Sports Bulletin

SAAD KAYANI Karachi (December 15, 2021):-Sindh defeated Central Punjab by 11 runs in the ninth round Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 thriller at the State Bank Stadium on Wednesday. Sohail Khan took four for 63 and mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed picked up three for 112 as Central Punjab were dismissed for 295 after resuming this morning at 55 for five and chasing 307 for victory. Ali Shan and Rizwan Hussain fought hard for Central Punjab, scoring 100 and 85, respectively and received good support from Faheem Ashraf (34) and Ahmed Safi Abdullah (29), but the target proved to be too stiff. Ali, batting at No.8, struck 11 fours and two sixes in a 165-ball innings, while Rizwan, who was 21 overnight, struck 13 fours and two sixes in a 120-ball innings. Rizwan featured in two good partnerships, adding 77 runs for the sixth wicket with Faheem and 60 runs for the seventh wicket with Ali. After the conclusion of the penultimate round matches, Northern lead the table with 127 points, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (124), Sindh (121) and Central Punjab (103). Southern Punjab (93) and Balochistan (77) are out of the race for the five-day pink-ball final, which will be played at the National Stadium from 25-29 December. In the final round match-ups to be played from 18-21 December, Central Punjab have a tough game against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while Northern and Sindh will go head to head with Balochistan and Southern Punjab, respectively. Scores in brief (day 4 of 4): Sindh beat Central Punjab by 11 runs at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Sindh 155-9d, 52 overs (Sohail Khan 65, Fawad Alam 32; Muhammad Ali 3-20, Muhammad Saad 3-24) and 338 all out, 105.3 overs (Asad Shafiq 97, Sohail Khan 73, Mohammad Hassan 49, Omair Bin Yousuf 32, Khurram Manzoor 23, Tabish Khan 23; Ahmed Safi Abdullah 4-58, Mohammad Saad 2-47) Central Punjab 187-9d, 58.5 overs (Abid Ali 98, Muhammad Saad 49; Abrar Ahmed 3-37, Tabish Khan 3-46, Sohail Khan 2-50) and 295, 79.5 overs (Ali Shan 100, Rizwan Hussain 85, Faheem Ashraf 34, Ahmed Safi Abdullah 29; Sohail Khan 4-63, Abrar Ahmed 3-112)

Karachi (Sports Report):-Bowlers dominated day-one of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 round-nine matches which started across three Karachi venues today. The ninth-round is crucial for the top four teams Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Northern and Central Punjab who are fighting for the two December 25-29 final spots while fifth placed Southern Punjab still have an outside chance of snatching a final spot if they win their ninth and tenth round matches. On Monday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were rolled over for 116 after they were asked to bat first by Balochistan at the UBL Sports Complex. Balochistan bowlers Taj Wali and Kashif Bhatti ran through the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa batting on a pitch that offered early help to the bowlers. The left-arm pacer Taj took four wickets for 19 while left-arm-spinner Kashif Bhatti grabbed four wickets for 20 runs. Kamran Ghulam top-scored with 35 while Sajid Khan who was adjudged the player of the match for Pakistan in the Dhaka Test last week, contributed 25 not out. Balochistan had to endure an even worse stint with the bat as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers shot them out for 100 in a mere 26 overs with pacer Arshad Iqbal taking four wickets. Asif Afridi, Sameen Gul and Imran Khan Snr took two wickets apiece. Despite their 116-run total Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected a 16-run first innings lead. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had to endure another torrid start as they finished day-one at 17 for two in their second innings. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Sindh and Central Punjab which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, table-toppers Sindh were restricted to a first innings score of 155 for nine (declared) by Central Punjab who opted to bowl first in an uncontested toss. Fast bowler Sohail Khan lifted the side to some semblance of respectability with a fighting 65 off 91 balls (nine fours, two sixes). This was Sohail’s fifth first-class fifty, the right-hander helped his side get past the 150-run mark. Fawad Alam scored 32. Seamers Muhammad Ali and Muhammad Saad took three wickets apiece for Central Punjab. Central Punjab were 78 for three at close of play, they will be relying on in-form Abid Ali who was unbeaten on 45 when stumps were drawn for the day. Abid, was the player of the match in the Pakistan-Bangladesh Test series. Salman Ali Agha fought singlehandedly for Southern Punjab with a splendid 142 as the side was bowled out for 238 in their first innings at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex against Northern.  