Sports Bulletin

Captain Nauman Ali takes eight wickets as Northern bowl out Central Punjab for 226   SB Report FAISALABAD (November 4, 2019):-Northern made a strong start to their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tournament round-six first-class match against Central Punjab by bowling out the hosts for 226 runs on day-one of the four-day match at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad on Monday. Left-arm-spinner Nauman Ali who is captaining Northern in the match led from the front collecting eight wickets for 71 runs in 20.1 overs as Central Punjab were spun-out for a below-par first innings total. Central Punjab won the toss and opted to bat first; the first session was evenly shared between the two sides as Central Punjab reached 105 for two at lunch. In the post-lunch session Northern bowlers held the upper hand, Central Punjab lost four additional wickets to finish the session at 198 for six. Captain Ahmed Shehzad (55 off 112 balls, nine fours), Umar Akmal (52 off 66 balls, three fours and three sixes) and Salman Butt (41 off 59 balls, six fours) were the main run getters for the hosts. In the post-tea session, Nauman took all four wickets to fall as Central Punjab lost their last four wickets for the addition of 28 runs. This was Nauman’s best-ever bowling in a first-class innings.  Northern openers batted with confidence in reply, ending the day at 47 for one in 10 overs. Haider Ali was the only wicket to fall; he was dismissed by Aizaz Cheema for 12 runs. Northern’s captain and wicketkeeper-batsman Rohail Nazir was ruled out of the match due to a hand injury, Nauman replaced him as captain with Jamal Anwar donning the gloves. Scores in brief: Central Punjab 226 all out, 69.1 overs (Ahmed Shehzad 55, Umar Akmal 52, Salman Butt 41; Nauman Ali 8-71) Northern 47 for 1, 10 overs (Umer Amin 19 not out; Aizaz Cheema 1-23)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa score 225 for six against Sindh   SB Report ABBOTTABAD (November 4, 2019):-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 225 for six at the close of play on day one of their sixth-round first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture against Sindh at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Sahibzada Farhan led the home side from front by cracking a 164-ball 88, in which he hit 13 fours, after Sindh captain Sarfaraz Ahmed opted against contesting the toss and bowled first. Farhan stitched a 54-run partnership for the first-wicket with Israrullah, who scored an aggressive 34-ball 36 with seven fours. After Israrullah’s dismissal, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost next two wickets for 30 runs, but a 78-run stand for the fourth-wicket between Farhan and Zohaib Khan (28 off 93) denied further inroads to Sindh’s bowlers. With the wickets of Ashfaq Ahmed (five) and Nabi Gul (eight), Sohail Khan took the most wickets for the visitors on day one in which 79 overs were bowled. The right-arm fast-bowler delivered 17 overs, which included three maidens, and gave 48 runs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Rehan Afridi and Sajid Khan will resume their innings on 33 and 17 when second day’s play commences on Tuesday at 1000. Scores in brief:  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 225-6, 79 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 88, Israrullah 36, Rehan Afridi 33 not out, Zohaib Khan 28; Sohail Khan 2-48)

Quaid-e Azam Trophy Second XI Jahid Ali scores a century     SB Report KARACHI (November 4, 2019):-Jahid Ali scored 123 off 179 balls as Sindh posted a first innings score of 436 for four against Northern 368 at the State Bank Stadium, Karachi on the second-day of the seventh-round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches on Monday. Opener Jahid’s innngs included 11 fours and a six. Shehzar Mohammad was unlucky to get out on 99 to Raza ul Hasan. His 131-ball innings included nine fours and a six. Ahsan Ali also contributed a quick-fire unbeaten knock of 86 off 48 balls, he hit four fours and six sixes. In return, Northern in their second innings were 27 for no loss in 14 overs when stumps were drawn. At Hayatabad Sports Complex in Karachi, Southern Punjab resuming their innings on 127 for three were bowled out for 267 in 82 overs against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Mohammad Umair top-scored with 64, while Agha Salman also chipped in with 54. