Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Northern created history here at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Tuesday when they defeated Sindh by an innings and 55 runs to win their maiden Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title inside four days of the five-day final. Northern’s captain Umar Amin bagged the winning trophy and also PKR 10,000,000. Northern have been the finalist twice since the revamp of the domestic system in 2019-20. They were lucky the third time after losing out on the title both in 2019-20 and 2021-22 seasons. Starting their second innings with a deficit of 309 runs, Sindh lost six wickets in the first session and were 105 for six at the lunch interval. That the Sindh managed to score 254 in 56.2 overs was largely due to Fawad Alam’s 43rd first-class century which included a 63-run partnership with first innings top run-getter Asif Mehmood (21 off 33 balls) and a 62-run eighth wicket partnership with Muhammad Umar (36 off 31). Fawad’s 113-run innings came off 130 balls, which included 18 fours. For Northern, Aamir Jamal and Musa Khan bagged three wickets apiece, while Mehran Mumtaz took two wickets. This edition of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy will also be remembered for Northern’s complete dominance in the tournament. Mohammad Huraira topped the batting charts with 1024 runs and was awarded best batter of the tournament. For his match-winning double-century, Huraira was also named player of the final. The 20-year-old Mubasir Khan for his all-round performance (522 runs and 31 wickets) was named player of the tournament. He was also named the player of the tournament in last year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. Another young 21-year-old Rohail Nazir was named best wicket-keeper of the tournament. He completed 43 dismissals behind the stumps and scored 434 runs in the tournament. Sindh’s Abrar Ahmed was named best bowler of the tournament, he took 43 wickets in 12 innings. The mystery spinner couldn’t feature for his side in the final as he, for his outstanding performance, was named in Pakistan Men’s squad for the three-match Test series against England, starting from 1 December at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. Scores in brief: Northern beat Sindh by an innings and 55 runs Sindh 284 all out, 92.5 overs (Asif Mehmood 78, Fawad Alam 61 not out, Omair Bin Yousuf 36, Saad Khan 35, Saim Ayub 29; Musa Khan 3-61, Aamir Jamal 3-76, Mubasir Khan 2-59) and 254 all out, 56.2 overs (Fawad Alam 113, Muhammad Umar 36, Aaliyan Mahmood 33; Musa Khan 3-49, Aamir Jamal 3-63, Mehran Mumtaz 2-75) Northern 593 all out, 141 overs (Mohammad Huraira 221, Umar Amin 114, Umar Waheed 109, Rohail Nazir 94; Aaliyan Mahmood 4-96, Mohammad Umar 4-116) Player of the Tournament –Mubasir Khan (Northern) Best Batter – Mohammad Huraira (Northern) Best Bowler – Abrar Ahmed (Sindh) Best Wicket-keeper –Rohail Nazir (Northern)                 Player of the final –Mohammad Huraira (Northern)

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE (November 27, 2022): Mohammad Huraira’s fourth century of the season and Umar Amin’s unbeaten 79 put Northern in a position of strength on the second day of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final against Sindh at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday. Huraira and Umar’s unbroken 269-run partnership for the third wicket helped Northern post 296 for two in 63 overs at stumps. Northern are leading by 12 runs with eight first-innings wickets in hand. The right-handed batter Huraira, who entered into the final with 803 runs, is now topping the batting charts with 996 runs. The 20-year-old also topped last year’s first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy with 986 runs. In pursuit of Sindh’s first innings score of 284, Northern’s innings started poorly as Hasan Raza (14) and Abdul Faseeh (0) were dismissed by Muhammad Umar with 27 runs on the board in the ninth over. Opening batter Huraira was joined by captain Umar and both batters played shots at will, never allowing Sindh bowlers to settle down. Huraira brought up his fourth century of the tournament off 118 balls. His 150 runs came off 161 and returned unbeaten on 193 off 202 balls, smashing 29 fours and two sixes. Left-handed Umar’s 145-ball innings included 11 boundaries. Earlier, resuming at the overnight score of 230 for seven, Sindh could only add 54 more runs as they were bowled out for 284 in 92.5 overs. Asif Mehmood (78, 111b, 9x4, 2x6), Aaliyan Mehmood (4) and Shahnawaz Dahani (0) were the Sindh batters dismissed today. Fawad Alam returned undefeated on 61 off 148 balls, smashing eight fours. Aamir Jamal and Musa Khan bagged three wickets each, while Mubasir Khan finished with two for 59 runs in 26 overs. Scores in brief (end of day two): Sindh 284 all out, 92.5 overs (Asif Mehmood 78, Fawad Alam 61 not out, Omair Bin Yousuf 36, Saad Khan 35, Saim Ayub 29; Musa Khan 3-61, Aamir Jamal 3-76, Mubasir Khan 2-59) Northern 296-2, 63 overs (Mohammad Huraira 193 not out, Umar Amin 79 not out; Muhammad Umar 2-56).

Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Asif Mehmood’s maiden first-class half-century and Fawad Alam’s unbeaten 38 staged a remarkable comeback for Sindh at the close of day one of the five-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23 first-class final against Northern at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Sindh ended the day on 230 for seven in 81.1 overs with Asif and Fawad knitting an unbroken 79-run partnership for the eighth wicket. Test batter Fawad was joined by right-handed batter Asif with the Sindh scorecard reading 151 for the loss of seven wickets. The pair played throughout the evening session in which 77 runs were added by both batters in 24.1 overs. Asif, coming to bat at number eight, struck six fours and two sixes during his 89-ball 56 not out. Fawad on the other hand smashed five boundaries during his 115-ball innings. Earlier, Northern captain Umar Amin won the toss and decided to field first. Northern’s fast bowler Musa Khan made the first two breakthroughs dismissing Sindh’s captain Khurram Manzoor (16 off 30 balls) and Saim Ayub (29 off 67, four fours) with 62 runs on the board. After the departure of the opening pair, Saad Khan coming to bat at number three was joined by right-handed batter Omair Bin Yousuf and both took the attack to the Northern bowlers. The pair added 50 runs for the third wicket before Saad was dismissed caught behind off the bowling of Aamir Jamal for 35 after lunch. Left-handed Saad struck four fours and one six during his 63-ball stay at the crease. Omair was next to go getting lbw to off-spinner Mubasir Khan for a 75-ball 36, which included five boundaries. The afternoon session belonged to Northern bowlers as five Sindh wickets fell after the lunch interval and only 61 runs were added in 28 overs. For Northern, Mubasir and Test fast bowler Musa bagged two wickets apiece, while Kashif Ali and Aamir scooped a wicket each. Scores in brief: Sindh 230-7, 81.1 overs (Asif Mehmood 56 not out, Fawad Alam 38 not out, Omair Bin Yousuf 36, Saad Khan 35, Saim Ayub 29; Musa Khan 2-53, Mubasir Khan 2-59)

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: Northern suffered their first defeat of the tournament as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ended an otherwise disappointing season on a high on the fourth day of the tenth and final round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23 tournament at the Shoaib Akhtar Stadium, Rawalpindi. Sindh confirmed their spot in the final for the first time under the revamped domestic season (2019-20 onwards) by playing out a dominant draw against Balochistan at the LCCA Ground, Lahore while Central Punjab narrowly missed out on a final’s berth after a stalemate against Southern Punjab at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Northern will take on Sindh in the five-day tournament decider at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore from Saturday, 26 November. Northern finished with 135 points to top the table. Sindh occupied the second spot with 128 while Central Punjab stood third with 124 points. Balochistan accumulated 114 points to finish fourth. Southern Punjab had to contend with a fifth spot with a tally of 89 points and despite their impressive tenth round win, defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ended at the sixth spot with 78 points. On Wednesday, Balochistan resumed their first innings at 240 for two. Imran Butt who had reached his hundred yesterday went onto score 195 off 314 balls (35 fours). Imran added 210 runs for the third-wicket with his captain Asad Shafiq who also crossed the three figures mark. The seasoned Test batter was dismissed for 105 off 144 balls (19 fours). Balochistan however, lost their last eight wickets for 93 runs and were bowled out for 485 in 132.5 overs. Left-arm spinner Danish Aziz who was drafted in the eleven yesterday took five wickets for 75 runs. Off-spinner Aaliyan Mehmood took three wickets. Sindh then asked Balochistan to follow-on, Balochistan were 31 for one when stumps were drawn for the final time in the match. Central Punjab were bowled out for 490 (119.2 overs) in their first innings in the first session today to hand Southern Punjab a 60-run lead. Captain Muhammad Saad was dismissed for 182 off 280 balls (20 fours, one six). All-rounder Aamer Yamin scored 50 off only 43 balls (seven fours, one six). Skipper Hasan Ali and Hassan