Salman hit 23 fours and one six in his sterling 193-ball effort, this was the 10th first-class century of his career. The next best scorer for Southern Punjab was Zeeshan Ashraf with 24. Left-arm-spinner Nauman Ali who represented Pakistan in the Test series against Bangladesh took six wickets for 104 runs – 22nd five-wicket haul of his first-class career. Northern were off to a poor start in their first innings as they ended day-one at 54 for three. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vs Balochistan –UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 116 all out, 41 overs (Kamran Ghulam 31, Sajid Khan 25 not out; Taj Wali 4-19, Kashif Bhatti 4-20) and 17 for 2, 8 overs. Balochistan 100 all out, 26 overs (Ayaz Tassawar 22; Arshad Iqbal 4-31, Asif Afridi 2-8) Points so far: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – six, Balochistan – six. Sindh vs Central Punjab - State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Sindh 155 for 9 (declared), 52 overs (Sohail Khan 65, Fawad Alam 32; Mohammad Ali 3-20, Mohammad Saad 3-24) Central Punjab 78 for 3, 23.1 overs (Abid Ali 45 not out) Points so far: Sindh – one, Central Punjab –three Southern Punjab vs Northern - National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 238 all out, 69.5 overs (Salman Ali Agha 142; Nauman Ali 6-104; Mubasir Khan 2-34) Northern 54 for 3, 18 overs Points so far: Southern Punjab – six, Northern –one

Karachi (Sports Report):- The ninth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 season begins at three Karachi venues from Sunday with Sindh leading the points table with 102 points. Sindh will take on Central Punjab in their ninth-round fixture at the State Bank Stadium, Karachi will be live-streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel. The top team in the points table will be eying to make a comeback after going down to Northern by an innings in their eight-round match. Ahsan Ali, who recently turned 28 is currently on the third number in the batting charts with 641 runs. Among the bowlers Sohail Khan is on the third spot with 24 wickets from six matches. Meanwhile, joint defending champions Central Punjab who currently sit at number four will try to repeat their previous round performance. The Mohammad Saad-led side defeated bottom placed Balochistan by five wickets. Saad who spearheaded the successful chase with an unbeaten knock of 63 is placed fifth in the batting charts with 610 runs from eight matches. In the bowling department, Central Punjab will be relying on the 29-year old right-arm pacer Mohammad Ali, who from six outings in the tournament has gathered 25 scalps. Southern Punjab plays Northern at the NBP Sports Complex, Karachi. Southern Punjab is currently positioned at number five in the points table with 90 points, while Northern is occupied on the third spot with 101 points. Northern will be hoping to capitalise over the previous round win against table-toppers Sindh. Win against Southern Punjab will provide them a chance to jump inside the top two before going into the final round. On the other hand, Southern Punjab will be pinning their hopes on right-handed batter Tayyab Tahir to continue to score runs for them. The 28-year old is currently placed second on the batting charts, scoring 685 runs from eight matches. In the bowling charts, Southern Punjab’s Ali Usman leads with 31 wickets from seven matches. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to play Balochistan at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi. Second on the points table, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will be eying valuable bonus batting and bowling points and a win over the sixth-placed Balochistan when the two sides clash in the ninth-round fixture. Both sides played out a drawn game in their previous outing in this season in the fourth-round match held at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad. The right-handed batter Sahibzada Farhan will be the key for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as he is leading the tournament’s batting charts with 860 runs from eight matches. In the bowling department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will rely on the left-arm spin of Asif Afridi, who currently sits on number eight in the bowling charts with 20 wickets from five matches. Balochistan would be hoping that Shan Masood –centurion for them from the last two rounds continues to score some runs in the ninth-round. Ninth-round fixtures: Southern Punjab vs Northern –NBP Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh vs Central Punjab –State Bank Stadium, Karachi Khyber Pakhtunkhwa vs Balochistan –UBL Sports Complex, Karachi    

