Balochistan beats KPK by eight wickets to win their first Pakistan Cup Title

MULTAN: Balochistan’s skipper Yasir Shah starred with four wickets before Abdul Wahid Bangalzai scored an unbeaten half-century to propel the side to beat the defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) by eight wickets and lift the Pakistan Cup Trophy, here on Friday.

Set to chase 172, Balochistan comfortably steered to victory in the 32nd over with eight wickets in hands, thanks to the unbeaten half-century from Bangalzai.

In the run chase, the side was off to an unwanted start; losing their first wicket for a mere 28 runs as Imran Butt made his way back after scoring 17.

The enterprising left-handed opener Haseebullah then anchored the innings with Bangalzai as the duo added an important 77-runs for the second wicket before the former fell after scoring 45 off 58 balls.

Bangalzai, on the other hand, kept going and went on to smash a wonderful half-century in the final. He top-scored for his side with 80 not-out off 77 deliveries, while the experienced batter Asad Shafiq also chipped in with his unbeaten 21.

For KPK, Khalid Usman managed to pick two wickets.

Batting first, the defending champions KPK could only manage to score 171 as the side bowled in 46 overs. The right-handed batter Kamran Ghulam fought hard with his gritty 70 off 91 balls, while the rest of the batters could not contribute significantly.

For Balochistan, Yasir led the way with four wickets, while Akif Javed and Khurram Shahzad took two wickets each. Asad, on the other hand, managed to make one scalp.

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Balochistan beat Sindh in a thriller to qualify for Pakistan Cup Final

MULTAN: Balochistan’s left-handed opener Haseebullah scored a brilliant century before Kashif Bhatti starred with three wickets to power the side beat Sindh by 13 runs in a thrilling second semi-final of the ongoing Pakistan Cup, here on Wednesday.

Batting first, Balochistan steered to a commendable total of 263 before being bowled out in the 44th over, thanks to the brilliant century and half-century knocks from Haseebullah and Asad Shafiq respectively.

The left-handed opener stood firm and kept the scoreboard ticking single-handedly while his side was losing wickets at the other end. The young batter went on to score a gritty century and top-scored for his side with 131 off 114 balls.

The experienced batter Asad then also chipped in and scored a valiant half-century. The right-handed batter scored 64 off 69 deliveries.

The rest of the Balochistan batters, on the other hand, could not manage to contribute significantly to the team’s total.

For Sindh, Muhammad Umar and Sohail Khan took three wickets each, while Mir Hamza bagged two. Abrar Ahmad and Saim Ayub, on the other hand, struck out a batter each.

Set to chase 264, Sindh fell short 13 runs short as the side could only score 250/9 in the allotted 50 overs despite the fifties from Sharjeel Khan, Khurram Manzoor, and Omair Bin Yusuf.

The batters remained a touch too slow in scoring their fifties, while the failure of the rest of the batters also halted the side’s chances of qualifying into the final of the tournament.

Omair top-scored with 60, while Khurram and Sharjeel followed back with 55 and 50 respectively. Saim, on the other hand, chipped in with his 30 off 26 balls.

For Balochistan, Kashif led the way with three wickets, while Yasir Shah and Khurram Shahzad claimed two wickets each. Amad Butt, on the other hand, made one scalp.

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Kamran’s century propel KPK to beat CP and qualify for Pakistan Cup Final

MULTAN: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK)’s top-order batter Kamran Ghulam starred with a magnificent hundred after Mohammad Imran and Sajid Khan shone with three wickets each to power the defending champions beat Central Punjab (CP) by six wickets, here on Monday.

Set to chase 287, KPK comfortably steered to the victory in the 49th over, thanks to the astonishing century from Kamran, who top-scored for the side with 109.

The defending champions had an unwanted start to their run chase as the side lost their first wicket for a mere 22. Muhammad Mohsin Khan lost his wicket due to a run-out. The left-handed batter could only score two.