Khan took three wickets each for Southern Punjab. Southern Punjab had another excellent outing with the bat as Usman Salahuddin finished the first-class season with an unbeaten 100 off 134 balls (10 fours, three sixes). Opener Sharon Siraj contributed 74 runs (121 balls, 12 fours). The match was declared as draw with Southern Punjab at 216 for two in 55 overs. Northern resumed their second innings at 46 for four. The lower-order failed to offer much resistance to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers as Northern were bowled out for 171 in 73.5 overs to hand over their opponents an innings and 50-run victory. Faizan Riaz did not come out to bat due to an injury. Wicketkeeper-batter Rohail Nazir who scored 82 in the first innings, fought hard in the second innings as well with 62 off 158 balls (eight fours). Hasan Raza scored 45 runs. Off-spinner Sajid Khan took five wickets for 50 in 20.5 overs. Mohammad Imran captured three wickets for 47 in 17 overs. Scores in brief: Balochistan vs Sindh - match drawn at the LCCA Ground, Lahore Sindh 644 for 6 (declared) 165.1 overs (Saud Shakeel 181, Khurram Manzoor 174, Saad Khan 87, Omair bin Yousuf 71, Fawad Alam 62 not out; Kashif Bhatti 3-142) Balochistan 485 all out, 132.5 overs (Imran Butt 195, Asad Shafiq 105, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 52; Danish Aziz 5-75, Aaliyan Mehmood 3-136) and 31 for 1, 4 overs Central Punjab vs Southern Punjab – match drawn at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Southern Punjab 550 for 8 (declared) 126 overs (Salman Ali Agha 158 not out, Zeeshan Ashraf 145, Imran Rafiq 117, Hasan Ali 38; Qasim Akram 3-43, Umaid Asif 2-87) and 216 for 2, 55 overs (Usman Salahuddin 100 not out, Sharoon Siraj 74; Umaid Asif 1-16) Central Punjab 490 all out 119.2 overs (Mohammad Saad 182, Qasim Akram 138, Aamer Yamin 50; Hasan Ali 3-108, Hassan Khan 3-120) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Northern by innings and 50 runs at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi Northern 223 all out, 72.2 overs (Rohail Nazir 82, Mubasir Khan 31; Ihsanullah 4-41, Niaz Khan 3-59) and 171, all out 73.5 overs (Rohail Nazir 62, Hasan Raza 45; Sajid Khan 5-50, Mohammad Imran 3-47) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 444 all out, 132.4 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 91, Kamran Ghulam 81, Mohammad Imran 55 not out, Mohammad Haris 52; Kashif Ali 3-90, Mehran Mumtaz 2-86)

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: Day-three of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy tenth round was staged at three venues today (Tuesday). Sindh and Central Punjab are poised for draws against Balochistan and Southern Punjab respectively at the LCCA Ground and Gaddafi Stadium Lahore while Northern are facing a defeat after a poor day against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi. The players selected for the Pakistan-England Test series were withdrawn from Sindh’s side and were replaced by reserves or by players competing in the CA Championship matches in Karachi. The players withdrawn include Saud Shakeel (replaced by Danish Aziz), Sarfaraz Ahmed (replaced by Muhammad Hasan), Zahid Mehmood (replaced by Arish Ali Khan) and Abrar Ahmed (replaced by Aaliyan Mehmood). Sindh declared their first innings at 644 for six after resuming at 607 for four. Saad Khan was dismissed today for 87 0ff 141 balls (nine fours, one six). Fawad Alam returned undefeated on 62 off 168 balls. Kashif Bhatti with three wickets was the most successful bowler for Balochistan. In reply to Sindh’s mammoth score, Balochistan finished the day at 240 for two with Imran Butt scoring an unbeaten 105 off 171 balls (18 fours). Abdul Wahid Bangalzai scored 52 while Imran’s opening partner Haseebullah contributed 44. When stumps were drawn for the day captain Asad Shafiq (35 not out) was at the crease with Imran. Central Punjab resumed their first innings at 75 for no loss. Openers Abid Ali (37) and Imran Dogar (44) perished in the first session. Tayyab Tahir fell for 23. At this stage in form all-rounder Qasim Akram joined captain Mohammad Saad. From 129 for three, the pair took the score to 351 in a super fourth-wicket alliance worth 222 runs. Qasim scored the second century of his short first-class career having also notched a century in the previous round. The former Pakistan U19 captain was dismissed for 138 off 159 balls (24 fours, one six) by Sameen Gul who took two wickets for 83.  