Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report ISLAMABAD (October 31, 2021):-Afghanistan got their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 campaign back on track with a thumping 62-run victory over Namibia. Mohammad Nabi’s side went against the grain and chose to bat first in Abu Dhabi, posting 160 for five from their 20 overs with opener Mohammad Shahzad making 45. Namibia never looked like chasing it down, losing wickets at regular intervals and ending 98 for nine. For Afghanistan, it was a resounding response to their narrow defeat to Pakistan as they stayed second in Group 2. Taking first use of the Sheikh Zayed surface, Afghanistan’s openers looked to target the left-arm seam of Ruben Trumpelmann that did such damage to Scotland in Namibia’s four-wicket win. The fifth ball of the game was an overpitched delivery that Hazratullah Zazai climbed into and lifted over long-on for six. Trumpelmann was taken out of the attack, returning in the fourth over, but the dynamic was the same as Hazratullah took him for two well-placed fours through the gully region. Southpaw Hazratullah was at his ebullient best and smoked Jan Frylinck over the midwicket fence for six. His partner Shahzad took longer to hit his straps but did so in the final over of the powerplay, swiping David Wiese through midwicket for four and then flaying him over third man for six. When fielding restrictions were lifted, Afghanistan were 50 without loss. JJ Smit’s nagging left-armers looked most threatening for Namibia and he broke the opening stand when Hazratullah picked out deep square leg, departing for 33 from 27 balls. Skipper Gerhard Erasmus turned to the wildcard leg-spin of Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, whose first over went for two and ended with a ball that ripped past Shahzad’s outside edge. The 21-year-old accounted for Rahmanullah Gurbaz in the tenth, trapping him in front for four at 69 for two. Shahzad was still there and continued to pepper the midwicket boundary, before top edging a catch to Bernard Scholtz and heading back for a pivotal 45. Asghar Afghan came to the crease and struck the ball well in his final T20I innings, despite losing his first partner Najibullah Zadran LBW to Loftie-Eaton. He got down on one knee to smash Fylinck over long off for six and helped take a Smit over for 16 runs with two boundaries behind square. Nabi, Asghar’s successor as Afghanistan’s T20 captain, offered his usual flurry at the finish with an excellent cameo of 32 from 17 balls, with five fours and a six off Trumpelmann. Namibia’s chase faltered at the first when Craig Williams skied the fourth ball of the innings, bowled by Naveen-ul-Haq, comfortably caught by Usman Ghani. Nabi fared well with the bat but less so with the ball at first as he was dispatched by Michael van Lingen for six over long-on and then by Loftie-Eaton through the arc for another maximum. Namibia expected a trial by spin but it was Naveen’s seam that hurt them up front when Van Lingen fell for a clever slower ball and was caught at square leg for 11 at 16 for two. And Gulbadin Naib’s medium pace dismissed Loftie-Eaton as he tried to swipe a cutter across the line only to be clean bowled. The re-introduction of spin did the trick when Rashid Khan bowled Zane Green when he attempted a paddle sweep to the wrong ball, making it 36 for four. Namibia could not build any kind of partnerships and lost two wickets in four balls when Hamid Hassan yorked Erasmus for 12 and then got Smith to snick behind for a duck at 56 for six. Wiese and Frylinck stemmed the tide for a few overs without being able to score at a prolific rate, the latter trudging off after looping Naveen to Nabi at mid-off. Another tame dismissal came as Pikky Ya France offered a simple return catch for Gulbadin but Wiese got a good one as he was bowled by a full Hassan delivery for 26. Scores in Brief: Afghanistan beat Namibia by 62 runs at Sheikh Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi Afghanistan 160/5 in 20 overs (Mohammad Shahzad 45, Hazratullah Zazai 33; Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 2/21, Ruben Trumpelmann 2/34) Namibia 98/9 in 20 overs (David Wiese 26, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton 14; Hamid Hassan 3/9, Naveen-ul-Haq 3/26) Player of the Match: Naveen-ul-Haq (Afghanistan)

Aamir Ali Janjua Dubai (October 31, 2021):-The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan for a superb career that has seen him play a crucial role in his country’s rise in international cricket. The International Cricket Council (ICC) has congratulated former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan for a superb career that has seen him play a crucial role in his country’s rise in international cricket. The batter, who has been a part of all seven major ICC tournaments that Afghanistan have participated in, has announced his retirement from all formats of the game. His final match came against Namibia in the Super 12 stage of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 on Sunday. ICC Acting Chief Executive Geoff Allardice said: “Asghar has been a great ambassador of the game and played a huge part in Afghanistan’s rise up the ranks in world cricket. “He has played a pivotal role as batter and led his team astutely during his time as captain. “On behalf of the ICC, I wish him all the best for the future and hope that he continues to be associated with the game in the years to come. The 33-year-old finished his career having played 114 ODI matches, scoring 2,424 runs with a century and 12 half-centuries. He also scored 440 runs in six Test matches. Asghar captained his country in their first-ever Test match against India in 2018 and at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2016. At the time of his retirement, he holds the record for the most wins as captain in T20 internationals having led his team to victory in 42 games.