Karachi (Sports Report):-Following Northern’s innings win over table-toppers Sindh, the other two Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 round-eight matches also brought results with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa defeating Southern Punjab by seven and Central Punjab overpowering Balochistan by five wickets respectively. At the completion of the eight-round, the battle for the 25-29 December final at the National Stadium Karachi has intensified with Sindh (102 points) barely maintaining their top-spot (better net run-rate) against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - 102 points. Northern (101 points) are a mere point behind at number three following back-to-back wins in the seventh and eight rounds while Central Punjab (100 points) are a point behind Northern with 100 points. The ninth-round that will commence from Sunday is set to provide real excitement with the four top-ranked teams giving their all to outdo each other in order to seal one of the top two spots to ensure a place in the five-day final. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which was being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, Sahibzada Farhan’s unbeaten 112 took Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to a convincing seven-wicket win over Southern Punjab. Farhan who is the season’s top run-getter, posted his third century of the tournament while taking his tally to 860 runs in 14 innings which his stupendous effort today. Farhan was instrumental in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 220-run fourth innings chase today, he added 167 runs in the match winning third-wicket partnership with opener Ashfaq Ahmed who scored 77 (151 balls, eight fours) before his unfortunate run out. Ashfaq and Farhan rescued the side after pacer Muhammad Ilyas had taken the first two wickets with only 18 runs on the board. Farhan hit 19 fours and one six in his 159-ball effort. The resounding victory earned Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 21 points, Southern Punjab had a match tally of four points. Central Punjab registered their second win of the season as they beat Balochistan by five wickets at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex. Resuming at the overnight score of 62 for one chasing 212 for win, Central Punjab crashed to 104 for five and Balochistan looked favourites to register their first victory of the season at this stage. However, Balochistan hopes were extinguished through an unbroken sixth-wicket 108-run partnership between Muhammad Saad and Saif Badar. Saad played a captain’s knock scoring 63 off 123 balls (eight fours). Saif remained unbeaten with 55 off 69 balls (five fours, one six). Akif Javed and Kashif Bhatti took two wickets each. Central Punjab collected 21 points with their outright victory while Balochistan had to settle for seven points. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Southern Punjab by seven wickets - State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 166 for 9, 57.1 overs (Mohammad Imran 64, Yousuf Babar 28, Tayyab Tahir 26; Arshad Iqbal 4-41, Asif Afridi 2-36) and 40 for no loss, 12 overs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 281 all out, 89.2 overs (Arshad Iqbal 62, Sahibzada Farhan 60; Muhammad Ilyas 4-71, Salman Ali Agha 3-32, Aamer Yamin 3-54) and 223 for 3, 56.5 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 112, Ashfaq Ahmed 77; Mohammad Ilyas 2-61) Match points: Southern Punjab – four, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - 21. Central Punjab beat Balochistan by five wickets - National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 325 all out, 104.4 overs (Shan Masood 102, Imran Butt 65, Kashif Bhatti 53; Zafar Gohar 5-126) and 148 all out, 33.2 overs (Gohar Faiz 36, Bismillah Khan 27, Umar Akmal 27; Muhammad Ali 5-50, Zafar Gohar 2-43) Central Punjab 262 all out, 98.5 overs (Rizwan Hussain 50, Ali Zaryab 48, Saif Badar 44; Kashif Bhatti 7-85, Raza-ul-Hasan 2-99) and 212 for 5, 59 overs (Mohammad Saad 63 not out, Saif Badar 55 not out; Akif Javed 2-43, Kashif Bhatti 2-83) Match points: Balochistan - seven, Central Punjab - 21.