Ashfaq Ahmed and Kamran then added 130-runs for the second wicket before Ashfaq perished in the 28th over. Ashfaq remained the second top-scorer for the side with his brilliant half-century. The right-handed batter scored 71 off 86 balls.

Kamran then put on another valiant partnership with Adil Amin. The duo batted sensibly with Adil scoring a half-century, while Kamran went on to score a terrific century.

Kamran, however, made his way back after amassing his century, he scored 109 off 120 balls with the help of 10 boundaries and three sixes.

Whereas, Adil, who lost his wicket in the 49th over, scored 60 off 58 deliveries, laced with three boundaries and a six.

For CP, Ali Asfand, Rizwan Hussain, and Qasim Akram made one scalp each.

Batting first, CP managed to score 286/9 in the allotted 50 overs at the back of the fifties from Hussain Talat and Qasim.

After opting to bat first, CP had a below-par start to their innings as the side lost their first four wickets with 78 runs on the scoreboard in the 18th over.

The dependent pair of CP – Hussain and Qasim then anchored the innings with an important 108-runs partnership for the fifth wicket and took the score to 187 in the 34th over before Hussain made his way back.

The left-handed batter scored 63 in 71 balls, laced with five boundaries and a six, while Qasim top-scored for the side with 67. The right-handed batter faced 63 deliveries and smashed 10 boundaries in the course of his gritty knock.

Later, all-rounder Saad Nasim also chipped in with his unbeaten 46 in 42 balls, laced with three boundaries and a six.

For KPK, Imran and Sajid led the way with three wickets each, while Imran Khan followed back with two. Sameen Gul, on the other hand, struck out a batter.

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Pakistan Cup: Balochistan, KPK, Sindh, CP secure semi-final berths

KARACHI: In the 28th match of the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Central Punjab edged past Sindh by 77 runs, thanks to the brilliant all-round performance by Zafar Gohar to book their spot in the semi-final, while Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK), and Balochistan have already qualified.

In the final-round match between CP and Sindh, the home side sealed a resounding 77-runs victory over the third-ranked Sindh at the back of Zafar’s heroics.

Batting first in a must-win game, CP get to a decent total of 261 in the 49th before losing all of their wickets. The right-handed opener Ahmed Shehzad and the all-rounder Zafar led the batting chart with respective fifties, while Umar Akmal also chipped in with a quick 37.

Zafar scored a gritty 51 off 62 balls with the help of four boundaries and two sixes, while Ahmed remained the top-scorer for the home side with 68 off 75 balls, laced with nine boundaries.

For Sindh, Muhammad Umar led the way with three wickets, while Abrar Ahmed followed back with two to his name. Sohail Khan, Mohammad Asghar, Danish Aziz, Saim Ayub, and Mohammad Taha, on the other hand, made one scalp each.

Set to chase 262 in 50 overs, Sindh’s skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed’s half-century went in vain as the side could only score 184 and bowled out in the 42nd over.

Sarfaraz remained the top-scorer for his side with a gritty 59 off 75 deliveries with the help of three boundaries and a six, while the middle-order batter followed back with 27.

The rest of their batters failed in the run chase and seven batters walked back after scoring in single digits.

For CP, Zafar, alongside Hussain Talat led the bowling chart with three wickets each, while Ali Asfand bagged two. The skipper Wahab Riaz made one scalp.

In the 29th match of the ongoing tournament, Southern Punjab (SP) thrashed bottom-ranked Northern by three wickets and 127 balls to spare, thanks to the belligerent hitting by Azam Khan in the run chase.

Set to chase 221, SP appeared to be in a rush to hunt down the total and beat CP’s run rate, however, despite reaching the total with 127 balls to spare, the team was unable to qualify for the knockout stage as CP thrashed Sindh in their match and secured the fourth position with 10 points. Whereas, remained in fifth with eight points.

Azam stole the show with his brilliant power hitting; scoring a quickfire 83 off 39 balls, laced with 11 boundaries and four sixes, while Sharoon Siraj and Muhammad Imran also chipped in with 48 and 40 respectively.