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mohammad Ilyas grabbed five wickets for 58. In return, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were struggling at 80 for five in 25.1 overs when stumps were drawn. For Southern Punjab, Muhammad Imran took three wickets. In the third match of the day, Balochistan after being put to bat against Central Punjab at Itefaq Cricket Ground in Lahore were dismissed for 276 in 78.2 overs. Haseeb Azam top-scored with a 128-ball 82 laced with 17 fours. Taimur Ali contributed 73 off 157 balls, he hit nine fours and a six. For Central Punjab, Mohammad Ali took five wickets for 61. Ahmed Bashir and Raza Ali Dar grabbed two wickets apiece. Scores in brief: Northern v Sindh, State Bank Stadium, Karachi  Northern 368-7, 83 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 171 not out, Shoaib Ahmed 83, Shehzad Azam 43; Jahid Ali 2-25) and 27-0, 14 overs Sindh 436-4, 83 overs (Jahid Ali 123, Shehzar Mohammad 99, Ahsan Ali 86 not out, Ammad Alam 64, Rameez Raja jr 51; Raza ul Hasan 2-129) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab, Hayatabad Sports Camp, Peshawar Southern Punjab 267 all-out, 82 overs (Mohammad Umair 64, Agha Salman 54, Zeeshan Ashraf 50, Mohammad Imran 46; Mohammad Ilyas 5-58, Ahmed Jamal 2-55) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 80-5, 25.1 overs (Muhammad Imran 3-22, Zia ul Haq 2-33) Balochistan v Central Punjab, Itefaq Cricket Ground, Lahore Balochistan 276 all-out, 78.2 overs (Haseeb Azam 82, Taimur Ali 73, Akbar-ur-Rehman 47; Mohammad Ali 5-61, Raza Ali 2-30, Ahmed Bashir 2-38

SB Report LAHORE:-Middle-order batsman Sarmad Bhatti smashed an unbeaten 171 off 218 balls as Northern posted a first innings score of 386 for seven against Sindh at the State Bank Stadium, Karachi on the first-day of the seventh-round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy matches on Sunday.  The left-handed Sarmad who came into bat with his team three down for 54 added 148 runs for the fourth wicket with Shoaib Ahmed Minhas (83 off 132 balls, seven fours, one six). He cut loose in the later stages, Sarmad hit a total of 11 fours and nine sixes in his innings that helped Northern post a formidable first innings score. Shehzad Azam (43 off 38 balls) added 94 runs for the seventh wicket with Sarmad before the Northern innings came to a close. Sindh in reply were 26 for no loss when stumps were drawn for the day.  The match between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Southern Punjab started late due to rain and wet outfield delays. Batting first Southern Punjab managed 127 runs for three in 39 overs when stumps were drawn for the day. Mohammad Umair scored an unbeaten 60 off 115 balls while opener Zeeshan Ashraf made 50 runs with the help of six fours and two sixes. Muhammad Ilyas took two wickets.  Meanwhile, the match between Central Punjab and Balochistan has been rescheduled and will now start from Monday at Itefaq Cricket Ground in Lahore.  Scores in brief:  Northern v Sindh, State Bank Stadium, Karachi  Northern 368-7, 83 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 171 not out, Shoaib Ahmed 83, Shehzad Azam 43; Jahid Ali 2-25) v Sindh 26-0, nine overs  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Southern Punjab, Hayatabad Sports Camp, Peshawar  Southern Punjab 127-3, 39 overs (Mohammad Umair 60 not out, Zeeshan Ashraf 50; Mohammad Ilyas 2-34) v Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Sixth-round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy begins on Monday   Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-With four rounds remaining in the four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, the six teams will fight for every point, when the sixth-round of the tournament commences from Monday at different first class cricket venues, to secure a berth in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final, which will be held at Karachi’s National Stadium from 9 to 13 December. Table-toppers Central Punjab will be aiming to consolidate their position when they host Northern, who are at the bottom of the points table, at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium. Central Punjab, who will be without the services of Pakistan Test captain Azhar Ali and young fast-bowler Naseem Shah as they head to Australia for Pakistan’s World Test Championship matches, enter the round at the back of a thrilling draw against Sindh, in which they looked certain to come out as winners for the most part of the final day’s play. Northern have struggled to click over the course of the tournament. However, they will take heart from a remarkable double-century by Zeeshan Malik. The 22-year-old struck 216 runs in Northern’s first innings against Southern Punjab at Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot, and registered the fourth best highest individual score this tournament. He followed