Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE:-Shaheed Benazirabad won the Sindh-leg of the two-day City Cricket Association Tournament 2022-23 on the virtue of a better run-rate after their final against Hyderabad ended in a draw at the Hanif Mohammad HPC National Stadium Ground in Karachi on Thursday. After the first day’s play was washed out due to rain, the match started on day-two. Shaheed Benazirabad’s captain Haris Khan won the toss and opted to field first. Hyderabad managed to score 277 for six in 57 overs on the back of captain Fardeen’s 62-ball 61, which included seven fours and one six. Dawood Khan top-scored with a quick-fire 75 off 56 balls and struck eight fours and two sixes. For Shaheed Benazirabad, right-arm leg-spinner Jawad Ali bagged four wickets for 60. In return, half-centuries by Haris (60,68b, nine fours) and Saddam Hussain (58,113b, eight fours, one six) helped Shaheed Benazirabad post 171 for seven in 45 overs. When stumps were drawn for the day Shaheed Benazirabad were declared winners on the basis of better run-rate. After the win, Shaheed Benazirabad’s captain Haris Khan said: “The players had the commitment to do well in the tournament and ended up winning the tournament. Our coach guided us really well and we executed the plan successfully on the field.” In the four-group 17-team Sindh-leg, Shaheed Benazirabad topped Pool B with 15 points, while Hyderabad topped Pool C with 23 points to qualify for the semi-finals. The other two teams to qualify for the semi-finals were Karachi Zone VI from Pool A with 33 points and Karachi Zone IV from Pool D with 14 points. The first semi-final was played between Karachi Zone VI and Hyderabad at the Hanif Mohammad HPC National Stadium Ground in Karachi from 6 to 7 July. On first innings lead, Hyderabad were declared winners and qualified for the final. The star performers for Hyderabad in the first semi-final were Mustafa Nasir (four for 43) and wicketkeeper-batter Akbar Khan (89,58b, six fours, eight sixes). In the second semi-final played between Shaheed Benazirabad and Karachi Zone IV at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi only 25.3 overs were bowled when play was stopped due to rain and no further play was possible. Shaheed Benazirabad were declared winners on the basis of more points in the group stage compared to Karachi Zone IV. Faizan Khan representing Karachi Zone V topped the batting charts with 410 runs from three matches at 102.50. The right-handed batter struck two centuries and one half-century. Mirpurkhas’ Mohammad Saddam was second on the list with 384 runs from four outings in the tournament at 48. The left-handed batter struck one century and two half-centuries. Mohammad Tariq Khan representing Karachi Zone VI topped the bowling charts with 35 wickets from five matches. He took five-for four times with best of eight for 37 in an innings. Second on the list was right-arm leg-spinner Arif Yaqoob who bagged 24 wickets from three matches. This also includes seven for 24 his best figures in an innings.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) has made one change in the commentary panel for the Test series against Pakistan, it is learnt. According to the sources in Colombo, Brad Haddin, who was hired for the matches against Australia is replaced by former New Zealand fast bowler Danny Morrison. In fact, the 56-year-old Morrison is a regular face in the commentary box in Sri Lanka. The other members of the panel- Roshan Abeysinghe, Russel Arnold, Farveez Maharoof and Aamer Sohail- have been retained. The former left-hand batter Aamer Sohail will be the "voice of Pakistan" in the commentary box. The SLC has also sent chief selector Pramodya Wickramasinghe to join the squad. Pramodya replaces Romesh Kaluwitharana, who was with the team for the matches against Australia. The decision on composition of the team is, however, decided by all senior men's selectors in consultation with the team management.  Asia Cup fate The fate of the Asia Cup in Sri Lanka is likely to be decided "soon". Considering the prevailing situations in Sri Lanka, there have been concerns over hosting the Asia Cup in the country, however, the SLC officials are still confident of hosting it successfully.  