Saad provided great support to Qasim and reached his own century, the right-hander was unbeaten on 135 off 213 balls (15 fours, one six) when stumps were drawn for the day. Central Punjab will resume tomorrow at 415 for four, Southern Punjab scored 550 for eight (declared) in their first innings. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resumed their first innings at 241 for five, the lower-order performed superbly to take their side to an imposing 444-run total – 221-run first innings lead. Maaz Sadaqat was dismissed for 91. Mohammad Imran (55 not out), Khalid Usman (38) and Sajid Khan (23) contributed efficiently to deter the Northern bowlers. Northern were then reduced to 46 for four by close of play (175 runs behind Khyber Pakhtunkhwa). Imran followed his batting performance with a three-wicket spell. Scores in brief: Sindh won the toss and opted to bat against Balochistan at the LCCA Ground, Lahore Sindh 644 for 6 (declared) 165.1 overs (Saud Shakeel 181, Khurram Manzoor 174, Saad Khan 87, Omair bin Yousuf 71, Fawad Alam 62 not out; Kashif Bhatti 3-142) Balochistan 240 for 2, 64 overs (Imran Butt 105 not out, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 52; Aaliyan Mehmood 1-47) Toss uncontested – Central Punjab chose to field against Southern Punjab at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Southern Punjab 550 for 8 (declared) 126 overs (Salman Ali Agha 158 not out, Zeeshan Ashraf 145, Imran Rafiq 117, Hasan Ali 38; Qasim Akram 3-43, Umaid Asif 2-87) Central Punjab 415 for 4, 98 overs (Qasim Akram 138, Muhammad Saad 135 not out, Imran Dogar 44; Sameen Gul 2-83) Toss uncontested – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chose to field against Northern at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi Northern 223 all out, 72.2 overs (Rohail Nazir 82, Mubasir Khan 31; Ihsanullah 4-41, Niaz Khan 3-59) and 46 for 4, 25 overs (Hasan Raza 20 not out, Rohail Nazir 18 not out; Mohammad Imran 3-19) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 444 all out, 132.4 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 91, Kamran Ghulam 81, Mohammad Imran 55 not out, Mohammad Haris 52; Kashif Ali 3-90, Mehran Mumtaz 2-86)  

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: Sindh made a formidable start to their bid of reaching the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23 final courtesy centuries by Khurram Manzoor and captain Saud Shakeel on the opening day of their tenth round tie against Balochistan at the LCCA Ground, Lahore on Sunday. Southern Punjab also made an explosive start in search of their first win of the season with Zeeshan Ashraf scoring a blazing century against Central Punjab at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore while table-toppers Northern were sent packing for 223 against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Shoaib Akhtar Stadium, Rawalpindi. Sindh who are currently number two in the points table did their chances of securing a final’s berth no harm by a powerful batting performance on day-one against Balochistan after opting to bat first. Seasoned opener Khurram led the way with an unbeaten 174 off 258 balls (24 fours, one six) – his third century of the season. After a 70-run opening stand with Saim Ayub (41), Khurram was joined by his captain Saud. The two took control of the proceedings and dominated the Balochistan bowlers with an unbroken 279-run alliance for the second-wicket. Saud scored his fourth century of the ongoing season, the stylish left-hander was batting on 124 off 159 balls (13 fours, one six) when stumps were drawn for the day – Sindh ended the day at 349 for one (75 overs). Southern Punjab made Central Punjab pay for their decision to field first at the Gaddafi Stadium. Left-handed opener Zeeshan Ashraf scored a scintillating 145 off 230 balls (22 fours, three sixes) to lead the way. Imran Rafiq was batting on 58 off 131 balls (eight fours, one six) when play was called-off in the 75th over due to bad light. Zeeshan and Imran added 140 runs for the third-wicket. Southern Punjab were 270 for three at close of play. Central Punjab who are searching for a bagful of points in order to reach the final would need to claw back into contention tomorrow by bowling out their opponents for a manageable first innings score before potentially recovering the initiative with the bat. Northern had a poor start to their match against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Shoaib Akhtar Stadium as they were bowled out for 223 after being asked to bat first. Wicketkeeper-batter Rohail Nazir held the innings together with 82 off 158 balls (seven fours, one six). All-rounders Mubasir Khan and Aamir Jamal contributed 31 runs each. Ihsanullah took four while Niaz Khan took three wickets. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were six for one when stumps were drawn for the day. Summarized Scorecards: Sindh won the toss and opted to bat against Balochistan at the LCCA Ground, Lahore Sindh 349 for 1, 75 overs (Khurram Manzoor 174 not out, Saud Shakeel 124 not out; Kashif Bhatti 1-82) Toss uncontested – Central Punjab chose to field against Southern Punjab at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Southern Punjab 270 for 3, 74.3 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 145, Imran Rafiq 58 not out; Mohammad Saad 1-15) Toss uncontested – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chose to field against Northern at the Shoaib Akhtar Stadium, Rawalpindi Northern 223 all out, 72.3 overs (Rohail Nazir 82, Mubasir Khan 31; Ihsanullah 4-41, Niaz Khan 3-59) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6 for 1, tw0 overs

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: Sindh were guided towards potential safety by an undefeated century by promising batter Omair Bin Yousuf on day-three of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy round nine fixture against Northern while the Central Punjab-Northern match was poised for a draw. Third consecutive day of the Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa match in Abbottabad was lost due to rain and a wet outfield. Over at the National Bank Cricket Arena (National Stadium, Karachi), Sindh resumed their first innings from the overnight score of 52 for no loss in reply to Northern’s 605 for eight total. Middle-order batter Omair Bin Yousuf (101 not out 205 balls, 12 fours) was the star of the day for his side as his unbeaten century took Sindh to 345 for five (97.2 overs). Omair held the innings together to ensure his side stay poised towards a valuable draw. Omair found good support from the seasoned wicketkeeper-batter Sarfaraz Ahmed who joined Omair at 216 for five. The two have so far added 129 runs for their unbroken sixth-wicket stand. Sarfaraz was unbeaten on 62 off 76 balls (eight fours) when stumps were drawn for the day. Saim Ayub scored 60 while captain Saud Shakeel contributed 43. Off-spinner Mubasir Khan took two wickets for Northern. Sindh would resume their innings tomorrow, 250 runs behind Northern with five first innings wickets intact. Over at the LCCA Ground, Balochistan finished day-three at 219 for four in their first innings in reply to Central Punjab’s first innings 349-run total. Opener Imran Butt top-scored with 80 off 147 balls (11 fours). The right-hander provided Balochistan a 115-run first-wicket stand with Imam-ul-Haq (43 off 93 balls, seven fours, one six). Abdul Wahid Bangalzai contributed 43 off 91 (five fours, two sixes). Central Punjab bowlers didn’t allow the Balochistan batters to get away as the run rate was kept under three. Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar was the most successful bowler for Central Punjab with three wickets for 64 in 24 overs. Balochistan will resume their innings 130-run behind Central Punjab tomorrow, at stumps on day-three Haris Sohail was unbeaten on 29, Hussain Talat was five not out. Brief Scorecard: Northern elected to bat against Sindh at the National Bank Cricket Arena (National Stadium Karachi) Northern 605 for eight (declared), 154.5 overs (Mohammad Huraira 173, Umar Amin 140, Hasan Raza 135; Zahid Mehmood 4-185, Abrar Ahmed 3-231) Sindh 345 for 5, 97.2 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 101 not out, Sarfaraz Ahmed 62 not out, Saim Ayub 60, Saud Shakeel 43; Mubasir Khan 2-47) Toss uncontested: Balochistan bowling first at the LCCA Ground against Central Punjab Central Punjab 349 all out, 96.5 overs (Qasim Akram 111, Faheem Ashraf 60, Ali Shan 53, Zafar Gohar 41, Bilal Asif 26; Akif Javed 4-97, Kashif Bhatti 2-59, Bilawal Iqbal 2-63, Yasir Shah 2-74) Balochistan 219 for 4, 74 overs (Imran Butt 80, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 43, Imam-ul-Haq 43, Haris Sohail 29 not out; Zafar Gohar 3-64) No play due to rain and