Sports Bulletin

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi:-Pindi Cricket Stadium will always be dear to Abdullah Shafique as it is where he scored his maiden first-class double-century today. The 22-year-old smashed 232, a knock embellished with 28 fours and four sixes, at a remarkable strike rate of 89. His innings played a crucial role in Central Punjab pocketing maximum batting points (five) for being at 411 for eight at 100-over-mark before they were bowled out for 428 by Sindh on the second day of what is the opening round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23. Abdullah began the day at 189 and had the company of all-rounder Aamer Yamin, who scored a 77-ball 70. The pair added 135 for the seventh wicket. The fact that Aamer’s 70 was the second best score in the innings underscores the magnitude of Abdullah’s knock and sheds light on how he anchored Central Punjab’s innings. Sindh, in reply, had managed 270 for five by the close of play - after being reduced to 94 for three – thanks to an unbeaten 86-run stand between Fawad Alam (75 not out) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (42 not out). Twenty-year-old Saim Ayub – whose extraordinary batting at the top of the order helped Sindh to maiden National T20 title this month – showed his class on first-class debut with a solid 71 off 96 (nine fours and a six). At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Kashif Bhatti’s lower-order blitz helped Balochistan finish at 473 all out after they began the day on 324 for five. Kashif smashed 11 fours and two sixes in his 84-ball 71 and was duly supported by number 10 batter Khurram Shahzad who made 47 in 69 balls (eight fours). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had lost five batters for 151 before stumps. Kamran Ghulam, with his unbeaten 64 off 105 (nine fours and a six) held Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s innings together after they were three down for 34 and added 67 runs with Adil Amin (39 off 60). Kamran will begin the proceedings on Thursday with Rehan Afridi, who is not out on 20. Northern posted a mammoth 529 for five against Southern Punjab at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, courtesy an extraordinary 170 not out off 236 balls from Mubasir Khan, the last season’s player of the tournament. Mubasir smashed 22 fours and a six after starting the day on 74. Southern Punjab were two wickets down for 128. Opener Zain Abbas made a half-century and was batting at 69. Salman Ali Agha (35 not out) joined him at the other end. Scores in brief: Toss uncontested – Sindh opt to bowl against Central Punjab at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi Central Punjab 428 all out, 102.2 overs (Abdullah Shafique 232, Aamer Yamin 70; Mir Hamza 3-72, Asif Mehmood 3-128) Sindh 270-5, 66 overs (Fawad Alam 75 not out, Saim Ayub 71, Sarfaraz Ahmed 42 not out; Aamer Yamin 2-50) Innings points – Central Punjab (six), Sindh (five) Northern choose to bat against Southern Punjab at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Northern 529-5d, 133 overs (Mubasir Khan 170 not out, Abdul Faseeh 151, Umar Amin 89, Sarmad Bhatti 81; Hassan Khan 3-94, Ali Usman 2-143) Southern Punjab 128-2, 47 overs (Zain Abbas 69 not out, Salman Ali Agha 35 not out) Innings points – Northern (five), Southern Punjab (one) Toss uncontested - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opt to bowl against Balochistan at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium Balochistan 473 all out, 123 overs (Azeem Ghumman 78, Kashif Bhatti 71, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 69, Ali Waqas 59, Haseebullah 53, Khurram Shahzad 47; Arshad Iqbal 4-114, Mohammad Sarwar Afrid 2-55, Ihsanullah 2-104) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 151-5, 45 overs (Kamran Ghulam 64 not out, Adil Amin 39, Rehan Afridi 20 not out; Khurram Shahzad 2-37) Innings points – Balochistan (five), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (two)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Rawalpindi:-Teenager Abdul Faseeh’s first-class season was off to a dream start as the Northern opener scored his maiden century on the first day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2022-23. The 19-year-old left-hander made a sparkling 151 at almost run-a-ball, smashing 24 boundaries (20 fours and four sixes) in 158 balls against Southern Punjab in what is his only second match. Faseeh added 188 runs for the second wicket with his captain Umar Amin, who missed a century by 11 runs, scoring 89 in 151 balls (11 fours and a six). Northern finished the day at 379 for four – having already secured four batting points.Adding 21 more to the total in the next eight overs will get them maximum batting points. All-rounder Mubasir Khan, player of the tournament of the last season, was unbeaten on 74 off 98 (10 fours) and had the company of Sarmad Bhatti (35 not out) when stumps were drawn at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. Southern Punjab all-rounder Hassan Khan took three wickets for 68. He bowled Faseeh, Umar and Faizan Riaz. Abdullah Shafique was nearing his maiden double-century