For Northern, Athar Mehmood and Mehran Mumtaz claimed two wickets each, while Salman Irshad and Shadab Majeed struck out a batter each.

Batting first, Northern could only manage to score 220/6 in the allotted 50 overs as some tight bowling from the SP did not allow their batters to score freely.

Northern’s middle-order batters Mubasir Khan and Mohammad Raza-ul-Mustafa scored half-centuries but remained a touch too slow as Mubasir faced 88 balls for his 59, while Raza faced 71 deliveries to score 56.

For SP, Hassan Khan, Ali Majid, Sharoon, Salman Ali Agha, Rahat Ali, and Zia-ul-Haq picked one wicket apiece.

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Sarfaraz Ahmed opts to leave Test squad to join Sindh in Pakistan Cup

LAHORE: Former Pakistan captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who is in the reserved pool of players for the home Test series against Australia, has decided to leave the squad to play the remaining matches of the Pakistan Cup from Sindh.

As the historic Test series between Pakistan and Australia coming to an end tomorrow, the former captain Sarfaraz, who was a part of the squad as a reserved player has decided to leave the squad to represent his home side Sindh in the ongoing Pakistan Cup.

The ongoing edition of the Pakistan Cup has entered its final stages as the last-round matches will roll into action from tomorrow.

Sindh is currently standing at the second position with 12 points in nine matches. Whereas, Balochistan is leading the table with 14 points.

READ: Balochistan crush Northern by seven runs to top Pakistan Cup points table

Balochistan crush Northern by seven runs to top Pakistan Cup points table

FAISALABAD: In the ninth-round match of the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Balochistan sealed a thrilling victory in a high-scoring match over Northern to secure the top spot in the points table.

Batting first, Balochistan posted a commendable 302/5 in the allotted 50 overs, thanks to the fifties from Haseebullah, Imran Butt, and Asad Shafiq.

The opening pair of Imran and Haseebullah provided a solid start to the side with a magnificent 107-runs partnership. Both the batters scored half-centuries and laid the foundation for a decent total.

Imran scored 54 off 62 balls with the help of seven boundaries, while Haseebullah perished after scoring 58. He faced 70 deliveries and hit eight boundaries.

Following their departure, Balochistan’s most experienced batter Asad took the charge and played a sensible knock of 89 runs. The right-handed batter faced a mere 66 balls and smashed a dozen boundaries.

The rest of the Balochistan batters also made small contributions to bolster their side to 302/5 in 50 overs.

For Northern, Aaqib Liaquat, Aamir Jamal, Ali Imran, Athar Mehmood, and Mehran Mumtaz made one scalp each.

Set to chase 303, Northern fell seven runs short despite the fifties from Rohail Nazir, Ali Imran, and Umar Amin as they could only manage to score 295/6 in the allotted 50 overs.

Ali and Umar scored 50 and 52 respectively, while the wicket-keeper batter Rohail top-scored for the side with 82 off 87 balls. The batters, however, remained a touch slow as they conceded a lot of deliveries.

For Balochistan, the skipper Yasir Shah led the way with three wickets, while Khurram Shahzad bagged two. Taj Wali, on the other hand, struck out a batter.

In another ninth-round match, Southern Punjab (SP) stunned the then table-toppers Sindh as they outclassed the latter by 46 runs.

Batting first, SP managed to post a decent total of 314/6 in the allotted 50 overs. The late onslaught from Hassan Khan and Muhammad Imran saw their side get to 168/6 to 314/6 as the pair put on an unbeaten 146-runs partnership for the seventh wicket.

Hassan scored 66, while Imran top-scored with 71. Both the batters faced 48 balls each during their magnificent seventh-wicket stand.

For Sindh, Sohail Khan took three wickets, while Abrar Ahmed, Danish Aziz, and Mohammad Asghar picked one wicket apiece.

Set to chase 315, Sindh’s batting line-up failed as they bowled out for 268 in the 49th over.

The right-handed opener Saim Ayub showed resilience with his gritty knock of 82, while the rest of the batters failed to contribute significantly in the run chase.