Sports Bulletin Report Dubai (October 31, 2021):-The road to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia continues with seven Americas teams Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Panama and USA all set to compete for two qualifying spots. The road to the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 in Australia continues with seven Americas teams Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bermuda, Canada, Panama and USA all set to compete for two qualifying spots. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier supported by Dream 11 marks the second and final Americas pathway event for the year, where two spots in the Qualifer A and B will be up for grabs which are due to take place in the first half of 2022. The Americas Qualifier will be played between 7 and 14 November in Antigua in partnership with Cricket West Indies (CWI) and the Antigua and Barbuda Cricket Association. Coverage of the event will be produced by CricClubs, who will use their live streaming expertise to make each match available to view live on FanCode in the Indian sub-continent and on ICC.tv in the rest of the world. In total, there will be 21 Men’s T20 Internationals live streamed during the event which will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium and Coolidge Cricket Ground. Bermuda come into the event as the top team on the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s T20I Team Rankings at 29, closely followed by the United States in 33.        Belize captain, Kenton Young said: “It's every sports player’s dream to play in a World Cup and represent their country. From a baby playing with a tennis ball in yard cricket. For me personally it would mean everything if we qualified and got one step closer.” Bermuda captain, Kamau Leverock said: “I love the atmosphere, playing cricket in front of crowds, so it would be a great feeling to qualify from this tournament. The team we have is great and we have a good chance of making it all the way if we play some good cricket.” Canada captain, Navneet Singh Dhaliwal said: “I am excited for the tournament, cricket is a special thing. I will be happy if we qualify for the next round, but our ultimate goal is to play in the Men’s T20 World Cup.” Panama captain, Yusuf Ebrahim Akalwaya said: “If we were to qualify for the Global Qualifier I would be overjoyed, it would be a dream come true for my country.”      USA captain, Monank Patel said: “Cricket is a team sport that always give you great life lessons. People have come from different walks of life with different cultures all with the common goal of taking USA Cricket ahead.” ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Americas Qualifier fixtures: 7 November 2021 - USA v Belize 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Bahamas v Canada 09h30 Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); USA v Panama 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); 8 November 2021 - Belize v Canada 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Argentina v Bahamas 09h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); Belize v Panama 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); USA v Bermuda     13h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); 9 November 2021 - Rest/Reserve 10 November 2021 - USA v Canada 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Belize v Argentina 09h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); Argentina v Panama 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Bermuda v Bahamas 13h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG) 11 November 2021 - Bermuda v Canada 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Belize v Bahamas  09h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); Bermuda v Panama 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); USA v Argentina 13h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); 12 November 2021 - Rest/Reserve 13 November 2021 - USA v Bahamas 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG);  Belize v Bermuda 09h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG); Bahamas v Panama 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Argentina v Canada at 13h30 at Sir Viv Richards Stadium (SVG) 14 November 2021 - Canada v Panama 09h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG); Argentina v Bermuda 13h30 at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG)

