Sami (149no) and Umar (130) send Balochistan on a leather hunt   SB Report LAHORE (November 4, 2019):-A 283-run opening wicket stand between Sami Aslam and Umar Siddique made Balochistan pay the price for electing to bowl first as Southern Punjab reached 296 for one on the opening day of the four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Left-handed Sami was at the crease on 149, his 13th first-class century, while Umar was dismissed after scoring 130, his 11th first-class century. When play ended early due to fading light, Sohaib Maqsood was the other not out batsman on seven. Sami has so far hit 14 fours and two sixes in a 255-ball innings, while Umar’s 255-ball stay was studded with 14 fours and a six. The only wicket to fall in a day that saw 86.3 overs being bowled was grabbed by left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar. When play resumes on Tuesday, Sami will not only aim to collect his second double-century of the season but will also try to help Southern Punjab to reach 400 runs in 110 overs so that his side can collect the five maximum points. In contrast, Balochistan will target to pick up at least two more wickets that will give them one bowling point. They can pocket another point if they can grab a total of six wickets at the 110-over mark. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab 296-1, 86.3 overs (Sami Aslam 149 not out, Umar Siddique 130) vBalochistan

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

  President Body-Guards Polo Cup 2019 Abdullah Asjad RAWALPINDI:-The President Body-Guards (PBG) has won the PBG Polo Cup 2019 after beating Marco-polo Club four and half goal at Race Course Ground on Sunday. PBG team led by Rabnawaz Tiwana displayed excellent skill of the polo. Captain of the winning team Rabnawaz scored four goals during the all four rounds, as each was limited 7.5 minutes. Turab Rizwi led the Marco-polo in the final. Armored corps Major General Kanwar Adnan Ahmed Khan, HI (M) graced the final as chief gust and distributed prizes among the players. PBG Polo Cup is a unique outfit one of the three of its kind in the world. The annual cup is the most awaited event of the year. Minds and hearts wait impatiently for the commencement of this grand event as it promise the horse lovers the opportunity to see and hear the thunderous sound of course hooves as they gallop. The grand finale apart from the polo final also comprises a fierce display of tent pegging and spectacular and unique show of musical ride.

Last six tickets to Tokyo 2020 secured on final day of FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers Abdullah Asjad ISLAMABAD:-The sixth and final day of the FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers has drawn to a close, and the final six tickets to Tokyo 2020 have been claimed. New Zealand's men booked a safe passage through to next year's Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 thanks to a 3-0 victory over Korea in Stratford. Great Britain's women claimed a 2-1 win over Chile in the second match of the day, a result which gave them a 5-1 victory on aggregate to keep alive the dream of successfully defending the Olympic title that they won at Rio 2016. Later in the day, Great Britain's men joined their women on the plane to Tokyo thanks largely to Alan Forsyth, who bagged a hat-trick as the hosts won 5-2 against Malaysia on the day and 9-3 on aggregate. Germany's women also booked their place at Tokyo 2020 with a dominant and impressive 7-0 win over Italy. The earlier game had seen Die Danas run out as slightly more tentative 2-0 winners, but the 9-0 aggregate score underlined their superiority over the lower-ranked European neighbours. Germany's men followed up their 5-0 first leg win over Austria on Saturday with a 5-3 triumph in Sunday's second game to earn their Olympic berth.  The final ticket to Tokyo 2020 was dramaticaly claimed by Ireland's women at Dublin's Energia Park, with the hosts claiming a 4-3 shoot-out victory over Canada in front of 6000 enthralled fans. The Green Army - silver medallists at least year's Vitality Hockey Women's World Cup London 2018 - trailed 3-1 in the shoot-out before staging a remarkable comeback before winning in sudden-death to achieve Olympic qualification for the first time in their history. Stratford (NZL) – Men: New Zealand 4, Korea 0 (New Zealand win 6-2 on aggregate) Goals from Stephen Jenness, Sam Lane and Russell Kane gave New Zealand men a 3-0 triumph over Korea in Stratford (NZL) to secure a place at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. The Black Sticks came into the contest knowing that a draw would be good enough to seal Olympic qualification thanks to their narrow 3-2 win in the first leg on Saturday. However, open play strikes from Jenness - who scored twice in Saturday's win over Korea - and Lane in the second quarter put the 1976 Olympic champions on course for victory before Kane's third