in Central Punjab’s fixture against Sindh at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. The star of Pakistan’s famous Test win at Galle in which they recorded the highest run chase at the venue this summer was not out on 189 (23 fours and three sixes), scored at a strike rate of 82. This is his highest first-class score. All-rounder Aamer Yamin unbeaten on 61, struck off just 66 balls (six fours and two sixes) was his partner in the undefeated stand of 120. Sindh’s right-arm medium fast Asif Mehmood, who was a touch expensive, leaking 109 in 18 overs, took three wickets on his debut as Central Punjab were 358 for six at the close of play. Balochistan were 324 for five in 89 overs against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium as Azeem Ghumman top-scored with 78 off 144. Abdul Wahid Bangalzai continued to impress as he made 69 in 83 and Ali Waqas was not out on 55 off 117. After the fall of Imran Butt, Azeem and Bangalzai added 133 runs for the second wicket. Scores in brief: Northern choose to bat against Southern Punjab at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Northern 379-4, 92 overs (Abdul Faseeh 151, Umar Amin 89, Mubasir Khan 74 not out, Sarmad Bhatti 35 not out; Hassan Khan 3-68) Innings points – Northern (four), Southern Punjab (one) Toss uncontested – Sindh opt to bowl against Central Punjab at Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi Central Punjab 358-6, 90 overs (Abdullah Shafique 189 not out, Aamer Yamin 61 not out, Qasim Akram 31; Asif Mehmood 3-109) Innings points – Central Punjab (four), Sindh (two) Toss uncontested - Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opt to bowl against Balochistan at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium Balochistan 324-5, 89 overs (Azeem Ghumman 78, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 69, Ali Waqas 55 not out, Asad Shafiq 34, Haseebullah 32 not out) Innings points – Balochistan (three), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (one)

Karachi (Sports Report):-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have one hand on the prestigious Quaid-e-Azam Trophy after a commanding performance on day-four of the five-day, day-night final of the 2021-22 edition at the National Stadium, Karachi on Tuesday. After winning the first innings points race besides a 118-run lead, the Iftikhar Ahmed-led Khyber Pakhtunkhwa reached 152 for five at close of play in their second innings, an overall advantage of 270 runs with five second wickets in hand. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were in a spot of bother at dinner at 69 for four. In the final session of play, they lost the wicket of Asif Afridi after a dogged 60-ball 15. But an unbroken 49-run sixth-wicket stand between captain Iftikhar Ahmed (20 not out) and wicketkeeper Rehan Afridi (42 not out, 61 balls, five fours, one six) took Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to a formidable position by close of play. Earlier, eleven wickets fell in the first two sessions on Tuesday. After losing four wickets in relatively quick succession before the tea break, Northern lost three more in a jiffy after the break, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost their first four till the dinner break with Fakhar Zaman blazing away with 50 off 53 balls (nine fours, one six) before falling to pacer Musa Khan minutes before the end of the session. Northern took tea at 255 for seven after resuming their first innings at 184 for three. Despite losing Sarmad Bhatti for 57 (157 balls, three fours) Northern were well placed at 220 for three before a sensational spell on the eve of the tea break by Mohammad Wasim Jnr turned the match on its head. The Waziristan-born pacer took three wickets in the space of 10 balls to leave Northern reeling, Wasim dismissed Faizan Riaz (30) and Mubasir Khan (0) in the same over before getting rid of Rohail Nazir courtesy an outstanding catch in the slips by Kamran Ghulam. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s stunning afternoon continued post tea-break as Northern folded for an addition of a mere one-run. They were bowled out for 256 in 83.2 overs handing Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a 118-run first innings lead and more importantly four bowling points. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected a total of seven first innings points while Northern had to settle for four, if the match ends in a draw on day-five (tomorrow), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be declared winners due to their higher first innings points tally. Northern need an outright win to secure the trophy. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 374 all out, 118.2 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 102, Kamran Ghulam 72, Asif Afridi 68; Mubasir Khan 4-52, Waqas Ahmed 3-94) and 152 for 5, 54 overs (Fakhar Zaman 50, Rehan Afridi 42 not out; Musa Khan 2-37) Northern 256 all out, 83.2 overs (Haider Ali 81, Sarmad Bhatti 57, Mohammad Huraira 51; Sajid Khan 4-54, Mohammad Wasim Jnr 4-65) First innings points: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – Seven. Northern – Four.