For SP, Zia-ul-Haq claimed three wickets, while the skipper Salman Ali Agha followed back with two. Rahat Ali, Hassan, Ali Majid, and Sharoon Siraj, on the other hand, made one scalp each.

In the 27th match of the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Central Punjab (CP) edged past Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) by 15 runs.

Batting first, CP were off to a poor start as the side lost their first four wickets for a mere 63. Rizwan Hussain, however, stood firm and kept the scoreboard ticking single-handedly.

The left-hander batted sensibly and scored a terrific century. He scored 104 off 120 balls with the help of 10 boundaries including three sixes.

Lower-order batters Qasim Akram and Saad Nasim then also chipped in with 38 and 48 respectively to further bolster their side to a decent total.

For KPK, Mohammad Imran shone with four wickets, while Imran Khan Snr claimed two. Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, Khalid Usman, and Arshad Iqbal managed to make one scalp each.

In the run chase, CP bowlers displayed combined bowling effort and dismissed KPK for 253 in 50 overs.

Young all-rounder Qasim led the bowling chart with three wickets, while Zafar Gohar, Hussain Talat, and Mohammad Faizan followed with two each. Raza Ali Dar, on the other hand, struck out a batter.

For KPK, Sarwar top-scored with his 42, while Adil Amin and Mehran Ibrahim also chipped in with 32 each. The rest of the batters’ failure, however, prevented the side from securing the victory.

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Sindh beat Northern by eight runs, top Pakistan Cup points table

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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Sharjeel’s double century propels Sindh to seventh-round victory over KPK

ISLAMABAD: In the 20th match of the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Sindh thumped the table-toppers Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) by 29 runs at the back of Sharjeel Khan’s double century, here on Wednesday.

Batting first in the 20th match, Sindh scored a mammoth 374/6 in the allotted 50 overs, thanks to the double ton by the opener Sharjeel.

The left-handed batter went berserk; scoring 206 runs off just 136 balls, laced with 19 boundaries and 14 boundaries and powered his side to a massive total before Mohammad Imran sent him back to the pavilion.

Sindh’s middle-order batter Omair Bin Yousuf, also chipped in with his 40, while Danish Aziz scored an unbeaten 38 off 35 balls.

For KPK, Mohammad Wasim Jr bagged two wickets, while Arshad Iqbal, Asif Afridi, Imran, and Khalid Usman managed to make one scalp each.

Set to chase a massive 375, KPK bowled out for 345 in 47 overs; handing an easy 29 runs victory to Sindh.

The table-toppers remained 29 runs short of the massive target despite the fifties from Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi, and Adil Amin. Sarwar top-scored with his 89, while Adil followed back with 75.

For Sindh, Shahnawaz Dahani bagged a five-for, while Sohail Khan picked two wickets. Abrar Ahmed, Danish, and Mir Hamza struck out a batter each.

In another seventh-round match, Balochistan thumped Southern Punjab (SP) by eight wickets.

Set to chase a mere 192, Balochistan comfortably cruised to the victory in the 28th over for the loss of two wickets, thanks to a brilliant century from Haseebullah.

The young batter scored an unbeaten 106 off just 82 balls, laced with 16 boundaries and a six, while Abdul Wahid Bangalzai also chipped in with his half-century. The right-handed batter scored a run-a-ball 66 with the help of 10 boundaries and two sixes.

For SP, Aamer Yamin and Khushdil Shah managed to take one wicket apiece.

Batting first, SP bowled out for a paltry 191 in the 42nd over despite the brilliant knocks of Sharoon Siraj and Mohammad Shehzad.

Sharoon top-scored with a gritty 67 off 88 balls, while Shehzad followed back with 45. The rest of the batters, on the other hand, could not contribute significantly.

In the third match of the seventh round of the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Central Punjab (CP) blunt Northern by 66 runs.

Set to chase 240, Northern bowled out for a skimpy 173 in the 40th over; handing a solid 66-runs victory to the home side.