quarter penalty corner goal put the contest beyond the reach of the visitors. Korea piled on the pressure in the final quarter, but the Black Sticks held their nerve to book a 13th appearance on the Olympic stage. London (ENG) - Women: Great Britain 2, Chile 1 [Great Britain win 5-1 on aggregate] Reigning Olympic champions Great Britain defeated Chile for the second time in two days, with Sunday's 2-1 triumph being coupled with a 3-0 success on Saturday to create a comprehensive 5-1 aggregate score-line at the Lee Valley Hockey and Tennis Centre. Mark Hager's team did all of the damage in the first quarter, with Tessa Howard and Laura Unsworth both scoring superb backhand goals to all but guarantee a place at Tokyo 2020. Great Britain were perhaps guilty of wastefulness in front of goal for the remainder of the match, with Chile netting a consolation goal thanks to Fernanda Villagran's well taken penalty corner effort.   Mönchengladbach (GER) – Women: Germany 7, Italy 0 (Germany win 9-0 on aggregate) Three goals in the space of eight minutes was enough to put an early damper on the Italian threat and send Germany women on their way to a dominant 7-0 victory. Added to their 2-0 win from the previous day, the aggregate 9-0 score underlines Die Danas' Olympic ambitions. The goals came from Cecile Pieper (2), Elisa Grave (2), Lena Micheel, Pia Maertens and Player of the Match Nike Lorenz. Italy fought hard but they found the German defence impenetrable and once the German's had the ball, their attacking movements were sharp, instinctive and precise. London (ENG) - Men: Great Britain 5, Malaysia 2 (Great Britain win 9-3 on aggregate) Thanks to a 4-1 victory in the Saturday's first leg, Great Britain's men brought a healthy advantage into their second match against Malaysia and quickly added to their aggregate tally with two goals in the first period. Alan Forsyth put GB ahead from the penalty spot with his 100th international goal (Scotland and Great Britain combined) before Sam Ward added a brilliant second, catching veteran Malaysia goalkeeper Kumar Subramiam off-guard with an unexpected shot from a tight angle. Fitri Saari pulled a goal back for Malaysia in the second quarter before Ward slammed home a penalty corner early in the third period. Razie Rahim's penalty corner rocket reduced GB's match-day lead to 3-2 before Forsyth put the result beyond all doubt, sliding home from open play before completing his hat-trick from the penalty spot to give his side a richly-deserved place at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Mönchengladbach (GER) – Men: Germany 5, Austria 3 (Germany win 10-3 on aggregate) The teams went into this game with different agendas. Germany's interim Head Coach Markus Weise wanted a stronger performance from his team, while Austria's Head Coach Tomasz Szmidt asked his players to play for their own honour. In the end, both teams will have positives. Germany scored five top class goals, all created from fast, slick passing moves and finished with style. Austria, for their part, took the game to their much higher-ranked rivals and scored three penalty corners – all from the stick of Michael Körper. The result gives Germany the chance to build on their Olympic medal tally of 11 medals, four of them gold. Dublin (IRL) – Women: Ireland 0, Canada 0 (Ireland win 4-3 on shoot-out) For the second day in succession, over 6000 people packed into Dublin's Energia Park to witness Ireland's women take on Canada, and the home fans certainly went home happy. Following on from Saturday's score-less first leg, both teams showed a real determination to settle this contest in regular time, but excellent defending meant that the Olympic ticket would be decided by a shoot-out. It all seemed to go wrong for the home team, who found themselves facing heartbreak as Gillian Pinder and Roisin Upton failed to convert while Stephanie Norlander, Amanda Woodcroft and captain Kate Wright all scored to give Canada a seemingly unassailable 3-1 advantage. However, Ireland's never-say-die spirit once more came to the fore, with goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran keeping Brienne Stairs and Shanlee Johnston off the score-sheet while sensational finishes from Ireland's Beth Barr and Chloe Watkins sent the shoot-out into sudden-death. Roisin Upton then put the Irish ahead with another wonderful finish before McFerran denied Woodcroft, giving Ireland an incredible victory and triggering scenes of utter joy in the stadium. It was a heartbreaking defeat for Canada, who matched their higher-ranked opponents throughout but fell just short in the shoot-out.      