Karachi (Sports Report):-The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 day-night final between Northern and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is on course for an exciting finish as Northern finished day-two at 184 for three in their first innings in reply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 374-run first innings effort on Sunday at the National Stadium, Karachi. Shortly before close of play Northern captain Umar Amin (4) was dismissed by Sameen Gul which left the match evenly poised. Northern will start day-three 190 runs behind Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with seven first innings wickets standing. Northern’s in-form young opening pair of Haider Ali and Mohammad Huraira got their side off to a flying start. The two right-handers played a series of stunning drives as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers struggled to find movement off the pitch under lights. The duo took Northern to 96 for no loss at dinner, shortly after the resumption of play, Huraira was dismissed for 51 off 65 balls (seven fours, one six), the fourth fifty of his maiden first-class season. Off-spinner Sajid Khan dismissed him lbw. Haider looked poised for his fourth first-class century before falling to Sajid in an attempt to clear the long-on boundary. His 81 came off 131 balls and included 14 fours. Earlier, resuming at the overnight first innings score of 252 for five, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were helped beyond the 350-run mark by all-rounder Asif Afridi who scored 68. Asif was involved in useful 39 and 63 run partnerships with Sajid Khan (22) and Mohammad Wasim Jnr (21). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were bowled out for 374 shortly after the tea break. For Northern off-spinner Mubasir Khan took four while pacer Waqas Ahmed took three wickets. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected three batting points in the first innings while Northern had to settle for two. After the first 100 overs, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 308 for seven. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 374 all out, 118.2 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 102, Kamran Ghulam 72, Asif Afridi 68; Mubasir Khan 4-52, Waqas Ahmed 3-94) Northern 184 for 3, 56 overs (Haider Ali 81, Mohammad Huraira 51; Sajid Khan 2-30) Match points so far: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa –three. Northern – two.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Captain’s innings from Iftikhar Ahmed helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa post 252 for five on the opening day of the five-day pink-ball final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday. The right-handed batter Iftikhar brought up his first century of the tournament facing 168 balls. He stitched a 104-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Kamran Ghulam who scored 72 off 196 balls, hitting 11 fours. The right-handed Kamran fell to Mohammad Nawaz in the final session of the day. Iftikhar was the last wicket to fall on the first day, when he was bowled by Waqas Ahmed for 102 facing 170 balls, which included 13 fours. Wicketkeeper-batter Rehan Afridi (23, one four, 53b) and Asif Afridi (three off seven) were not out. For Northern, Waqas picked three wickets for 52. Earlier Northern won the toss and opted to bowl first. Regular captain Nauman Ali was side lined due to a foot injury, Umar Amin was named the side’s captain for the final. Seasoned pacer Waqas provided Northern the perfect start by sending back Fakhar Zaman and this season’s leading run-getter Sahibzada Farhan on consecutive balls of the second over the match. The experienced pair of Ashfaq Ahmed and Kamran took Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 77 for two at tea, adding 71 runs in the first session for their third wicket alliance. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost Ashfaq’s wicket soon after the break, the right-hander fell for 45 off 92 balls (five fours) with off-spinner Mubasir Khan taking his wicket – the 26th of the season for the youngster. Captain Iftikhar joined Kamran at the crease after Ashfaq’s departure, Kamran reached the 13th half-century of his first-class career off 131 balls (nine fours). Kamran and Iftikhar added 73 runs till the break, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 158 for three at dinner after 55 overs. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 252-5, 87 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 102, Kamran Ghulam 72, Ashfaq Ahmed 45; Waqas Ahmed 3-52) Match points so far: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2; Northern 1