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-The last two semi-final spots at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B were claimed by Netherlands and Papua New Guinea on a dramatic final day of group action. The Dutch were in prime position heading into their match with Uganda, and duly made it three wins from three to top Group A, while PNG made it through on net run-rate despite a two-wicket defeat to Hong Kong. Netherlands march on with perfect record With two big wins already under their belts, the Netherlands were all but guaranteed a place in the semi-finals before taking on Uganda. They underlined their position as the team to beat in Group A with a comprehensive 97-run success to top the pile. After being put into bat, it was Max O’Dowd (73) and Tom Cooper (81 not out) who set the Dutch up for a big total, adding 121 for the third wicket on the way to a score of 187 for three. Cooper needed just 42 balls for his knock as he motored along and it soon became clear that Uganda were not going to come close in the chase. In fact, Fred Klaassen (5/19) enjoyed the perfect start by removing Roger Mukasa and Ronak Patel with the opening two deliveries of the innings to leave Uganda with a mountain to climb. The opening bowler continued to chip away, and had five wickets before five overs were up as Uganda slumped to 22 for five. From there, it was simply a case of how big the margin of victory would be. Bas de Leede (2/11) picked up a couple of wickets late on, and while Uganda did bat out their 20 overs, they finished up on 90 for 9. Ura knock keeps PNG alive in Hong Kong defeat The other place in the semi-finals was very much up for grabs, with both Papua New Guinea and Uganda on a win apiece, while Hong Kong knew a big win against PNG would keep them right in contention. They got the victory, getting home on the final delivery, but it was enough to overhaul PNG in second place in Group A. Their challenge in overhauling the net run-rate disadvantage was made much more difficult by Tony Ura, who smashed a blistering 83 from just 33 deliveries after PNG had been put in, helping them to a total of 185 for seven. Charles Amini (37) and Lega Siaka (21) had already chipped in with some valuable runs at the top of the order while Ehsan Khan (3/19) was the pick of the bowlers for Hong Kong. The reply was similarly built around one innings, Babar Hayat doing the damage with a 45-ball 86. He and Zeeshan Ali (42) added 70 for the fifth wicket to put Hong Kong in a good position but Kabua Morea (3/34) removed them both to bring PNG back into it. It went down to the final over but in the end, Hong Kong got over the line thanks to a single from Shahid Wasif off the final delivery to clinch a two-wicket win. Raza and Masakadza fires hosts past the States With two wins each, Zimbabwe and the USA knew that semi-final qualification was already in the bag, it was simply a case of who would take top spot in Group B. The home side proved the stronger on the day in Bulawayo, with Sikandar Raza’s unbeaten 82 helping them make 185 for six after electing to bat. Regis Chakbava (31) and Sean Williams (37) had already laid the platform before Raza came out all guns blazing, hitting five sixes in just 40 deliveries to take them to a big total. Steven Taylor (46) gave the USA some valuable runs at the top of the order but after a 55-run opening stand, they started to falter. Wellington Masakadza was the main architect of their downfall, taking four for 11, and despite an unbeaten 24 from Nisarg Patel, they could only manage 139 for eight in reply in a 46-run loss. Jersey finish group stage with a victory In the battle of the winless sides in Group B, it was Jersey who held their nerve to edge out Singapore by 13 runs. An opening stand of 54 between Harrison Carlyon (18) and Nick Greenwood (44) gave them a good start, with Jonty Jenner chipping in with 35 from 23 deliveries as they finished on 154 for seven. Carlyon then had an immediate impact with the ball, taking two for five from his two overs, including a maiden, as Singapore quickly found themselves in trouble. The score was 33 for three when Manpreet Singh came to the crease, with the keeper smashing 59 from 37 deliveries to give his team a chance. When he fell with three overs remaining however, Singapore’s hopes went with him, and they eventually finished up on 141 for seven, 13 runs short.