How Olympic qualification works: The winners will be determined as follows: teams will be ranked according to the number of points each has accumulated in both matches (for each match, 3 points are awarded to the winner, 1 point to each team in the event of a draw and 0 point to the loser). If there is equality among the two teams, then the teams will be ranked according to their respective goal difference. If the equality remains, a shoot-out competition will be played to establish the winner. FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers Friday 25 October 2019 - Day 1 Results Perth (AUS) - Women: Australia 4, Russia 2 (Match 1 of 2) Changzhou (CHN) - Women: China 0, Belgium 2 (Match 1 of 2) Valencia (ESP) - Men: Spain 3, France 3 (Match 1 of 2) Valencia (ESP) - Women: Spain 2, Korea 1 (Match 1 of 2) Saturday 26 October 2019 - Day 2 Results Changzhou (CHN) - Women: China 2, Belgium 0 (Match 2 of 2) Perth (AUS) - Women: Australia 5, Russia 0 (Match 2 of 2) Amsterdam (NED) – Men: Netherlands 4, Pakistan 4 (Match 1 of 2) Valencia (ESP) - Men: Spain 3, France 2 (Match 2 of 2) Valencia (ESP) - Women: Spain 2, Korea 0 (Match 2 of 2) Vancouver (CAN) – Men: Canada 3, Ireland 5 (Match 1 of 2) Sunday 27 October 2019 - Day 3 Results Amsterdam (NED) – Men: Netherlands 6, Pakistan 1 (Match 2 of 2) Vancouver (CAN) – Men: Canada 3 Ireland 1 [5-4 After Shoot-Out] (Match 2 of 2) Friday 1 November 2019 - Day 4 Results Bhubaneswar (IND) – Women: India 5, USA 1 (Match 1 of 2) Bhubaneswar (IND) – Men: India 4, Russia 2 (Match 1 of 2) Saturday 2 November 2019 - Day 5 Results Stratford (NZL) – Men: New Zealand 3, Korea 2 (Match 1 of 2) Bhubaneswar (IND) – Women: India 1, USA 4 (Match 2 of 2) London (ENG) - Women: Great Britain 3, Chile 0 (Match 1 of 2) Bhubaneswar (IND) – Men: India 7, Russia 1 (Match 2 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Women: Germany 2, Italy 0 (Match 1 of 2) London (ENG) - Men: Great Britain 4, Malaysia 1 (Match 1 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Men: Germany 5, Austria 0 (Match 1 of 2) Dublin (IRL) – Women: Ireland v Canada (Match 1 of 2) Sunday 3 November 2019 - Day 6 Results Stratford (NZL) – Men: New Zealand 3, Korea 0 (Match 2 of 2) London (ENG) - Women: Great Britain 2, Chile 1 (Match 2 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Women: Germany 7, Italy 0 (Match 2 of 2) London (ENG) - Men: Great Britain 5, Malaysia 2 (Match 2 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Men: Germany 5, Austria 3 (Match 2 of 2) Dublin (IRL) – Women: Ireland 0, Canada 0 [4-3 After Shoot-Out] (Match 2 of 2)

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.

Tokyo Olympics 2020 Hockey Qualifier  ISLAMABAD:-Six first-leg matches took place on Saturday, with New Zealand’s men earning a narrow 3-2 win over Korea in Stratford while the men’s and women’s teams of both Germany and Great Britain all claimed what could vital victories. The women of Ireland and Canada were also in action, playing out a draw at the Energia Park in Dublin to leave the tie finely balanced.  FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers: Day 5 – Saturday 2 November 2019 Stratford (NZL) – Men: New Zealand 3, Korea 2 (Match 1 of 2)   A thrilling first leg fixture saw New Zealand (FIH World Ranking: 9) twice lead thanks to two goals from Stephen Jenness only for the visitors Korea (WR:16) to draw level on each occasion through Lee Namyong's open play effort and a penalty stroke from Jang Jonghyun. The teams were all square at 2-2 going into the fourth and final quarter before the Black Sticks snatched a winner, with Simon Child firing home a field goal to give the hosts a slender advantage over Korea going into the second leg on Sunday.   Bhubaneswar (IND) – Women: India 1, USA 4 (India win 6-5 on aggregate)  A remarkable first half performance saw USA (WR:13) cancel out India's (WR:9) 5-1 aggregate lead by scoring four times without reply to tie the match at half-time. Amanda Magadan netted two superb goals with team captain Kathleen Sharkey and Alyssa Parker also on target as the visiting Americans overwhelmed their opponents with a scintillating display. Following some half-time words of guidance from head coach Sjoerd Marijne, India were vastly improved after the break as both teams chased the goal that would send them to Tokyo. The winner arrived 12 minutes from time thanks to a terrific finish from India captain Rani Rampal, who fired high into the net after a goal-mouth scramble. USA almost pulled off a miracle in Bhubaneswar, but it is India who claim the ticket to next year's Olympiad.  London (ENG) - Women: Great Britain 3, Chile 0 (Match 1 of 2)  A goalless first half saw both Great Britain (WR:5) and Chile (WR:18) probing and testing each other’s defences. GB, the defending Olympic champions, broke the deadlock early in the second half with a well-taken goal from Isabelle Petter. This was followed by goals from Hannah Martin and Anna Toman, two players who put in excellent performances in this first of two matches. Chile made their own chances, including several penalty corner attempts, and captain Camila Caram said her team would be looking to capitalise on any scoring opportunity in the second leg tomorrow (Sunday 3 November)..  