Karachi (Sports Report):-The five-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 pink-ball, day-night final has started between Northern and the joint-defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the National Stadium, Karachi from Saturday. The National Stadium staged the dramatic finale of the previous season between Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which ended in a tie. Another absorbing final between two balanced and well matched sides is expected from Saturday. Northern topped the table with 152 points from 10 matches (four wins, four draws, two defeats). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa sealed the second spot with a tally of 150 points from their 10 games (four wins, five draws, one defeat). Sindh who were on top of the points table leading into the last two rounds, lost their way at the end and despite winning their 10th and final fixture against Southern Punjab finished with 143 points (four wins, five draws, one defeat). Northern captain Nauman Ali: “We have peaked at the right time and due to an all-round effort secured a spot in the final. I have been hugely impressed by the fight shown by our young players in the final few rounds which resulted in us topping the table. The pink-ball final though will be a different challenge for players from both sides with conditions expected to change especially under the lights. “However, I am confident that we possess the skills and the depth in our squad to compete at our best against a formidable side like Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.” Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Iftikhar Ahmed: “This year’s tournament has proven to be as competitive as the previous two editions in the revamped domestic system. I am really pleased about our performances and how we have managed to secure a place in the final despite stiff competition. Our batters and bowlers have done admirably and raised the level of their game especially in the Karachi-leg which has produced results in almost every game. “The pink-ball under the lights will be a big challenge for both sides and it in a way even things out. It is a bit of an unknown for both set of players so I feel the first two days will be crucial for both teams as they will seek to gain early advantage. I have full confidence in my players and I think they will rise up to the challenge as we seek our fifth consecutive domestic title across the three formats.” Prize money: Winner - PKR 10,000,000 Runner Up - PKR 5,000,000 Best Batter - PKR 500,000 Best Bowler - PKR 500,000 Best Wicketkeeper - PKR 500,000 Player of the Tournament - PKR 500,000 Player of the final - PKR 50,000 Match officials: On-field umpires: Asif Yaqoob and Faisal Afridi TV umpire: Rashid Riaz Reserve umpire: Imtiaz Iqbal Match Referee: Nadeem Arshad

Karachi (Sports Report):-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Central Punjab by 244 runs at the UBL Sports Complex Karachi in the final round match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on Tuesday to set-up pink-ball five-day final against Northern at the National Stadium from 25 December. Right-arm fast Sameen Gul took three for 42 while Imran Khan Snr, Sajid Khan and Iftikhar Ahmed picked two wickets each as Central Punjab were dismissed for 250 after resuming this morning at 123 for no loss and chasing 495 for victory. The openers Abid Ali and Rizwan Hussain fought hard for Central Punjab. Abid scored 61 off 148 balls before retiring out. His partner Rizwan top-scored with 67 off 145, hitting 12 fours and one six. Hussain Talat coming to bat at number-five contributed a 132-ball 46, which included seven fours. At NBP Sports Complex, six wickets from leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood led Sindh to a 48-run win over Southern Punjab. The win didn’t help Sindh to qualify for the final as they finished on the third spot with 143 points. Chasing 232 to win, Southern Punjab were bowled out for 183 in the 55th over. Yousuf Babar, batting at number-five top-scored with a 124-ball 57, smashing six fours. Wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan contributed 25 off 37 balls, which included three fours. Sindh’s Zahid picked six wickets f0r 101 and ended-up taking eight wickets in the match. Mohammad Asghar with his left-arm spin bagged three for 35. Earlier, resuming their second innings on 294 for seven, Sindh were bowled out for 306 in the 77th over. Ali Usman picked four wickets for 102. At the conclusion of tenth and final round matches of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Northern topped the table with 152 points and will face Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the final who finished on second spot with 150 points. Scores in brief: Sindh beat Southern Punjab by 48 runs at NBP Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 310 all out, 96.5 overs (Saad Khan 88, Fawad Alam 85, Sarfaraz Ahmed 34 not out; Naseem Shah 4-46, Ali Usman 4-113) and 306 all out, 76.2 overs (Saad Khan 63, Saud Shakil 63, Khurram Manzoor 59; Ali Usman 4-102) Southern Punjab 385 all out, 94 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 108, Tayyab Tahir 69, Yousuf Babar 64, Azam Khan 48, Ali Usman 38 not out; Shahnawaz Dahani 3-61, Mohammad Asghar 2-72, Zahid Mehmood 2-153) and 183 all out, 55 overs (Yousuf Babar 57; Zahid Mahmood 6-101, Mohammad Asghar 3-35) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Central Punjab by 244 runs at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 355 all out, 95.