Report: ABDULLAH ASJAD Islamabad (October 20 2021):-England trounced Australia by 8 wickets in ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 at Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium Dubai on Saturday. English batters chased small 126 runs total in easily in just 11th over. Right handed wicket keeper batter Jos Buttler played a stylish and speedy innings against Australian bowlers and scored 71 runs in only 31 balls. He cracked 5 fours and 5 huge sixes while opener Jason Roy scored 22 runs and faced 20 deliveries. Australian bowlers did not bowl brilliantly. Adam Zampa and Ashton Agar both spinners took single wicket each while left handed pacer Michel Starc did not take any wicket. Earlier, English Captain Eon Morgan won the toss and asked to Finch for batting first. Finch elevens failed to set big target on score board against strong England side. Australian skipper Aaron Finch played a captain innings and scored 44 runs, as 49 deliveries wasted. Ashton Agar scored 20 runs while wicket keeper batter Matthew Wade added 18 runs only. English bowler Chris Woakes got 2 wickets and conceded 23 runs while Chris Jordan took 3 wickets in just 17 runs conceded Tymal Mills sent out 2 batters of opposition side to the pavilion. Chris Jordan got man of the match award.  Scores in Brief England beat Australia at Dubai International Stadium by eight wickets Australia 125 all out in 20 overs (Aaron Finch 44; Chris Jordan 3-17, Chris Woakes 2-23) England 126/2 in 11.4 overs (Jos Buttler 71 not out; Ashton Agar 1-15) Player of the Match: Chris Jordan (England)  

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Faisalabad (October 30, 2021):-Balochistan and Sindh registered their victories in the A.S. Ali Blind Cricket Trophy 2021 after beating their challengers at two different venues in Faisalabad. Balochistan Vs Punjab Venue: Boranwali Cricket Ground The 5th match of the event was played between Balochistan and Punjab. Balochistan won the toss and not surprisingly decided to bowl first, as Punjab were in do-or-die position, they have lost 2 games and direly needs a win to stay alive in the tournament. Punjab played well and posted a mammoth total of 382 runs for the loss of 5 wickets in allotted 40 overs. Moeen Aslam who missed out in the earlier two games played a fantastic innings of 174 runs off 119 balls. Muhammad Akram missed his ton and made brisk 91 runs. Naeem Ullah made fifty (50) in the deck overs and helped Punjab to post a huge total. Matiullah was the successful bowler for Balocshitan, he took 2 wickets. Balocshitan in reply chased down the target of 383 on the last ball of the innings in a nail-biting finish for the loss of 7 wickets. Haroon Khan played the outstanding innings of 120 runs off 80 balls and Matiullah chipped in with 59 runs. Yasir Malik was the pick amongst the bowler he claimed 3 wickets. Result: Balocshitan won by 3 Wickets Man of the Match: Haroon Khan Sindh Vs Islamabad: Venue: Cricket Ground Sports Complex Chak No 8 Islamabad won the toss and asked Sindh to bat first. Islamabad got early wickets but Mohammad Rashid’s splendid innings of 136 runs off 88 balls turn the table on Islamabad. He was well supported by Bilal Ali, he made 57 runs. Sindh piled up 383 runs on the board for the loss of 5 wickets. Mohammad Salman took 2 wickets while Babar Ali and Akmal Hayyat claimed a wicket apiece. Islamabad chasing 384 runs, lost quick wickets. Their most dependent batsman Anees Javed also got retired hurt and Islamabad was left in all sorts of trouble. Ayoub Khan tried to rescue with his impressive unbeaten innings of 121 runs but in vain. Babar Ali made 54 runs off 63 balls. Badar Munir and Ahtesham ul Haq claimed a wicket apiece. Result: Sindh won by 63 runs Man of the Match: Mohammad Rashid    

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Sharjah (October 30, 2021):-South Africa claimed a tense four-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the final over to keep their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup hopes alive. Pathum Nissanka led Sri Lanka’s charge making 72 as South Africa took regular wickets to restrict the Lions to 142 all out. Hasaranga halted South Africa’s steady progress taking a hat-trick to reduce them to 112 for six but David Miller provided the heroics to knock Sri Lanka out. South Africa won the toss and chose to field making one change as Quinton de Kock was restored to the side in place of Heinrich