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Northern recorded their second successive victory of the season to ensure that they stay in the hunt for a place in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22. Placed fifth before the start of the ongoing eight-round, Northern defeated the table-toppers heading into the round Sindh, inside three days. All three matches are set to provide results with both Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa favourites to attain their fourth innings targets tomorrow (day-four). Northern bowlers were on song on day-three as they sent Sindh packing for 182 in 58.3 overs in their second innings to register a comprehensive innings and 39-run victory at the UBL Sports Complex. Resuming at the overnight 105 for one, Sindh folded for the addition of a mere 77 runs with pacer Ather Mahmood taking four wickets in the second innings to follow his first innings four-for. Ather’s new-ball partner Kashif Ali took three while Zaid Alam took two wickets. Omair-Bin-Yousuf with 52 runs was the top-scorer for Sindh in what was otherwise a disappointing batting performance. Northern who registered their second successive victory of the tournament are set to break into the top three on the points table after their resounding win as they earned a total of 23 points from the match. Sindh who were at the top of the table before the round began could only muster three points. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, Southern Punjab scored 334 runs in their second innings after resuming at 40 for no loss to set Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a 220-run target for the fourth and final day. Umar Siddiq who opened the innings, top-scored with 92 off 176 balls (15 fours). Umar added 121 runs for the third-wicket with Salman Ali Agha who like Umar also fell in the nervous nineties. The right-handed Salman hit 14 fours in his 90 off 131 balls. All-rounder Mohammad Imran who scored a fighting fifty in the first innings made a valuable 48-run contribution in the second innings. Pacers Irfanullah Shah and Sameen Gul took four and three wickets for 68 and 98 runs respectively. Skipper Asif Afridi took two wickets. Both teams will be vying for crucial victory points on the fourth day as the game is in the grasp of both which promises and intriguing day of cricket. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, resuming at the overnight score of 178 for five, Central Punjab were rolled over for 262 in 98.5 overs with Kashif taking seven wickets for 85 runs. The left-arm-spinner collected the 23rd five-wicket haul of his first-class career in his marathon 40-over spell. Central Punjab who conceded a 63-run first innings lead, only reached 262 courtesy fighting contributions of 44 by Saif Badar and 42 not out by Zafar Gohar. Balochistan were then dismissed for a paltry 148 in 33.2 overs in their second innings with pacer Muhammad Ali doing major damage by taking five wickets for 50 runs in 11 overs. The right-armer found good support from Zafar Gohar with the left-arm-spinner following up on his first innings five-for with two wickets. Gohar Faiz with 36 was the top run-getter for Balochistan while captain Bismillah Khan and Umar Akmal scored 27 runs each. A total of 16 wickets fell in the day as Central Punjab were 62 for one when stumps were drawn for the day. They need another 150 runs tomorrow to register a much-needed victory which will keep alive their hopes of their title defence. Scores in brief: Northern beat Sindh by an innings and 39 runs - UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 98 for 9 declared, 31 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 33, Mir Hamza 18 not out; Ather Mahmood 4-23, Kashif Ali 3-42) and 182 all out, 58.3 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 52, Ahsan Ali 44; Ather Mahmood 4-63, Kashif Ali 3-55) Northern 319 all out, 100.1 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 145, Umar Amin 75; Tabish Khan 5-55, Sohail Khan 3-61) Match points: Sindh – three, Northern – 23 Southern Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 166 for 9, 57.1 overs (Muhammad Imran 64, Yousuf Babar 28, Tayyab Tahir 26; Arshad Iqbal 4-41, Asif Afridi 2-36) and 40 for no loss, 12 overs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 281 all out, 89.2 overs (Arshad Iqbal 62, Sahibzada Farhan 60; Muhammad Ilyas 4-71, Salman Ali Agha 3-32, Aamer Yamin 3-54) Points so far: Southern Punjab – four, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - five. Balochistan vs Central Punjab - National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 325 all out, 104.4 overs (Shan Masood 102, Imran Butt 65, Kashif Bhatti 53; Zafar Gohar 5-126) and 148 all out, 33.2 overs (Gohar Faiz 36, Bismillah Khan 27, Umar Akmal 27; Muhammad Ali 5-50, Zafar Gohar 2-43) Central Punjab 262 all out, 98.5 overs (Rizwan Hussain 50, Ali Zaryab 48, Saif Badar 44; Kashif Bhatti 7-85, Raza-ul-Hasan 2-99) and 62 for 1, 18 overs. Points so far: Balochistan - seven, Central Punjab - five.