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah has regained the top spot in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Player Rankings after a career-best haul of six for 19 that helped India romp to a 10-wicket victory in the first ODI against England at The Oval on Tuesday. Bumrah had lost the top spot to New Zealand’s Trent Boult in February 2020 after being No. 1 for most of the preceding two years. He has been at the top for a total of 730 days, more than any other Indian and the ninth-most in history. Bumrah, who has been No. 1 in T20Is in the past and is currently at a career-best third position in Tests, is only the second Indian fast bowler after Kapil Dev to be No. 1 in the ODI rankings. Maninder Singh, Anil Kumble and Ravindra Jadeja are the other India bowlers to have attained top ranking. Bumrah’s new-ball partner Mohammad Shami too has gained after grabbing three for 31 and playing his role in skittling England out for 110 in 25.2 overs. Shami has progressed three slots to reach joint-23rd position along with team-mate Bhuvneshwar Kumar. The Indian opening batting pair too have some improvement to show after taking the team through to their target in just 18.4 overs. Captain Rohit Sharma has bridged the gap with third-placed Virat Kohli to just one rating point after his brisk 76 not out while left-hander Shikhar Dhawan has inched up one slot to 12th position after his unbeaten 31. In the latest weekly rankings update that also considers performances in the first two Ireland versus New Zealand matches that are part of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League, and the first West Indies versus Bangladesh match, England captain Jos Buttler has moved up one slot to 24th after top-scoring for England with 30. Bangladesh captain Tamim Iqbal (up one place to 19th), New Zealand’s Tom Latham (up one place to 21st) and Ireland’s Harry Tector (up 10 places to 34th) are the others to move up the ODI rankings for batters while Bangladesh spinner Mehidy Hasan (up two places to sixth) and New Zealand fast bowler Lockie Ferguson (re-entered at 18th) are the other notable gainers among bowlers. In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Player Rankings, India batter Suryakumar Yadav has gained 44 slots to reach a career-best fifth position after his valiant 117 in the final match of a three-T20I series against England. Nicholas Pooran of the West Indies is up five places to eighth after a match-winning 74 not out in the final match of their series against Bangladesh. India seamer Bhuvneshwar Kumar has surged seven places to a career-best seventh position after a haul of three for 15 in the second T20I in Birmingham while Mehidy Hasan (up two places to 15th), England’s Chris Jordan (up six places to 18th) and India leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (up two places to 19th) are others in the top 20. Harshal Patel (up 10 places to 23rd) and Bumrah (up six places to 27th) have also progressed. In the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s Test Player Rankings, Sri Lanka captain Dimuth Karunaratne is up one place to seventh after his knock of 86 in the Galle Test against Australia. Angelo Mathews is up from 17th to 14th, Dinesh Chandimal has gone from 48th to 29th and Kusal Mendis from 56th to 49th. Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc is back in the top 10 after grabbing four wickets in the match while Sri Lanka’s debutant left-arm spinner Prabhath Jayasuriya has entered the bowlers’ rankings at an impressive 55th position after a Player of the Match haul of 12 wickets.

BIPIN DANI Sri Lankan bowler Prabath Jayasuriya's mother has given full credit to the physios and trainers, who worked really hard to enable his son achieve "super fitness". Prabath Jayasuriya would have made his debut last year against Bangladesh if not for his fitness. A failure to pass the fitness tests was going to result in an automatic disqualification and that's what happened with him. "He failed the skinfold tests then but worked hard with the SLC medical team and got an opportunity to play the Test against Australia", the mother, Sudarshani Perera, said over the telephone from Colombo.  "It was his childhood dream to play the Tests and what a dream debut...Regrettably, we could not be at the ground because of the situation in the country, but yes, we all watched the match at home on TV and we are all proud of him, especially grabbing six wickets in each innings and taking the MoM award".   The mother is not willing to buy the argument that Prabath got a chance to play the Test because of the rise in Covid cases in the camp. "Prabath has done well by taking wickets in the local MSL tournament and sooner or later, we were expecting his debut".  After his splendid performance, the family is still unlikely to be at Galle for the first Test against Pakistan (commencing on July 16). However, they have made a plan to visit the ground and watch the second Test in Colombo. The likely  attendees in the Colombo Test are : wife (Ranisha Mirando with 3-year daughter Thyvonne Diana), mother and vehicle businessman father Jayasuriya and younger brother (Ashen).   In the meantime, the Sri Lankan players, who were given a 2-day break after the win over Australia, will begin its first training session on Thursday to prepare for the Tests against Pakistan. 