Klaasen. It was a tale of two overs for Nortje, castling Kusal Perera in his first over before conceding 13 off his second to see Sri Lanka make 39 for one in the powerplay. With Charith Asalanka in, Sri Lanka started to increase their run rate, he and Nissanka smashing Maharaj for sixes before Asalanka was run out thanks to smart fielding by Kagiso Rabada and de Kock. His replacement, Bhanuka Rajapakse, was as tame as Asalanka was brave, sending Tabraiz Shamsi wheeling away in celebration after an easy caught and bowled. Avishka Fernando fell in much the same way as Rajapakse, although this time Shamsi was down on his knees having reduced Sri Lanka to 77 for four. As opener Nissanka neared his half-century he could not find a partner willing to stick with him - Hasaranga forced to go, caught on four by a diving Aiden Markram - but Nissanka finally got his half-century, coming off 46 balls to claim his second T20I fifty. Despite being sent for two fours, Dwaine Pretorius continued with his wide of off stump deliveries, finally reaping his reward as Rabada caught Dasun Shanaka down low to again stifle Sri Lanka. Nissanka could not hang on until the end falling for 72 off 58, his highest T20I score, as Sri Lanka ended on 142 all out, Kumara run out on the final ball. Reeza Hendricks and de Kock made a tidy start to the chase before Hendricks was given out lbw which was upheld on review. De Kock followed two balls later top-edging straight to the bowler Dushmantha Chameera to leave South Africa on 26 for two. Like in the Sri Lanka innings, the number three was run out, this time Rassie van der Dussen was left stranded due to miscommunication from captain Temba Bavuma as the Proteas slipped to 49-3. With half the innings gone, South Africa were five runs behind Sri Lanka at 62-3 but Bavuma and Markram were building a useful partnership. The pair added 47 before Markram had to go for 19 off 20 having been clean bowled by Hasaranga. From his next delivery, two overs later, Hasaranga took the crucial wicket of Bavuma who departed for a run-a-ball 46, and then he got his hat-trick. Pretorius holed out to long on and Hasaranga set off in celebration, no one could stop him, at least no South African. Rabada survived an lbw review off the next ball before smacking Chameera for six in the next over, leaving South Africa needing 15 off the final over with Kumara bowling it. After conceding a single to Rabada, David Miller teed off hitting back-to-back sixes and then the winning runs as South Africa snuck home. Scores in Brief South Africa beat Sri Lanka at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah by four wickets. Sri Lanka 142 all out in 20 overs (Pathum Nissanka 72, Charith Asalanka 21; Dwayne Pretorius 3-17, Tabraiz Shamsi 3-17) South Africa 146/6 in 19.5 overs (Temba Bavuma 46, David Miller 23 not out; Wanindu Hasaranga 3/20, Dushmantha Chameera 2/27) Player of the Match: Tabraiz Shamsi (South Africa)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Dubai (October 29, 2021):- ):-Asif Ali, four sixes in the penultimate over of the match, overwhelmed all efforts of  Afghanistan guys in a Group II fixture of the ICC T20 Men’s World Cup 2021 at Dubai International Cricket Stadium, Dubai on Friday night. Asif blitzed 25 in just seven balls to ensure Babar Azam’s 51 did not go to waste as they successfully chased 148 to win by five wickets in front of a raucous crowd at the Dubai International Stadium. Only some back-end fireworks from Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib, who shared an unbeaten stand of 71 off 48 balls, gave their side a competitive total after they had slipped to 76 for six. Asif had smashed 27 in 12 balls to help Pakistan beat New Zealand last time out and having trumped India in their opener, they have now cemented their spot on top of Group 2 and put one foot in the semi-finals of the ICC Men’s World T20 2021. Nabi bucked the trend by choosing to bat in Dubai despite the dew and may have been regretting that call when Hazratullah Zazai was dismissed for a five-ball duck in the second over. The Afghanistan opener’s top edge off Imad Wasim was safely pouched by Haris Rauf to give Pakistan an early breakthrough. Mohammad Shazad struck the first boundary of the innings, but two balls later departed for eight after tamely chipping Shaheen Shah Afridi straight to mid-on to leave Afghanistan floundering at 13 for two. Rahmanullah Gurbaz got off the mark in