it up with a second innings score of 59. Northern will be led by Pakistan U19 captain Rohail Nazir as Umar Amin takes a break from the leadership role to concentrate on his batting – a decision that paid dividends with the left-handed batsman scoring 156. This will be the season’s last first-class match at Iqbal Stadium. Quetta’s Bugti Stadium, which saw the return of first-class cricket after 11 years this season, will also be hosting its last fixture of the tournament, which will be live-streamed, when Southern Punjab host Balochistan. Southern Punjab will take the field under the leadership of Sami Aslam as their regular captain Shan Masood will be taking a flight to Australia on the opening day of their sixth-round fixture.  With an added responsibility on his shoulders, Sami will be hoping to stretch his good form with the bat into this fixture after the left-handed opening-batsman scored a century against Northern. Southern Punjab are ranked second at the points table and are the only other side than Central Punjab in the tournament, to date, to have won a match. Balochistan, ranked fourth, will be hoping to fill in the vacuum which will be created by the non-availability of leg-spinner Yasir Shah, who tops the charts for most wicket with 21 scalps. This absence of Yasir is bound to add more responsibility on left-arm orthodox Mohammad Asghar, who, along with the leg-spinner, returned a four-fer in the first innings of a drawn contest against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa earlier this week at Bugti Stadium. Balochistan’s Imran Butt will be on the radar of the fans after cracking a brilliant double-century in the last round. The 23-year-old scored 214 which helped him to the second spot in the list of the batsmen with the most runs this tournament. In the third match of the round, third-ranked Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be hosting fifth-ranked Sindh at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s top four batsmen were amongst the run-getters in the previous round with captain Sahibzada Farhan, Israrullah, and Ashfaq Ahmed, who has the most runs this tournament, scoring half-centuries, and Adil Amin putting up a gutsy century. Sindh will also have to wary of off-spinner Sajid Khan, who took eight wickets, including a five for 36 in the second innings, against Balochistan earlier this week. Sindh must have run down the best possible back up options ahead of the sixth round after Abid Ali, Asad Shafiq and Kashif Bhatti left the side for the national duty. But, that Sindh edged out in securing a draw against Central Punjab at Faisalabad was due to Sarfaraz Ahmed’s fighting second innings half-century, which would have uplifted the Sindh’s captain confidence. That coupled with the presence of Fawad Alam, Saad Ali, Khurram Manzoor and a young and upcoming Omair Bin Yousuf in the batting lineup will make getting Sindh batsmen out a daunting proposition. All three matches will begin at 1000 at their respective venues. Quaid-e-Azam Trophy sixth-round fixtures (4-7 November) Central Punjab v Northern, Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Southern Punjab v Balochistan, Bugti Stadium, Quetta Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Sindh, Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad    

Netherlands seal the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 title SB Report DUBAI (November 3, 2019):-The Netherlands sealed the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup Qualifier 2019 title with a seven-wicket triumph over Papua New Guinea at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Using a mix of pace and wily orthodox slow bowling, Netherlands’ attack of Brandon Glover (three for 24), Roelof van der Merwe (two for 15) and Timm van der Gugten (two for 18) undid PNG’s batsmen, never allowing them to up the run rate aside from a final over blitz from Jason Kila (27 not out). Lega Siaka scored 36 but their effort of 128 for eight from 20 overs never looked enough and so it proved when the Dutch batsmen arrived at the crease. Ben Cooper (41) settled any nerves there may have been with a 33-ball knock of 41, including four fours and two sixes, before Colin Ackermann and Ryan ten Doeschate saw the team home with seven wickets and an over to spare. Netherlands ended on a score of 134 for three from 19 overs as PNG finished second. As a result of the final tournament standings, the first round groupings for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2020 are now confirmed with PNG, Ireland and Oman in Group A with Sri Lanka. Group B will see the Netherlands, Namibia and Scotland join Bangladesh.