BIPIN DANI Javagal Srinath, who had been the match-referee for the two Tests against Australia has compared Sri Lankan spinner Prabath Jayasuriya with India's legendary cricketer Bishan Singh Bedi.    This was revealed by Samantha Dodanwela, the official of the Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board. The 30-year-old debutant took six wickets in each innings, which enabled his team not only to level the series but his team won by an innings for the first time against Australia. Speaking exclusively over the telephone, Dodanwela said, "the match referee Jawagal Srinath had a very good word for him and compared him with the Indian spinner Bishan Singh Bedi. Like Bedi, Prabath is also a good slow left arm orthodox bowler". "Prabath has been performing extremely well for SSC (Sinhalese Sports Club) during the last couple of years and we knew that he would be picked by the national selectors sooner or later". "I am extremely proud of him with his performance who has brought honor to the country and becoming the only Sri Lankan to take 12 wickets in his debut. I wish him good luck", Dodanwela added. Incidentally, it was Prabath Jayasuriya, who won the Player of the Match award.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-Two of the four semi-final spots in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B have been sealed after Zimbabwe and USA made it two wins from two on Tuesday. Williams steers Zimbabwe past resolute Jersey Having racked up 235 against Singapore on Monday, Zimbabwe found runs harder to come by against a disciplined Jersey attack. And they largely had their bowlers to thank for a second straight win in Group A, with leg-spinner Ryan Burl (3/14) and slow left-armer Williams, who conceded just 15 from his four overs, in complete control during the middle overs. Jersey had earlier elected to put Zimbabwe into bat and that decision was quickly vindicated when captain Craig Ervine was dismissed by Ben Stevens (1/15) inside the first over. Williams steadied the ship and was well supported by Sikandar Raza (18) and Luke Jongwe, who plundered a valuable 29 off just 13 balls. Jersey’s innings began in far more convincing fashion as Harrison Carlyon (45) and Nick Greenwood (10) established a strong opening partnership. But Carlyon could only manage three boundaries from 56 deliveries and Jersey ultimately ran out of time, despite a late flurry from Benjamin Ward, who hit an unbeaten 35 from 20 balls, as they finished 23 runs short on 123 for five. Netravalkar five-for gives USA second win Saurabh Netravalkar claimed a stunning five-wicket haul as USA strolled to a 132-run victory against Singapore. The left-arm quick tore through the Singapore top order, taking each of the first four wickets in a dazzling display which also included a maiden and saw him finish with five for 12. In-form Steven Taylor led the way once again with the bat, following up his century on Monday with 58 from 31 here as they raced to 201 for six. Taylor and opening partner Monank Patel (39) put on 76 for the first wicket and Jaskaran Malhotra soon joined the party, adding 58 off just 33 balls with four bruising maximums. In reply, Singapore had no answer to Netravalkar, who removed both Aman Desai and Manpreet Singh for nought before claiming skipper Amjad Mahboob with his final ball. Only Anantha Krishna (22) was able to curb the efforts of the destructive Netravalkar and the tricky leg-spin of Nisarg Patel (2/12) as Singapore were bowled out for 69. USA return to action on Thursday against Zimbabwe where one unbeaten record must fall, while Singapore will be looking for their first win of the campaign against Jersey. Netherlands make quick work of Hong Kong It took just 13.2 overs for Netherlands to chase down Hong Kong’s total of 116, as Max O’Dowd (45) and Bas de Leede (36 not out) impressed with the bat. Hong Kong captain Nizakat Khan opted to bat but only he was able to hold firm against a talented Dutch attack, making 60 off 55 deliveries before falling to Logan van Beek (4/27). His performance was the highlight in an otherwise flat display which saw just two other batters reach double figures, paceman