some style, planting Wasim into the stands with an eye-catching slog-sweep but should have been easily run out soon after only for Mohammad Rizwan’s wayward throw to spare his blushes. Asghar Afghan also opened his account with a maximum in Wasim’s second over which went for 17, but the No.4 was soon walking back for 10 after Rauf took a sharp return catch, with his younger brother Karim Janat replacing him. In what was now typical fashion, Janat got going with a six off Haris but could only watch on as Rahmanullah holed out off Afridi for 10 as Afghanistan lost four wickets inside an action-packed powerplay, finishing on 49 for four. Janat’s promising partnership of 25 with Najibullah Zadran was cut short when the former holed out off Imad, who finished with two for 25, for 15 in the 10th over. The theme of big hits and wickets continued when Najibullah sent Shadab Khan out of the park only for the bowler to exact immediate revenge, having him caught behind for 22 with a wrong-un. Skipper Nabi was joined by Gulbadin and the pair spun the game on its head with a vital partnership of 71 off 48 balls, both batters finishing unbeaten on 35. Gulbadin exploded into life in Hasan Ali’s 18th over, smashing a six and two fours on his way to single-handedly adding 19 of the 21 runs scored. The 50 partnership came off just 36 balls and the carnage continued with Haris' 19th over going for 15 runs as Pakistan leaked 36 runs in just 12 balls. Shaheen's final over cost just seven, even with a no-ball, but the damage was done, and Afghanistan finished on 147 for six, more than enough for their spinners to get stuck into. Pakistan got off to a slow start in reply when Rizwan, eight off 10, was well caught on the boundary by Naveen-ul-Haq off Mujeeb Ur Rahman in just the third over. Fakhar Zaman wasted no time in getting going as he and captain Babar guided Pakistan to 38 for one from the powerplay before Mujeeb returned to complete an excellent spell of one for 14 from his four overs. Fakhar and Babar’s partnership reached 50 from just 39 balls as Pakistan took control of the chase with wickets in hand. Babar’s class shone through as he made his way to 36 before danger man Rashid Khan, belatedly brought into the attack in the 11th over, thought he had him trapped LBW only for the decision to be overturned on review. But DRS could not save the skipper’s partner Fakhar as Nabi had him pinned in front for 30 from the very next ball at the other end, curtailing the third-wicket partnership of 63 and leaving Pakistan 75 for two. Rashid had his 100th T20 international wicket, the quickest to the milestone, for real when Mohammad Hafeez’s top-edge found Gulbadin to give Afghanistan a chance with the asking rate creeping over nine. Babar should have been caught by Naveen off Rashid but the spinner had his man with the final ball of his spell of two for 26, a googly castling the Pakistan skipper as he surprisingly aimed a huge swipe into the leg side with 12 already having come from the 17th over. Naveen bowled a sensational 18th over which cost just two runs during which he shelled an exceptionally tough reaction chance off Shoaib Malik but two balls later the veteran batter nicked one behind to depart for 19 with 24 still needed off 13. Just as Afghanistan clawed their way in front, Asif had other ideas, belting four huge sixes off Janat in the 19th over to seal an incredible victory with six balls to spare. Scores in Brief Pakistan beat Afghanistan at Dubai International Stadium, Dubai by five wickets Afghanistan 147/6 in 20 overs (Mohammad Nabi 35 not out, Gulbadin Naib 35 not out; Imad Wasim 2/25, Shaheen Shah Afridi 1/22, Shadab Khan 1/22) Pakistan 148/5 in 19 overs (Babar Azam 51, Fakhar Zaman 30, Asif Ali 25 not out; Rashid Khan 2/26, Mujeeb Ur Rahman 1/14) Player of the Match: Asif Ali (Pakistan)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Sharjah (October 29, 2021):-The West Indies sealed a tight encounter against Bangladesh, winning by just three runs off the final ball of the game to knock Bangladesh out of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021. Nicholas Pooran crashed 40 of 22 to rescue West Indies innings having lost the toss and been put into bat, as they posted 142 for seven. Bangladesh were steady in their reply but needing 13 off the final over, they could only manage 10 as the Windies kept their own qualification hopes alive. Debutant Roston Chase was into the action