wet outfield - Southern Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: The ninth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23 season began in Karachi and Lahore while the opening day was lost due to rain in Abbottabad. Northern who opted to bat in their game against Sindh at the National Bank Cricket Arena (National Stadium, Karachi) made great use of a batting friendly pitch as openers Mohammad Huraira and Hasan Raza combined for a 266-run stand. Both Huraira and Hasan dominated the proceedings from the start as Sindh bowlers failed to make inroads. Hasan was the first to reach three figures, the left-hander hit 19 fours in his 135 off 203 balls. He was eventually dismissed by Abrar Ahmed in the final session of play. By stumps, Huraira was still at the crease as Northern reached 350 for one in 90 overs. The right-handed Huraira has so far hit 22 fours and one six in his 170 (279 balls). Umar Amin was unbeaten on 32, the two have so far added 84 runs for the second-wicket. Balochistan made most of their bowling first decision against Central Punjab at the LCCA Ground after rain and a wet outfield reduced the day’s play to a single session. Left-arm pacer Akif Javed did the damage by taking three wickets for 31 runs by close of play on the first day. Qasim Akram was unbeaten on 24 when stumps were drawn after 23.3 overs due to bad light. The Central Punjab top-order consisting Abid Ali (2), Abdullah Shafique (15), Mohammad Saad (1) and Tayyab Tahir (14) fell cheaply. Scores in brief: Northern elected to bat against Sindh at the National Bank Cricket Arena (National Stadium Karachi) Northern 350 for one, 90 overs (Mohammad Huraira 170 not out; Hasan Raza 135; Abrar Ahmed 1-134) Toss uncontested – Balochistan bowling first at the LCCA Ground against Central Punjab Central Punjab 67 for 4, 23.3 overs (Qasim Akram 24 not out; Akif Javed 3-31) No play due to rain between Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Abbottabad Stadium

 Sports Bulletin Report LAHORE: Central Punjab’s Abdullah Shafique is in prime form in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy season. He entered the eighth round as the leading run scorer and on Tuesday, the 23-year-old right-handed opener stroked his third century of the tournament against Northern on what was the first day of the first-class four-day affair at the LCCA Ground. Central Punjab were 302 for five in 82 overs at the close of play with Abdullah’s 155, scored at an impressive strike rate of 70.45, standing out. He punched 20 balls for fours and deposited three over the boundary rope for maximums in his 220-ball innings. Musa Khan got the better of opener Abid Ali and one-drop Mohammad Saad that reduced Central Punjab to 34 for two. Soon, Tayyab Tahir, who has been in good touch this season, was undone by Nauman Ali as problems compounded for Central Punjab with the scorecard now reading 50 for three. Abdullah then took control of the day’s proceedings. He added important 92 runs with Qasim Akram, who made 38 off 97 before getting trapped LBW by Mubasir Khan, for the fourth wicket. The most crucial phase of the Central Punjab’s innings, however, was the rearguard partnership between Abdullah and Faheem Ashraf of 145 that shifted the momentum in their favour. The partnership ended when Abdullah was caught behind off Aamir Jamal. Abdullah now has 791 runs in 11 innings at a handsome average of 79.10. That he is in good form in the longer format augurs well for Pakistan who will host England and New Zealand for three and two Tests respectively over this winter. Abdullah has already made a name for himself in a brief seven-Test career by amassing 736 runs – which include two centuries and five half-centuries – at a brilliant average of 67. On Wednesday, Faheem, who was not out on 68 off 108 (13 fours), will resume the proceedings in the company of Aamer Yamin, who was unbeaten on seven. Due to heavy overnight rain and wet outfield, only two balls were bowled at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium during the match between Southern Punjab and Balochistan, who decided to bowl without contesting the toss. Southern Punjab’s opener Umar Siddiq was dismissed on what was the second and last ball of the day by Khurram Shahzad as the scorecard stood at none for one. The third match of the round between Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will commence tomorrow at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. Scores in brief:  Central Punjab elects to bat against Northern at the LCCA Ground  Central Punjab 302-5, 82 overs (Abdullah Shafique 155, Faheem Ashraf 68 not out, Qasim Akram 38; Musa Khan 2-62) Toss uncontested – Balochistan opt to bowl against Southern Punjab at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium Southern Punjab 0-1, 0.2 overs (Khurram Shahzad 1-0)