Fred Klaassen taking 2/16 before van Beek’s superb spell as Hong Kong left 11 balls unused. O’Dowd and de Leede carried their team to the brink of victory after the early dismissal of Stephan Myburgh (11), with Tom Cooper (20) also chipping in as Netherlands got home with 6.4 overs to spare. Papua New Guinea up and running after mesmerising run chase A stunning 93 not out from Assad Vala helped Papua New Guinea to an eight-wicket victory over Uganda and took them past the Cricket Cranes on net run rate in Group B. Uganda’s Simon Ssesazi had earlier starred with the bat for Uganda, striking 78 off just 48 deliveries with support from Riazat Ali Shah (48) as they posted a respectable 160 for four.  Vala and Bau took to the crease with their side in a difficult position, as both Lega Siaka and Charles Amini fell to Frank Nsubuga (2/16) in the fourth over. But the pair quickly settled and put on 132 off just 76 balls to carry their team to what became a comfortable victory with 3.2 overs to spare, captain Vala hitting seven fours and six sixes during his destructive 47-ball knock. Papua New Guinea and Uganda are now level on points in second and third in Group B, with Vala’s side taking on Hong Kong in Thursday’s final group game while Uganda face Netherlands on what is set to be a tense morning of action.

BIPIN DANI The Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) board will send the U-19 team to England next month, it is learnt. According to the London-based ECB (England and Wales Cricket Board) sources, the SLC has agreed to send its team for a month-long tour which is to begin from August 14. On this tour, Sri Lankan U-19 team will play two four-day games and three ODIs. Both boards are yet to announce the tour itinerary. The SLC is yet to announce the final squad but a pool of about 26 players have begun training at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD:-A Steven Taylor hundred fired USA to a win over Jersey as the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier B got off to a thrilling start in Bulawayo. Taylor’s unbeaten 101 came off just 55 balls and included 16 boundaries as his side successfully chased down Jersey’s total of 154 for five. Elsewhere in Group A, there was an 111-run victory for hosts Zimbabwe over Singapore, while Netherlands and Uganda each secured wins in Group B. USA chased down Jersey’s total with 11 balls to spare as opening bat Taylor proved the star of the show. Aaron Jones played his part in the run chase too, dovetailing nicely with Taylor in scoring a useful 38 off 30 deliveries to help USA beat the side ranked five places above them in the world rankings. USA had earlier elected to field and, bar the best efforts of Asa Tribe (73) and Benjamin Ward (38), had always seemed to be in control, with two wickets apiece for Nisarg Patel (2/26) and Rusty Theron (2/28). In reply, Taylor’s opening partner Monank Patel (15) was caught with the score at 47 at the end of the seventh over, leaving the tie back in the balance with USA marginally behind the required rate. But Taylor steered his side home and fittingly brought up the win, and his century, with his fifth maximum in the penultimate over. Zimbabwe run riot against Singapore There was no stopping Zimbabwe in the other Group A fixture, as they set Singapore a daunting 237 to win. Having been put into bat, the Chevrons instantly hit their stride with the opening pair of Regis Chakabva (24) and captain Craig Ervine (34) setting the tone, bringing up 50 after just 3.4 overs. They soon fell but Sikandar Raza (87) and Sean Williams (53) carried on in the same vein, putting on 103 for the fourth wicket to help the hosts towards their eventual total of 236 for five. Singapore got off to a slow start in reply, losing opener Rohan Rangarajan for one in the second over and seeing the required rate continue to accelerate.  Janak Prakash finished as their top scorer with 32 as Singapore finished on 125 for seven. Tendai Chatara (3-14) was the pick of the Zimbabwe bowlers and his double strike in the sixth over all but ended Singapore’s hopes of completing a miraculous chase.  