early on as opener Evin Lewis was caught easily by Mushfiqur Rahim at square leg. After being promoted to open, ‘Universe Boss’ Chris Gayle was not all-conquering, instead being clean bowled by Mahedi Hassan having made four off ten. Shimron Hetmyer then fell in the seventh over and it would be four overs before the West Indies got a boundary, Chase combining with Kieron Pollard to steady the ship. Pollard then faced choppy waters as Bangladesh went up for a review for LBW but the DRS showed the impact was outside off stump and Pollard was safe, for now. Two balls later, Pollard was walking off retired hurt, a ball later new batter Andre Russell was back in the dugout, run out without facing as Taskin Ahmed got a toe to Chase’s drive back down the ground. Russell’s dismissal brought out Pooran who made 40 off 22 to rescue the West Indies to 119-5 and Chase was then undone by Shoriful Islam, who knocked over his leg stump. Jason Holder survived the hat-trick ball but his partner Dwayne Bravo fell three balls later as Pollard returned to the crease with five balls to go. He and Holder crashed what turned out to be three crucial sixes to push the West Indies to a respectable score. Captain Pollard was not the only one hurt, with Shakib Al Hasan noticeably hobbling between the wickets as he opened Bangladesh’s chase. And it was Shakib who was the first batter to go, sending an easy catch to Holder to leave Bangladesh on 21 for one. Mohammad Naim dragged the ball back onto his stumps off the bowling of Holder as the Tigers ended the powerplay on 29-2, the same as the Windies. From there, Bangladesh kicked on reaching 60 before the loss of their third wicket, Soumya Sarkar sending the ball into the diving hands of Gayle. The next wicket followed a similar pattern, Bangladesh adding 30 runs before losing a wicket, this time Rampaul bowling Mushfiqur for eight. With three overs remaining the Tigers needed 30 from 18 balls with Liton Das crashing a four to swing the game towards Bangladesh as he and Mahmudullah looked to be controlling the chase. Liton could not stay until the end though, as the long limbs of Holder caught him on the boundary, with six balls to go Bangladesh needed 13 runs. The West Indies were plagued by fielding errors missing run-out chances, dropping catches and missing balls, but with Bangladesh needing a boundary off the final ball, Russell held his nerve to bowl West Indies to a narrow victory. Scores in brief  West Indies beat Bangladesh at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Sharjah by three runs. West Indies 142/7 in 20 overs (Nicholas Pooran 40, Roston Chase 39; Shoriful Islam 2/20, Mahedi Hasan 2/27) Bangladesh 139/5 in 20 overs (Litton Das 44, Mahmudullah 31 not out; Jason Holder 1/22, Akeal Hossein 1/24) Player of the Match: Nicholas Pooran (West Indies)

Special Report LAHORE (October 29, 2021):-Sahibzada Farhan’s maiden first-class century and Israrullah’s breezy 160 put Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 73 runs ahead of Sindh on day three of their second round fixture of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. The pair put a solid 226 runs for the opening wicket and the partnership helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa take their points tally from the match to six as it added four batting points. Farhan smashed 13 fours and a six as he made 100 off 198 balls. The right-handed opener had to wait 54 innings to record his first-ever century. He was duly supported by Israrullah who smoked 19 fours and three sixes from the 228 balls he faced. In the previous round, Israrullah had smashed a half-century in both innings. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 440 for four in 127 overs with their captain Iftikhar Ahmed (81 not out) and wicketkeeper-batter Rehan Afridi (43 not out) at the crease. At the Multan Cricket Stadium, Balochistan’s Imam-ul-Haq smashed his sixth first-class ton as he scored 109 off 256 with the help of 12 fours against Southern Punjab. The left-handed batter struck a 214-run opening partnership with Imran Butt, who missed out a century by five runs when he was bowled by Mohammad Imran. Mohammad Imran also denied Haris Sohail a half-century as he got rid of the left-hander on 49. On the last day of the match, Ayaz Tasawar and wicketkeeper-batter Bismillah Khan will resume Balochistan innings at 416 for four. They have batted 136.3 overs. Ayaz is unbeaten on 65 (eight