  Junaid Khan fined for breaching PCB Code of Conduct  Staff Reporter ISLAMABAD:-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) left arm fast bowler Junaid Khan has been fined 40 per cent of his match fee for violating the PCB Code of Conduct during his side’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy match against Balochistan, which ended in a draw in Quetta on Thursday. Junaid was found guilty of committing a Level 1 offence under clause 2.6, which relates to using a gesture that is obscene, offensive or insulting during a match. The incident occurred on Wednesday when, Junaid got involved in an argument with umpire Shamim Ansari and used inappropriate language at the end of his over, the eighth of Balochistan’s second innings. Junaid was charged by on-field umpires Ghaffar and Shamim Ansari. The player accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Mohammad Aslam. So, there was no need for a formal hearing. Meanwhile, the Central Punjab team were fined Rs 40,000 for a minimum over-rate offense against Sindh at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad on Thursday. Central Punjab were four overs short of their target and were subsequently fined by match referee Nadeem Arshad.

  Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 29 runs to go 1-0 up in two-ODI series SB REPORT   ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan women beat Bangladesh women by 29 runs in the first ODI at Gaddafi Stadium and attained an unassailable lead in the two-match series. Pakistan, after opting to bat, managed 215 all-out in 48.5 overs, thanks to Nahida Khan’s half-century. The opener scored 68 runs off 97 balls, hitting seven fours, and stitched a crucial 61-run partnership for the third-wicket with captain Bismah Maroof (39 off 43) over the course of her stay at the crease. Pakistan got off to a slow start and had only 59 runs on the board when they lost their first wicket – Sidra Amin, who scored 21 runs from 67 balls – in 20.3 overs. That they were able to post a defensible total was due to a late surge by Omaima Sohail and Aliya Riaz. Omaima scored 29 runs from 27 balls, hitting four fours, while Aliya, batting at six, scored 37 runs at a strike rate of 112. Aliya’s 33-ball stay at the crease was studded with three fours and a six. Bangladesh’s Jahanara Alam stretched her impressive form into the one-day leg of the tour as she was the highest wicket-taker in the innings with three for 44. Panna Ghosh and Nahida Akter picked up two wickets each for 12 and 15 runs, bowling two and three maidens respectively. Bangladesh stuttered right from the beginning in their run-chase and had their three batters back in the pavilion inside the first 10 overs. Sana Mir made inroads in her first over, the second of the innings, with the wicket of Murshida Khatun (four off nine) and trapped Sanjida Islam LBW for duck in the second. When debutant Sadia Iqbal accounted for Sharmin Akhter’s wicket in the penultimate ball of the 10th over, Bangladesh had lost their third wicket with only 41 runs on the board. Nigar Sultana’s half-century instilled hope in Bangladesh’s chase. But when she lost her wicket in the 47th over off Sana’s bowling, Pakistan had firmly gripped the match as Bangladesh required 40 off 21 balls Nigar hit four fours and a six and was Bangladesh’s top-scorer with 58 runs off 77 balls. Sana’s three for 49 was the best in the innings, while Diana Baig and Sadia Iqbal picked up two wickets each for 43 and 38 runs. For her exploits with the bat, Nahida bagged the player of the match award. The second ODI will be played on 4 November at Gaddafi Stadium. Scores in brief:  Pakistan women 215 all-out, 48.5 overs (Nahida Khan 68, Bismah Maroof 39, Aliya Riaz 37, Omaima Sohail 29, Sidra Amin 21; Jahanara Alam 3-44, Panna Ghosh 2-12, Nahida Akter 2-15) Bangladesh women 186 all-out, 47.4 overs (Nigar Sultana 58, Rumana Ahmed 28, Fargana Hoque 27, Salma Khatun 20, Sharmin Akhter 20; Sana Mir 3-49, Nashra Sandhu 2-28, Sadia Iqbal 2-38, Diana Baig 2-43)