The left-handed all-rounder Imad Wasim showed fightback as he scored a gritty 47 off 74 balls, while the rest of the batters failed to contribute significantly to the team’s total.

For CP, Wahab Riaz shone with four wickets, while Hussain Talat claimed two. Mohammad Zeeshan, Qasim Akram, Raza Ali Dar, on the other hand, made one scalp each.

Batting first, CP managed to get to a commendable 239 for the loss of 10 wickets in the allotted 50 overs, thanks to the fifties from Saad Nasim and Zafar Gohar.

Saad top-scored with 84 off 95 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries, while Zafar followed back with 52 off 55 balls with the help of four boundaries and two sixes.

Raza Ali Dar and Qasim also chipped in up the order with 27 and 21 respectively to bolster the side to 239/10 in 50 overs.

For Northern, Aamir Jamal led the way with three wickets, while Zaman Khan, Salman Irshad, and Imad claimed two wickets each. Mehran Mumtaz, on the other hand, made one scalp.

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Pakistan Cup: Sindh, KPK, SP secure sixth-round triumphs

KARACHI: In the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) alongside Sindh and Southern Punjab won their respective matches to secure sixth-round victories over Northern, Balochistan, and Central Punjab (CP) respectively.

In the 18th match of the ongoing tournament, the defending champions KPK sealed a convincing 29 runs victory over SP to consolidate to close the gap on Balochistan at the top position.

After opting to bat first, KPK posted a commendable 279/9 in the allotted 50 overs, thanks to the astonishing century from Kamran Ghulam.

The right-handed batter went big and scored 118 off 100 balls, laced with seven boundaries and six sixes, while the rest of the batters contributed fair enough. Fakhar Zaman was the second top-scorer for the side with his 31.

For Northern, Aamir Jamal, Imad Wasim, and Salman Irshad bagged two wickets each, while Shadab Khan managed to make one scalp.

Set to chase 280, Northern could only manage to score 250 despite the fifties from Asif Ali, Nasir Nawaz, and Imad. Umar Amin also chipped in with his 37 but that too could not steer the home side to the victory as they fell short of 29 runs.

Asif Afridi and Khalid Usman led the way with the ball for KPK; both taking three wickets, while Arshad Iqbal, Adil Amin, Fakhar, and Mohammad Wasim Jnr made one scalp each.

In another match of the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Sindh completed a thumping nine-wickets victory over Balochistan.

In the first innings, five-fers from Sohail Khan and Danish Aziz wreaked havoc over Balochistan’s batting line-up as the latter could only manage to score 126.

Sharjeel Khan and Khurram Manzoor then scored half-centuries to propel the side to complete a crushing victory. Khurram scored 53, while Sharjeel top-scored with 56; smashing six boundaries and three sixes. Both the batters remained unbeaten in the run chase.

For Balochistan, only Akif Javed managed to pick a wicket.

In the 17th match of the tournament, SP stunned CP in a high-scoring thriller by two wickets.

Batting first, CP’s openers Rizwan Hussain and Ahmed Shehzad provided a flying start to the side as they put on a magnificent 243-runs partnership for the first wicket.

Their opening stand bolstered the side to amass a massive total of 366/7 in the allotted 50 overs. Rizwan scored 100 off 104 balls, while Ahmed top-scored with his outstanding 158 off 127 balls with the help of 20 boundaries and five sixes.

Following their departure, the rest of the batters made small contributions and took the side to a massive total.

Salman Ali Agha and Khushdil Shah bagged two wickets each for SP, while Muhammad Imran, Zia-ul-Haq, and Mohammad Abbas Afridi made one scalp each.

Set to chase a mammoth, Tayyab Tahir went big and delivered a terrific performance top of the order. He top-scored for his side with a huge 169 runs off just 140 balls including 15 boundaries and five sixes.

Salman, on the other hand, also chipped in and scored a quick 74 off 57 balls to set his side to chase down the mammoth.

The rest of the batters then made small yet handy contributions and steer the side to the victory on the final delivery of the match.

For CP, Usman Qadir and Hussain Talat claimed three wickets each, while Ahmed Bashir struck out a batter.