fours), while Bismillah is batting at 56 (nine fours). Balochistan bagged three batting points as they were 302 for three after 100 overs. Northern pacer Musa Khan followed-up his maiden five-fer in the last match with four for 61 to put his side ahead of Central Punjab at the Gaddafi Stadium. The right-armer accounted for Abid Ali, top run-getter with 175-ball 81, Azhar Ali (17), Mohammad Saad (29) and Saad Nasim (two). Central Punjab – who began the day on 68 for the loss of no wicket – were 271 for nine in 93.4 overs and Musa’s exploits helped Northern bag three bowling points. While Musa will be looking to bag another five-wicket haul on Saturday, Northern will be looking to bag bonus points for bowling out an opposition under 300. Earlier, both openers – Abid and Ahmed Shehzad (58) – scored half-centuries and added 110 runs for the first wicket. Hussain Talat played a solid knock in the middle-order as he made 62 off 95 (eight fours and two sixes). Scores in brief: Sindh choose to bat after winning the toss against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Sindh 367 all out, 110.1 overs (Saad Khan 129, Fawad Alam 122, Sohail Khan 28, Ashiq Ali 26, Mohammad Hasan 25; Niaz Khan 5-58, Imran Khan Snr 3-58) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 440-4, 127 overs (Israrullah 160, Sahibzada Farhan 100, Iftikhar Ahmed 81 not out, Rehan Afridi 43 not out, Adil Amin 25) Innings points – Sindh 4, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6 Southern Punjab choose to bat after winning the toss against Balochistan at Multan Cricket Stadium Southern Punjab 457-5dec, 98.5 overs (Tayyab Tahir 221, Azam Khan 85, Imran Rafiq 81, Umar Siddiq 32, Zain Abbas 30; Junaid Khan 2-87) Balochistan 416-4, 136.3 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 109, Imran Butt 95, Ayaz Tasawar 65 not out, Bismillah Khan 56 not out; Muhammad Imran 2-74) Innings points – Southern Punjab 6, Balochistan 4 Central Punjab elected to bowl after winning the toss against Northern at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Northern 455-9dec, 132.5 overs (Faizan Riaz 213, Sarmad Bhatti 82, Rohail Nazir 54, Nasir Nawaz 46; Ehsan Adil 3-60, Zafar Gohar 3-141) Central Punjab 271-9, 93.4 overs (Abid Ali 81, Hussain Talat 62, Ahmed Shehzad 58; Musa Khan 4-61, Nauman Ali 2-92) Innings points – Northern 6, Central Punjab 2

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Faisalabad (October 29, 2021):-Khyber PakhtunKawa and Balochistan have won their matches in the ongoing AS Ali Blind Cricket Trophy 2021 after beating Punjab and Sindh respectively seven and five wickets in Faisalabad on Friday. KPK Vs Punjab: Venue: Cricket Ground of Sports Complex Chak No 8 Faisalabad In the morning KPK won the toss and decided to bowl first. KPK bowlers bowled exceptionally well and didn’t allow Punjab batsmen to set a good target. The Punjab team was bowled out on 331 runs in 39.1 overs. The veteran Mohammad Akram was the highest scorer with 193 runs (off 132 balls) and Moaeen Aslam made 47 runs (off 35 balls). Haseen Ullah and Idrees Saleem took 2 wickets each while Nisar Ali fetched 1 wicket. The target of 332 runs wasn’t proved tough to the strong batting lineup of KPK and they chased down quite easily in 32 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Sana Ullah Khan shined with the bat and played a superb innings of unbeaten 128 not out runs (off 78 balls) while Shahzeb Haider was the second highest scorer with unbeaten 97 not out runs (off 71 balls). Mohammad Numan, Mohammad Akram and Yasir Malik took 1 wicket each.  Result: KPK won by 7 wickets Man of the Match: Sanaullah Khan Balochistan Vs Sindh Venue: Boranwali Cricket Ground Faisalabad Balochistan won the toss and asked Sindh to take guard. Sindh posted a competitive total of 411 runs on the board for the loss of 4 wickets in allotted 40 overs. Badar Munir played a superb inning of 222 runs (off 135 balls) and Mohammad Rashid scored unbeaten 72 not out runs (off 38 balls). Israr Hassan and Husnain Shah shared a wicket each. Balochistan reached the target in 40th over of the inning for the loss of 5 wickets. Zafar Iqbal played a captain’s innings and he scored brilliant 112 not out runs (off 69 balls) helping his side to beat Sindh by 5 wickets. Faisal Mehmood scored a dazzling 90 runs (off 66 balls). Mohammad Shahzeb and Ehtisham ul Haq claimed 1 wicket each.    Result: Balochistan won by 5 wickets Man of the Match: Zafar Iqbal