Pakistan U16 claim seven wickets victory against Bangladesh U16 Abdul Jabbar Faisal ISLAMABAD:-Pakistan Under0-16 overcame visiting Bangladesh Under-16 by seven wickets in the second three-day match at Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi to seal the two-match series 1-0 on Saturday. Aliyan Mehmood took three wickets, while Mohammad Shehzad and Ali Asfand claimed two wickets as Bangladesh were rolled out for 227 in their second innings before Pakistan comfortably chased down the 98-run target. On Saturday, Bangladesh had resumed their innings in the morning at 64 for one, with a deficit of 66 runs. Their captain Nayeem Ahmed was top scorer with a 136-ball 45 laced with six fours. Aliyan, the captain of the home team who bowls off-break, was the most successful bowler taking three wickets for 40 runs. Left-arm spinner Ali and right-arm medium-fast Shehzad took two wickets each for 86 and 24 runs, respectively. Pakistan suffered early hiccups in their chase as they lost two wickets with 15 runs on the scoreboard. But, an unbeaten 51-ball 43 by Abbas Ali ensured that the hosts crossed the line. Abbas’ 82-minute stay at the crease saw him hit four fours and a six. After the first three-day encounter between the two sides was played out a draw, this win helped Pakistan clinch the two three-day match series 1-0. Both teams now feature in the three-match 50 overs series starting from 4 November at the same venue. Scores in brief: Bangladesh U16 108 all-out, 44.1 overs (Radowan Hossan Siyam 50; Ayaz Shah 3-14, Ahmad Khan 2-18, Ali Asfand 2-31) and 227 all-0ut, 93.5 overs (Nayeem Ahmed 45, Tawhidul Islam Ferdus 40,Minhajul Hasan Magh 31; Aliyan Mehmood 3-40, Ali Asfand 2-86, Mohammad Shehzad 2-24) Pakistan U16 238 all-out, 85.4 overs (Ali Hasan 59, Ibrar Afzaal 47, Abbas Ali 37, Aliyan Mehmood 32 not out, Mohammad Shehzad 25; Shamsul Islam Epon 5-88, Ahosun Habib Leon 4-63) and 98-3, 22.4 overs ( Abbas Ali 43 not out, Ali Hasan 29; Ahmood Sharif 2-23) Result: Pakistan U16 won by seven wickets

Pakistan-Bangladesh face-off in two-match ODI series on Saturday SB Report  Lahore, 1 November 2019:  After securing a three-nil T20I series win, Pakistan women will aim for another clean-sweep when they will host Bangladesh women in the opening ODI of the two-match series at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday. Ahead of their next month’s final round ICC Women’s Championship fixture against world champions England in Malaysia, this series provides a crucial opportunity to the Bismah Maroof-led side to get their permutations and combinations right. Pakistan are currently ranked fifth in the eight-team series and a win against England will see them secure automatic qualification for the ICC Women's Cricket World Cup 2021 in New Zealand by breaking into the top four. Bangladesh will take inspiration from the most recent ODI outing between the two sides in October 2018. The only ODI during Pakistan’s tour of Bangladesh ended in the host’s comfortable six-wicket win. The two teams have overall played eight ODIs with Pakistan having an upper hand with five wins. The remaining three were won by Bangladesh. Saturday will also mark the first instance when Pakistan will play an ODI at the country’s home of cricket, the Gaddafi Stadium. Pakistan captain Bismah Maroof: “We have two one-dayers against Bangladesh and our aim is to win both of them. The T20I series was our season-opener and we needed that win to get the momentum. Now, we have gotten it, we will look to make the most of it in the ODI series. “Our one-day team has been doing well of late and the girls are ready to confront all the challenges that come their way. It was evident in the T20I series when everyone stood up and delivered in pressure moments.”  Bangladesh captain Rumana Ahmed: “There’s a little worry in the camp after the T20I series defeat but we are looking at the positives. The ODI series present us chances to pounce back and we have a firm believe that we will do better in the upcoming two matches. “We have good performers in both departments but my observation is that our main strength will be out bowling attack.” Squads  Pakistan: Bismah Maroof (captain), Aliya Riaz, Aroob Shah, Diana Baig, Fatima Sana, Iram Javed, Javeria Khan, Kainat Imtiaz, Nashra Sandhu, Nahida Khan, Omaima Sohail, Sadia Iqbal, Sana Mir, Sidra Amin and Sidra Nawaz (wicketkeeper) Bangladesh: Rumana Ahmed (captain), Fahima Khatun, Fargana Hoque Pinky, Jahanara Alam, Khadija-tul-Kubra, Shanjida Akther, Murshida Khatun, Nahida Akter, Nigar Sultana (wicketkeeper), Panna Ghosh, Salma Khatun, Sanjida Islam, Shamima Sultana (wicketkeeper), Sharmin Sultana and Sharmin Sultana Supta