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI: Abrar Ahmed produced his best performance of the season on Thursday, taking six wickets for 61 runs, to put Sindh eight runs ahead of Southern Punjab before they finished with the second innings lead of 80 with eight wickets in hand at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. The second day of the seventh round belonged to the 24-year-old mystery spinner as Abrar recorded his fifth five-wicket haul in as many matches of the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. He further consolidated his position as the leading wicket-taker and now has 38 scalps at 17.66. The next best, Central Punjab’s Mohammad Ali, has 24. Southern Punjab, replying to Sindh’s 210, were bowled out for 202 in 59.5 overs as Abrar, once again, proved too hot to handle. Mohammad Umar and Ghulam Mudassar equally shared the remaining four wickets. The best score in Southern Punjab’s innings came from Sharoon Siraj who made 35 off 76. Sindh were 72 for two in 28 overs when stumps were drawn with Khurram Manzoor batting at 26 and nightwatchman Mohammad Umar on 0. Omair Bin Yousuf (18) and Saud Shakeel (21) were dismissed by Mohammad Ilyas and Salman Ali Agha. At Abbottabad, Balochistan’s Bilawal Iqbal took three more wickets against Northern to record first-class career’s 11th five-wicket haul. The 33-year-old right-arm medium fast took five wickets for 49 as Northern could manage 259 in 85.2 overs. Balochistan’s batters put up solid performances that took their side to 218 for three in 52 overs by the end of the day’s play. Haris Sohail stroked a half-century, making 66 not out off 101, and had the company of his captain, Asad Shafiq, who batted at 47 not out off 103, at the other end. Imran Butt made 44 off 53 and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai scored 38-ball 41. Northern all-rounder Aamir Jamal, who announced himself at the world stage by defending 15 in the final over of the sixth T20I against England on his international debut, took two wickets for 67. Brilliant half-centuries by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Khalid Usman and Niaz Khan in the lower-order lifted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 436 after they resumed the day on 267 for five. Khalid made 53 off 148 (five fours and a six) and Niaz scored 65 off 80 (11 fours). Mohammad Imran, with his 40 off 60 (three fours and four sixes) contributed crucial runs at number 11. Central Punjab’s opener had accumulated 99 runs in 30 overs with Abdullah Shafique scoring 54 not out off 82 (eight fours and a six). He was joined by Abid Ali, the only batter in men’s cricket to score a century on Test and ODI debuts, on 38 off 98. Toss uncontested – Southern Punjab opt to bowl against Sindh at Pindi Cricket Stadium Sindh 210 all out, 69.1 overs (Sarfaraz Ahmed 56, Muhammad Umar 39, Fawad Alam 27, Abrar Ahmed 26, Saud Shakeel 23; Mohammad Abbas 5-50) and 72-2, 28 overs (Khurram Manzoor 26 not out, Saud Shakeel 21) Southern Punjab 202 all out, 59.5 overs (Sharoon Siraj 35, Salman Ali Agha 231, Mohammad Ilyas 25, Azam Khan 24, Hasan Ali 21; Abrar Ahmed 6-61. Muhammad Umar 2-40, Ghulam Mudassar 2-52) Northern elect to bat against Balochistan at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium Northern 259 all out, 85.2 overs (Umar Amin 130, Faizan Riaz 31; Bilawal Iqbal 5-49, Akif Javed 2-59) Balochistan 218-3, 52 overs (Haris Soahil 66 not out, Asad Shafiq 47 not out, Imran Butt 44, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 41; Aamir Jamal 2-67) Toss uncontested – Central Punjab opt to bowl against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the LCCA Ground Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 436 all out, 126.3 overs (Israrullah 124, Naiz Khan 65, Khalid Usman 53, Waqar Ahmed 47, Kamran Ghulam 45, Mohammad Imran 40, Sahibzada Farhan 25; Usama Mir 3-98, Ahmed Danuyal 3-115, Mohammad Ali 2-66) Central Punjab 99-0, 30 overs (Abdullah Shafique 54 not out, Abid Ali 38 not out)