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Pakistan Cup: KPK, Balochistan, Sindh claim fifth-round victories

KARACHI: The table-toppers of the ongoing Pakistan Cup Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) alongside Sindh and Balochistan won their respective matches to secure fifth-round victories over Northern, Southern Punjab (SP), and Central Punjab (CP) respectively.

In the 14th match of the ongoing tournament, KPK sealed a thrilling last-over victory over Northern at the back of Mohammad Sarwar Afridi’s brilliant century.

Set to chase 270, the defending champions sealed the victory in the final over despite a poor start as the side lost their first three wickets for a mere 44.

Sarwar and Adil Amin then partnered strongly for the fourth wicket and pulled their side out of the trouble. The pair added a magnificent 139-runs for the fourth wicket to anchor the run chase before the latter fell short after scoring an important half-century.

Adil scored 60 off 88 balls with the help of three boundaries and a six, while Sarwar top-scored for his side with an astonishing century. The right-handed batter scored 119 off 160 balls; smashing 12 boundaries and a six.

Following their departure, young wicket-keeper batter Mohammad Haris made sure to drive his side to victory as the right-handed batter scored an unbeaten 38.

For Northern, Imad Wasim claimed two wickets, while Asif Ali and Musa Khan struck out a batter each.

Batting first, Northern finished at 269/7 in the allotted 50 overs, thanks to the brilliant century from Umar Amin.

The left-handed batter top-scored for his side with an unbeaten 124 off 221 balls with the help of 13 boundaries and two sixes, while the rest of the batters could not contribute significantly. Rohail Nazir, with his 33, remained the second top-scorer for the home side.

For KPK, Sarwar led the bowling charts too by taking three wickets, while Arshad Iqbal, Asif Afridi, Khalid Usman, and Adil made one scalp each.

In another match of the ongoing Pakistan Cup, Balochistan thumped SP by a massive margin of 105 runs.

Batting first, Balochistan posted a mammoth 320/4 runs as Haseebullah and Asad Shafiq scored brilliant centuries. Asad scored a quick 101 off just 97 balls, while Haseebullah top-scored with his 142 off 190 balls with the help of 20 boundaries and a six.

Imran Butt and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai also chipped in with their 34 each respectively as the side finished at 320/4 in the allotted 50 overs.

For SP, Aamer Yamin, Muhammad Imran, and Hassan Khan made one scalp each.

Set to chase a mammoth, SP could only manage to score 215 before being bowled out in 41 overs.

SP’s top-order batter Sharoon Siraj and the explosive left-handed Khushdil Shah resited a bit; both scoring half-centuries, while the rest of the batters failed to contribute significantly in the run chase.

Khushdil scored 50 off 54 balls, Sharoon top-scored with 62 off 104 deliveries with the help of eight boundaries.

For Balochistan, Yasir Shah shone with a five-fer, while Kashif Bhatti picked three wickets. Amad Butt and Akif Javed, on the other hand, struck out a batter each.

In the 15th match of the ongoing tournament, Sindh edged past CP by three wickets in a low scoring thriller.

Set to chase a mere 135, Sindh lost their first four wickets with just 45 runs on the board. The experienced batter Khurram Manzoor, however, anchored the run chase with his gritty 42; top-scoring for the side, while Mohammad Hassan followed back with his unbeaten 30.

Danish Aziz, on the other hand, also scored runs for the team as the left-handed batter scored 27 off 74 balls to steer his side to the victory.

For CP, Usman Qadir took three wickets, while Raza Ali Dar bagged two. Ahmed Bashir, on the other hand, made one scalp.

Batting first, SP’s batting line-up failed and could only manage to score 134 before being bowled out in 29 overs.

The experienced batter Umar Akmal top-scored with his valiant 39, while Rizwan Hussain followed back with his 28.

For Sindh, Shahnawaz Dahani and Abrar Ahmed took three wickets each, while Sohail Khan bagged two. Mir Hamza and Danish, on the other hand, struck out a batter each.

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