Bhubaneswar (IND) – Men: India 7, Russia 1 (India win 11-3 on aggregate) Home favourites India (WR:5) endured a difficult start to their second leg match, with Alexey Sobolevskiy scoring just 25 seconds into the contest and moving Russia (WR:22) to within one goal of their opponents. Despite the early set-back and their aggregate lead cut to 4-3, India bounced back in style to overpower the Russians and secure their berth at Tokyo 2020. The hosts scored three times in the second quarter thanks to Lalit Upadhyay – who was celebrating his 100th international cap today – and a double from Akashdeep Singh, putting the hosts into a 3-1 lead on the night and 7-3 on aggregate. The Russian goal was breached on four occasions after half time, with Nilakanta Sharma, Rupinder Singh (2) and Amit Rohidas confirming that the eight-times Olympic champions will indeed be present at Tokyo 2020.  Mönchengladbach (GER) – Women: Germany 2, Italy 0 (Match 1 of 2)  Germany (WR:4) came into their all-European encounter with Italy (WR:17) as heavy favourites but needed to show a degree of patience against a side that defended valiantly. Die Danas were guilty of missing a host of penalty corner chances before eventually getting the opening goal through Hannah Gablac, who fired home at the second attempt following good build-up play from Nike Lorenz and Cecile Pieper. Lorenz netted Germany's second goal in the final minute, converting her team's 11th penalty corner of the match. Italy will feel rightly buoyed by today's performance and know that Germany's two-goal advantage is not insurmountable.   London (ENG) - Men: Great Britain 4, Malaysia 1 (Match 1 of 2)  The opening half of this match saw Malaysia (WR:11) take an early 1-0 lead and dominate the proceedings with their speedy attack and great possessive play. However, Great Britain (WR:7) weathered the storm and kept the deficit to just the one goal. The second half was a reversal of form, with Great Britain playing attacking, fast-paced hockey. Goals for Sam Ward, Phil Roper, Alan Forsyth and James Gall puts Great Britain 4-1 up going into the second leg on Sunday.  Mönchengladbach (GER) – Men: Germany 5, Austria 0 (Match 1 of 2)   Following a cagey opening, Germany (WR:6) took a 1-0 lead against Austria (WR:20) with their first penalty corner thanks to a low drag-flick from Lukas Windfeder before two goals in the second quarter put Die Honamas firmly in control. Constantin Staib showed quick hands to score from close range before a stunning solo effort from Christopher Rühr - who ran half the length of the field before producing an emphatic finish - established a 3-0 lead at half time. Germany dominated throughout the third and fourth quarters, with Florian Fuchs and Timur Oruz completing the scoring as the four times Olympic gold medallists took complete control of the tie.     Dublin (IRL) – Women: Ireland 0, Canada 0 (Match 1 of 2)  Two evenly matched teams played out the first goalless draw of the FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers in front of a rain-sodden but vociferous crowd in Dublin. Ireland (WR:8) had the major share of possession and more scoring chances but Canada (WR:15) weathered the attacks and created their own opportunities in the second half. Both team captains, Katie Mullan of Ireland and Kate Wright of Canada have promised their teams have plans to break the deadlock in upcomimg crucial deciding match.  How Olympic qualification works: The winners will be determined as follows: teams will be ranked according to the number of points each has accumulated in both matches (for each match, 3 points are awarded to the winner, 1 point to each team in the event of a draw and 0 point to the loser). If there is equality among the two teams, then the teams will be ranked according to their respective goal difference. If the equality remains, a shoot-out competition will be played to establish the winner.  FIH Hockey Olympic qualifiers Results Saturday 2 November 2019 - Day 5 Results Stratford (NZL) – Men: New Zealand 3, Korea 2 (Match 1 of 2) Bhubaneswar (IND) – Women: India 1, USA 4 (Match 2 of 2) London (ENG) - Women: Great Britain 3, Chile 0 (Match 1 of 2) Bhubaneswar (IND) – Men: India 7, Russia 1 (Match 2 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Women: Germany 2, Italy 0 (Match 1 of 2) London (ENG) - Men: Great Britain 4, Malaysia 1 (Match 1 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Men: Germany 5, Austria 0 (Match 1 of 2) Dublin (IRL) – Women: Ireland v Canada (Match 1 of 2) Upcoming fixtures Sunday 3 November 2019 - Day 6 Stratford (NZL) – Men: New Zealand v Korea (Match 2 of 2) London (ENG) - Women: Great Britain v Chile (Match 2 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Women: Germany v Italy (Match 2 of 2) London (ENG) - Men: Great Britain v Malaysia (Match 2 of 2) Mönchengladbach (GER) – Men: Germany v Austria (Match 2 of 2) Dublin (IRL) – Women: Ireland v Canada (Match 2 of 2)