Sindh vs KPK Archives

Asif shines as Sindh beat KP to secure top position in National T20 Cup

MULTAN: Sindh’s right-arm pacer Asif Mehmood stole the show with the first hat-trick of the ongoing National T20 Cup against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) before scoring an important unbeaten 28 to power his side to the glory in the 24th match of the tournament.

Batting first, KP could only manage to score 147/9 in the allotted 20 overs despite a brilliant knock of 44 from opening batter Sahibzada Farhan as Sindh bowlers – led by Asif displayed combined effort to halt their expedition to a chase-able total.

The defending champions KP had a poor start to their inning as young opener Mohammad Haris fell cheaply after scoring a mere six while the side lost their first wicket at a combined score of 26 in the fifth over.

Farhan then joined forces with Kamran Ghulam and added a crucial 46 runs for the second wicket before leg-spinner Zahid Mehmood struck in the 12th over to remove both batters in successive deliveries.

Farhan top-scored for KP with 44 off 36 deliveries, laced with six boundaries and a six, while Kamran could score 19 off 21.

The side then began to lose wickets at an alarming rate and as a result, reduced to 147/9 in 20 overs as the rest of the batters could not contribute significantly.

Asif further added to the misery of the defending champions in the final over as he removed Niaz Khan, Mohammad Sarwar, and Mohammad Imran to bag the first hat-trick of the ongoing season.

The right-arm pacer was the pick of the bowlers for Sindh for his three wickets, while Zahid and Sohail Khan bagged two each. Mir Hamza and Abrar Ahmed, on the other hand, struck out a batter each.

Set to chase 148, Sindh steered to the victory in the final over with three wickets to spare as Asif and Hamza added an unbeaten 42 runs for the seventh wicket to power their side over the line.

Left-handed batter Saad Khan top-scored for the side with a valiant knock of 31 runs off 28 deliveries with the help of two boundaries, while Asif scored an unbeaten 28 off 17 balls including two boundaries and as many sixes.

Left-arm pacer Hamza also contributed in the run chase with a gritty knock of 19 runs off 15 deliveries including one boundary and a six.

Following this victory, Sindh dethroned KP from the top position in the points table.

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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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Mubasir Khan’s fifer sets Northern on verge of big victory

KARACHI: Northern bowlers annihilated Central Punjab’s batting line-up on day 3 of their ongoing fixture in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) at NBP Sports Complex here on Thursday.

Northern’s batters, Usman Qadir and Waqas Maqsood, struggled after resuming at an overnight score of 223/8, and Waqas was soon sent back to the pavilion on 19 after the pair added only 20 runs in the game’s play. Soon after, Mohammad Ali was also walking back towards the pavilion as the 11th batter was dismissed for a duck. Usman remained undefeated with a hard-fought 37. Central were eventually bowled out for 257.

In the first innings, Northern’s stand-out bowler was Haris, who struck out six batters. Mubasir Khan claimed two wickets. Athar Mehmood and Raza Hasan, on the other hand, each struck out a batter.

Northern’s captain, Umar Amin, enforced the follow-on and put Central’s batters to bat again. The side, on the other hand, got off to a good start in the second innings, with openers Imran Dogar and Rizwan Hussain providing a solid start and helping their team set a fifty-plus partnership. The batters were looking solid until Rizwan was trapped on 32 by Athar.

Dogar and his skipper Ali Zaryab batted valiantly, scoring half-centuries and putting Northern on the back foot. Before Dogar was dismissed on 55 by Mubasir, the pair were looking to shift momentum their way. Zaryab tried to resist and played a gritty knock, but the wickets at the other end kept falling at an alarming rate, and he was soon dismissed on 71.

In the end, the team lost their last eight wickets for 74 runs and finished at 197/9 at stumps. On day 4, Waqas and Ali will resume the proceedings for Central. Northern are just one wicket away from their first victory in the ongoing season of QEAT.

Mubasir was the stand-out bowler for the Northern as the bowler bagged a five-wicket haul. Haris claimed three wickets. Whereas, Athar struck out a batter.

Table-toppers Sindh, on the other hand, are back in the game after being bowled out for 145 in the first innings against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the second match of the ongoing round of QEAT. Sindh batters fought back thanks to Khurram Manzoor’s magnificent century and solid partnership with skipper Asad Shafiq. Asif Afridi broke the pair at 195. Khurram led the way with 107 runs, while Asad scored an outstanding 83.

Saad Khan followed the footsteps of his seniors, scoring a brilliant 89 and keeping the scoreboard ticking as no other batter contributed significantly to the team’s total. Sindh were eventually dismissed for 377, and KPK was given a target of 257.

Irfanullah Shah was the standout bowler for the KPK, taking four wickets. Asif, too, was clinical, dismissing three wickets. Arshad Iqbal took two wickets. Iftikhar Ahmed, on the other hand, struck out a batter.

The KPK’s innings was started by Sahibzada Farhan and Musadiq Ahmed, who faced only 21 deliveries before stumps were called. On the final day, Farhan (9*) and Musadiq (4*) will resume the chase for KPK.

In another seventh-round match, Balochistan’s batters have turned the tables against Southern Punjab. Balochistan batters put on a show, scoring 606 runs to Southern’s 483. Shan Masood, Ayaz Tasawar, and Bismillah Khan all scored hundreds. Kashif Bhatti and Khurram Shahzad, on the other hand, played brilliantly and both scored half-centuries. Ayaz, however, top-scored with a magnificent 149.

Southern bowlers had a bad day at the office, as they conceded a lot of runs. However, Hasan Khan was their pick of the bowlers as he claimed three wickets. Both Ali Usman and Aamer Yamin took two wickets. Zia-ul-Haq, Mohammad Imran, and Adeel Ur Rehman, on the other hand, each struck out a batter.

Tayyab Tahir and Umar Siddiq opened the Southern innings, facing only 10 overs before stumps were called. Tayyab (18*) and Umar (17*) will resume the proceedings for Southern on the final day. The team is currently 86 runs behind.

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