central, resumed their innings at an overnight score 178/5 on day-three, were off to a shaky start. The side lost their sixth wicket at a combine score of 186.

Soon after, the wickets began to tumble at an alarming rate and the side were bundle out for 262. Zafar Gohar played a gritty knock and showed resistance, the batter remained not out on his individual score of 42. While, rest of their batters were dismissed cheaply.

With 63-run lead, Balochistan batters began their second innings, however, Central’s bowlers dismantled the side’s batting line up, bowling them out for just 162. Bismillah Khan scored 27 off 29 balls including two boundaries and a six, while Gohar Faiz, top-scored with 36 off 43 deliveries laced with five boundaries and two sixes.

Muhammad Ali was the Central’s standout bowler, taking a fifer, while Zafar took two wickets. Waqas Maqsood and Bilawal Iqbal each had one wicket.

Chasing a target of 211-run, Central’s openers provided a decent start to the side. The pair put on a decent 48-run partnership. Imran Dogar was dismissed on 26.

Rizwan Hussain (23*) and Ali Shah (9*) will resume the proceedings for Central at 62/1 on day-four.

In the third match of the ongoing round of QEAT, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) need to chase 219-run target to win the match.

Southern resumed their innings at 40/0 on day-three, were off to a shaky start as the side lost their first wicket without adding much into their overnight score. Soon after, Zeeshan Ashraf was also dismissed, on 19 and the team slipped to 69/2.

However, Umar Siddiq and Salman Ali Agha played sensible knocks and partnered strongly to put the side in commanding position. Salman scored 90 off 131 balls including 14 boundaries, while Zeeshan top-scored with 92 laced with 15 boundaries.

With valuable contributions from down the order, Southern, eventually, were able to put a decent score of 334 on the board.

For KPK, Irfan Ullah Shah bagged four wickets, while Sameen Gull took three wickets. Asif Afridi and Arshad managed to take two wickets and one wicket respectively.

KPK openers will resume the run chase on day four.

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KARACHI: Sarmad Bhatti and Umer Amin recorded a solid 140-run partnership for Northern, helping the side post 319 in the first inning of their ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) fixture at UBL Sports Complex here on Tuesday.

Northern resumed their innings at 136/2, but Sarmad and Amin were unable to extend their partnership, adding only 22 runs on the second day. Mir Hamza castled Amin on the 78. Faizan Riaz was sent back to the pavilion on a duck shortly after, as the side quickly slumped to 158/4.

The side began to lose wickets at an alarming rate, however, Sarmad stood firm at one end. The left-handed batter went onto score a brilliant hundred, top-scored for his side with 145, laced with 16 boundaries and two sixes.

With no significant contribution from the rest of the batters. Northern were eventually bowled out for 319, taking a massive 221-run lead against Sindh.

For Sindh, Tabish Khan bagged fifer, while Sohail Khan took three wickets. Hamza and Muhammad Asghar shared a wicket apiece.

Trailing by 221-run, Sindh openers provided a solid start to the side, with 74-run opening partnership. The pair seemed in top-notch before Ahsan Ali was sent back to the pavilion on 44.

Khurram Manzoor (33*) and Omair Bin Yousuf (19*) will resume the inning for Sindh at 105/1 on day-three.

In the first match of on-going eighth round, Balochistan’s all-rounder, Kashif Bhatti put the side in commanding position against Central Punjab on day-two.

Balochistan resumed their innings at 283-5, the side could not add much to their overnight score and were eventually bowled out for 325. Kashif scored a brilliant half-century, scoring 53 off 82 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries, and a six.

Zafar Gohar bagged a five-wicket haul. Bilawal Iqbal and Hussain Talat each took two wickets, while Imran Dogar dismissed a batter.

Central got off to a solid start in response to Balochistan’s 325, with the openers putting together a solid 78-run partnership. Before Imran was dismissed on 23.

However, Rizwan Hussain and Ali Zaryab played sensible knocks for the side. Ali scored 48 laced with eight boundaries, while Rizwan smashed a brilliant 50 including seven boundaries.

Soon after, the side began to lose wickets, and in the end, were slipped to 178/5 at stumps on day-two.

Kashif bagged four wickets, while Raza-Ul-Hassan dismissed a batter.

Saif Badar (37*) and Ali Shah (6*) will resume the proceedings for Central at 178/5 on day-three.

In the third match of the ongoing round of QEAT, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resumed at their overnight score of 45/2. The side were off to a shaky start as their third wicket fell at a combine score of 46.

However, important contributions from the side’s middle-order took them to a decent total of 281 in first innings. Sahibzada Farhan scored 60 off 127 balls laced with six boundaries and a six. Arshad Iqbal smashed 62 off 102 deliveries, including nine boundaries.

Muhammad Ilyas took four wickets for Southern. Whereas, Amir Yamin and Salman Ali Agha each bagged three wickets.

Trailing by 115-run, Southern openers provided a decent start to the side as the pair put on an unbeaten 40-run partnership at the stumps on day-two.

Tayyab Tahir (11*) and Umar Siddiq (29*) will resume the proceedings for Southern on day-three.

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