Zimbabwe return to action against Jersey on Tuesday, while Singapore will be looking to bounce back against the USA. Netherlands stroll past Papua New Guinea Netherlands made an impressive start to their campaign with a 52-run victory over Papua New Guinea. Netherlands captain Scott Edwards’ decision to bat soon looked a shrewd one when openers Max O’Dowd (32) and Stephan Myburgh (39) put on 78 for the first wicket. The innings then began to falter as 20-year-old quick Semo Kamea (2/25) steadied the scoring rate, which had earlier threatened to take Netherlands past 200. Wickets fell at regular intervals in the middle overs, with only Bas de Leede (33) and Logan van Beek (19 not out) offering some form of resistance, as Netherlands finished on 163 for seven. Although Papua New Guinea lost a couple of early wickets in response, they were in the game at the midway point of the second innings, thanks to a rebuild from Charles Amini (21) and Sese Bau (35). But after Amini had succumbed to Paul van Meekeren (2/22), Netherlands quickly wrapped up victory, with the final eight wickets falling for just 40 runs in a frenetic 8.1-over spell – van Beek completing a fine all-round display by taking three for 17. Uganda edge past Hong Kong as bowlers dominate In the final fixture of the day, a low-scoring affair saw Uganda chase down 87 with just three balls to spare to beat Hong Kong. Uganda looked to be heading for a straightforward victory when they restricted their opponents to just 87 for nine. Only two Hong Kong batters - Kinchit Shah (37) and Zeeshan Ali (11) - made double figures, with medium-pacer Dinesh Nakrani (4/12) the standout Uganda bowler. But from the moment opener Simon Ssesazi fell for a first-ball duck in the first over of the reply, a nervy chase was in store. Riazat Ali Shah was the key man, compiling a vital unbeaten 28 from 41 deliveries to steer his side to a dramatic final-over success despite the best efforts of Aizaz Khan (3/22). Up next for Uganda is Papua New Guinea, while Hong Kong will be searching for a first win when they play the Netherlands.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (UAE):-Captains Chamari Athapaththu of Sri Lanka and Harmanpreet Kaur of India have risen up in the MRF Tyres ICC Women’s ODI Player Rankings after the final match of their ICC Women’s Championship (IWC) series played in Pallekele. Athapaththu’s knock of 44 has helped her advance two slots to a career best-equaling eighth position, which she had first attained after an epic 178 off 143 balls against Australia in the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup in Bristol five years ago. Kaur has moved up one slot to 13th position, her Player of the Match effort of 75 helping her gain 12 rating points. Kaur, who finished with 119 runs and three wickets in India’s 3-0 win and was named Player of the Series, has also moved up eight slots to 71st among bowlers and four spots to 20th among all-rounders. Other India batters to move up in the rankings include opener Shafali Verma (up three places to 33rd), Yastika Bhatia (up one place to 45th) and Pooja Vastrakar (up eight places to 53rd). In the rankings for bowlers, Rajeshwari Gayakwad is up three places to joint-ninth after grabbing three for 36 while Meghna Singh (up four places to 43rd) and Vastrakar (up two places to joint-48th) have also advanced. Sri Lanka’s Harshitha Samarawickrama has moved up one place to 43rd among batters and Nilakshi de Silva has surged 10 places to 47th. Spinner Inoka Ranaweers continues her ascent in the bowling list, up five places to 16th with a haul of two for 22. In the latest weekly rankings update that also takes into account performances in the first match of South Africa’s ODI series in England, South Africa all-rounder Chloe Tryon has moved up 12 places to 22nd after scoring 88 runs in the match and Nadine de Klerk is up two places to 60th among bowlers. England’s Emma Lamb, who was named Player of the Match for her innings of 102, has progressed 76 places to 101st after just her third ODI while fast bowler Katherine Brunt is up three places to joint-ninth after taking three for 18. Spinner Charlie Dean has moved up to 31st position.