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 76, Ashfaq Ahmed 71, Rehan Afridi 63 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 53, Sajid Khan 51; Mohammad Ali 3-65, Faheem Ashraf 3-66) and 249-4 (decl), 67 overs (Fakhar Zaman 62, Iftikhar Ahmed 61 not out, Adil Amin 54 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 45; Bilawal Iqbal 3-45) Central Punjab 110 all out, 31.5 overs (Azhar Ali 43, Zafar Gohar 22 not out; Sameen Gul 3-30, Imran Khan Snr 3-42) and 250 all out, 101.5 overs (Rizwan Hussain 67, Abid Ali 61 retired out, Hussain Talat 46; Sameen Gul 3-42, Iftikhar Ahmed 2-18, Imran Khan Snr 2-31, Sajid Khan 2-63)

Karachi (Sports Report):-A maiden first-class triple-century by Mohammad Huraira and six wickets from Mubasir Khan lead Northern to an innings and 170 runs win over Balochistan on day three of the final round match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium on Monday. The match was being live-streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel. Resuming their innings at the overnight score 0f 449 for two, Northern declared their innings on 631 for four in 124 overs. Huraira who resumed his batting on 243 continued to play shots all across the ground and brought up his first triple-century in the 113th over of the innings. The 19-year old right-handed batter struck 40 fours and four sixes during his innings of 311 off 343 balls faced and also became the second youngest Pakistan batter to score a first-class triple century. In reply, Balochistan trailing by 316 runs were bowled out for 146 in the 35th over handing Northern a comprehensive an innings and 170-run win over the former. For Balochistan only three players managed to enter into double figures with opening batter Imran Butt top-scoring with a 101-ball 81, hitting 13 fours. Northern’s off-spinner Mubasir grabbed six wickets for 49 in 10.4 overs, while right-arm fast Musa picked two wickets for 60. The win over Balochistan confirms Northern place in the pink-ball final scheduled to take place at National Stadium Karachi from 25-29 December. At UBL Sports Complex, chasing 495 to win, Central Punjab were 123 for no loss in 43 overs against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when stumps were drawn. Abid Ali (49, eight fours, 121b) and Rizwan Hussain (66, 12 fours, one six, 141b) will resume their batting tomorrow. Earlier, resuming their second innings on 89 for no loss, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa declared their innings on 249 for four in 67 overs. Left-handed opening batter Fakhar Zaman top-scored with a 102-ball 62, which included 12 fours and one six. Captain Iftikhar Ahmed scored an unbeaten 61 off 82 balls, hitting seven fours. Adil Amin coming to bat at number-six returned undefeated on a 78-ball 54, which included three fours. The pair stitched a 114-run unbroken partnership for the fifth wicket. For Central Punjab, Bilawal Iqbal picked three wickets for 45. At NBP Sports Complex, Sindh were leading by 219 with three second innings wickets in hand against Southern Punjab at the close of play. Left-handed batter Saad Khan returned undefeated on 63, while Saud Shakeel (63, seven fours, 113b) and Khurram Manzoor (59, 10 fours, 73b) were other significant contributors with the bat. For Southern Punjab, Ali Usman grabbed three wickets for 92. Earlier, resuming their first innings at the overnight score of 333 for six, Southern Punjab were dismissed for 385 in the 94th over with a 75-run first innings lead. The right-handed Ali scored an unbeaten 38 off 83 balls. For Sindh, right-arm fast Shahnawaz Dahani picked three wickets for 61 in 17 overs, while spinners Mohammad Asghar and Zahid Mahmood bagged two wickets apiece. Scores in brief: Northern beat Balochistan by an innings and 170 runs at State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 305 all out, 59.1 overs (Shan Masood 190, Kashif Bhatti 68; Kashif Ali 4-49, Athar Mehmood 4-100) and 146-9, 34.4 overs (Imran Butt 81, Imam-ul-Haq 31; Mubasir Khan 6-43) Northern 631-4 (decl), 124 overs (Mohammad Huraira 311, Sarmad Bhatti 135, Umer Amin 51; Akif Javed 2-105) Points so far: Balochistan 3; Northern 25 Sindh vs Southern Punjab - NBP Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 310 all out, 96.5 overs (Saad Khan 88, Fawad Alam 85, Sarfaraz Ahmed 34 not out; Naseem Shah 4-46, Ali Usman 4-113) and 294-7, 70 overs (Saad Khan 63 not out, Saud Shakil 63, Khurram Manzoor 59; Ali Usman 3-92) Southern Punjab 385 all out, 94 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 108, Tayyab Tahir 69, Yousuf Babar 64, Azam Khan 48, Ali Usman 38 not out; Shahnawaz Dahani 3-61, Mohammad Asghar 2-72, Zahid Mehmood 2-153) Points so far: Sindh 6; Southern Punjab 7 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vs Central Punjab – UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 355 all out, 95.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 76, Ashfaq Ahmed 71, Rehan Afridi 63 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 53, Sajid Khan 51; Mohammad Ali 3-65, Faheem Ashraf 3-66) and 249-4 (decl), 67 overs (Fakhar Zaman 62, Iftikhar Ahmed 61 not out, Adil Amin 54 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 45; Bilawal Iqbal 3-45) Central Punjab 110 all out, 31.5 overs (Azhar Ali 43, Zafar Gohar 22 not out; Sameen Gul 3-30, Imran Khan Snr 3-42) and 123-0, 43 overs (Rizwan Hussain 66 not out, Abid Ali 49 not out) Points so far: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Karachi (Sports Report):-A maiden first-class century by Mohammad Huraira put table-toppers Northern in a commanding position against bottom placed Balochistan on day two of the final round match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium on Sunday. The match is being live-streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel. Resuming their innings at the overnight score of 28 for no loss, in reply to Balochistan first innings score of 305, Northern’s opening pair of Huraira and Sarmad Bhatti put up a 365-run partnership for the first wicket. The left-handed Sarmad struck his second century of the tournament while scoring 135 off 243 with 16 fours and eight sixes. His partner, right-handed Huraira, returned undefeated on 243 off 265 balls faced. The 20-year old Huraira innings included 30 fours and four sixes during 437-minute stay at the crease. Northern were 449 for two in 91.4 overs and lead by 144 runs when stumps were drawn. At the UBL Sports Complex, Central Punjab were bowled out for 110 in the 32nd over against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s first innings score of 355 and were unlikely to qualify for the pink-ball final from 25-29 December at National Stadium Karachi. Resuming their first innings at the overnight score of 305 for seven, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were bowled out for 355 in the 96th over. Rehan Afridi scored an unbeaten 84-ball 63 which included nine fours, while Test off-spinner Sajid Khan scored 51 off 53, hitting five fours and three sixes. For Central Punjab, Faheem Ashraf and Muhammad Ali picked three wickets apiece. In return, Central Punjab batters failed to display their skills and only three batters managed to get into the double figures. Azhar Ali top-scored with a 77-ball 43, which included seven fours. Zafar Gohar returned undefeated on 22. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s right-arm pacers Imran Khan Snr and Sameen Gul picked three wickets apiece. At stumps, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in their second innings were 89 for no loss, leading by 334 runs. Fakhar Zaman (48, four fours, one six, 78b) and Sahibzada Farhan (40, seven fours, 73b) will resume their batting tomorrow. At NBP Sports Complex, Southern Punjab’s Zeeshan Ashraf century took his side to a 23-run lead over Sindh when stumps were drawn for the day. Resuming their innings on the overnight score of 275 for five, Sindh were dismissed for 310 in the 97th over. Test player Fawad Alam could add only 10 runs to his overnight score and fell to Ali Usman for 85. Sarfaraz Ahmed scored an unbeaten 34 off 44, hitting five fours. For Southern Punjab, Naseem Shah and Ali bagged four wickets apiece. In return, left-handed Zeeshan’s 108 off 110 helped Southern Punjab post 333 for six in 76 overs at the close of play. Zeeshan’s innings included 11 fours and six sixes. Earlier, opening pair of Tayyab Tahir (69, 11 fours, two sixes, 112) and Umar Siddiq (30, five fours, 53b) added 81 for the first wicket. The left-handed Yousuf Babar coming to bat at number-five scored a 117-ball 64, which included 10 fours. Azam Khan batting at number six added a quick-fire 32-ball 48, smashing nine fours and one six. For Sindh, spinners Mohammad Asghar and Zahid Mahmood picked two wickets each. Scores in brief: Sindh vs Southern Punjab - NBP Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 310 all out, 96.5 overs (Saad Khan 88, Fawad Alam 85, Sarfaraz Ahmed 34 not out; Naseem Shah 4-46, Ali Usman 4-113) Southern Punjab 333-6, 76 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 108, Tayyab Tahir 69, Yousuf Babar 64, Azam Khan 48; Mohammad Asghar 2-64, Zahid Mehmood 2-140) Points so far: Sindh 5; Southern Punjab 6 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vs Central Punjab – UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 355 all out, 95.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 76, Ashfaq Ahmed 71, Rehan Afridi 63 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 53, Sajid Khan 51; Mohammad Ali 3-65, Faheem Ashraf 3-66) and 89-0, 25.1 overs (Fakhar Zaman 48 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 40 not out) Central Punjab 110 all out, 31.5 overs (Azhar Ali 43, Zafar Gohar 22 not out; Sameen Gul 3-30, Imran Khan Snr 3-42) Points so far: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 9; Central Punjab 3 Balochistan vs Northern - State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 305 all out, 59.1 overs (Shan Masood 190, Kashif Bhatti 68; Kashif Ali 4-49, Athar Mehmood 4-100) Northern 449-2, 91.4 overs (Mohammad Huraira 243 not out, Sarmad Bhatti 135) Points so far: Balochistan 3; Northern 8.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Balochistan’s Shan Masood third century of the season helped his side to recover from 49 for five to 305 all-out on day one of the final round match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy against table-toppers Northern at State Bank of Pakistan Stadium on Saturday. After Northern opted to bowl first in an uncontested toss – the match which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, Balochistan continued to lose wickets at regular intervals with half of their side went back to the pavilion with 49 runs on the board. The left-handed opening batter Shan was joined by Kashif Bhatti, and the pair went on to add 140 runs for the sixth wicket. Kashif scored 68 off 78, which included 10 fours and one six. Shan hit 22 fours and five sixes in his sterling 172-ball 190 innings. For Northern, right-arm pacers Athar Mehmood and Kashif Ali picked four wickets apiece. At stumps, Northern were 28 for no loss after 11 overs. At UBL Sports Complex, four placed Central Punjab kept second placed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in check after opting to bowl first in an uncontested toss. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa openers Ashfaq Ahmed and Fakhar Zaman provided a solid 135-run partnership for the first wicket. Left-handed Fakhar who makes a comeback in the side after performing in the international cricket transferred his form into the domestic game with a 128-ball 76. His innings included 13 fours. His partner Ashfaq scored 71 off 120 balls, which included 13 fours. Captain Iftikhar Ahmed who recently featured in the T20I series against West Indies scored 53 off 77, smashing six fours and two sixes. At stumps, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 305 for seven in 80.3 overs. Sajid Khan (48, five fours, three sixes, 50b) and Rehan Afridi (24, three fours, 31b) will resume their batting tomorrow. For Central Punjab, right-arm fast Mohammad Ali picked three wickets for 57, while Faheem Ashraf returned with two for 55 in 13 overs. At NBP Sports Complex, third-placed Sindh managed to score 275 for five in 88.2 overs against Southern Punjab at the close of play. After opting to bowl first in an uncontested toss, Southern Punjab bowlers put Sindh in a spot of bother with four wickets down at the score of 94 which included captain Asad Shafiq wicket who departed for naught. Saad Khan batting at number four was joined by Test batter Fawad Alam, and the pair stitched 160-run partnership for the fifth wicket. Saad scored 88 off 169, which included 10 fours. Fawad returned undefeated scoring 75 off 158, hitting six fours. For Southern Punjab, Ali Usman bagged three wickets for 98. Scores in brief: Sindh vs Southern Punjab - NBP Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 275-5, 88.2 overs (Saad Khan 88, Fawad Alam 75 not out; Ali Usman 3-98) Points so far: Sindh 2; Southern Punjab 1 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vs Central Punjab – UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 305-7, 80.3 overs (Fakhar Zaman 76, Ashfaq Ahmed 71, Iftikhar Ahmed 53, Sajid Khan 48 not out; Mohammad Ali 3-57, Faheem Ashraf 2-55) Points so far: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 3; Central Punjab 2 Balochistan vs Northern - State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 305 all out, 59.1 overs (Shan Masood 190, Kashif Bhatti 68; Kashif Ali 4-49, Athar Mehmood 4-100) Northern 28-0, 11 overs Points so far: Balochistan 3; Northern 3