Karachi (Sports Report):-The eight-round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 season is underway at three Karachi venues. On day-two of the three four-day fixtures, Sarmad Bhatti scored 145 for Northern while Tabish Khan and Zafar Gohar took five wicket hauls for Sindh and Central Punjab. Balochistan all-rounder Kashif Bhatti produced a sterling performance with bat and ball for his side.  Table-toppers Sindh conceded a 221 runs first innings lead to Northern at the UBL Sports Complex. Resuming at the overnight score of 136 for two, Northern posted 321 in their first innings courtesy Sarmad’s fifth first-class century. The left-hander’s 145 was compiled off 299 balls and included 16 fours and two sixes. Sarmad added 140 for the third-wicket with his captain Umar Amin who contributed 78 (134 balls, 12 fours). Seasoned Sindh pacer Tabish recorded the 39th first-class five-for of his career, the right-armer took five wickets for 55 runs in 23.1 probing overs. He was ably supported by Sohail Khan who took three Northern wickets for 61 runs. By close, Sindh had reduced the deficit to 116 runs by reaching 105 for one in their second innings at close of play. Opener Ahsan Ali scored 44 while Khurram Manzoor was unbeaten on 33 when stumps were drawn for the day. Northern collected three batting and Sindh tallied three bowling points. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa gained a 115-run first innings lead. Resuming at the overnight first innings score of 45 for two, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were well-served by fast bowler Arshad Iqbal who while batting at number four as a night watchman scored 62 off 102 balls (nine fours). The ongoing season’s leading run-getter Sahibzada Farhan contributed 60 (six fours, one six, 127 balls) in a 102-run fourth-wicket stand with Arshad. Adil Amin (30), Mehran Ibrahim (33) and Asif Afridi (30) made crucial contributions to push the lead past the 100-mark. Speedster Muhammad Ilyas took four wickets while Aamer Yamin and Salman Ali Agha took three wickets each. By close Southern Punjab had reached 40 for no loss in their second innings to reduce the first innings deficit to 75. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected two batting while Southern Punjab collected four bowling points. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, resuming at the overnight score of 283 for five, Balochistan were bowled out for 325 in 104.4 overs. All-rounder Kashif Bhatti was the best performer with the bat for Balochistan on Tuesday with 53 off 82 balls (seven fours, one six). Left-arm-spinner Zafar who had taken two wickets on day-one, added three more to his tally to register the 10th five-for of his first-class career. Balochistan and Central Punjab collected three batting and bowling points respectively as Balochistan had reached 318 for eight in 100 overs. Central Punjab in reply were wobbling at 178 for five after 69 overs of batting in their first innings at close on day-two. Opener Rizwan Hussain top-scored with 50 off 98 balls (seven fours). Ali Zaryab scored 48 off 82 balls. Kashif followed his batting heroics with a four-wicket haul for 59 runs to put Balochistan in a strong position in the match. The left-armer will be chasing his 23rd first-class five-for tomorrow. Scores in brief: Sindh vs Northern - UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 98 for 9 declared, 31 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 33, Mir Hamza 18 not out; Ather Mahmood 4-23, Kashif Ali 3-42) and 105 for 1, 26.1 overs (Ahsan Ali 44, Khurram Manzoor 33 not out) Northern 319 all out, 100.1 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 145, Umar Amin 75; Tabish Khan 5-55, Sohail Khan 3-61) Points so far: Sindh – three, Northern – six Southern Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 166 for 9, 57.1 overs (Muhammad Imran 64, Yousuf Babar 28, Tayyab Tahir 26; Arshad Iqbal 4-41, Asif Afridi 2-36) and 40 for no loss, 12 overs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 281 all out, 89.2 overs (Arshad Iqbal 62, Sahibzada Farhan 60; Muhammad Ilyas 4-71, Salman Ali Agha 3-32, Aamer Yamin 3-54) Points so far: Southern Punjab – four, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - five. Balochistan vs Central Punjab - National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 325 all out, 104.4 overs (Shan Masood 102, Imran Butt 65, Kashif Bhatti 53; Zafar Gohar 5-126) Central Punjab 178 for 5, 69 overs (Rizwan Hussain 50, Ali Zaryab 48; Kashif Bhatti 4-59) Points so far: Balochistan - four, Central Punjab - three.

Karachi (Sports Report):- The eight-round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 season began at three Karachi venues today. On a day dominated by bowlers, Balochistan opener Shan Masood scored his second successive century. At the UBL Sports Complex, Northern (fifth on the points table) got off to a fantastic start against table-toppers Sindh by reducing them to 70 for six in 25 overs before lunch. Northern who opted to bowl first were rewarded by their bowlers in the opening session of the match as Sindh’s batting line-up stuttered on a pitch that offered early help to the bowlers. Sindh continued to lose wickets in the post-lunch session and declared their innings at 98 for nine (31 overs) to ensure Northern do not collect the full six bowling points that they would have salvaged by bowling out Sindh inside 100 overs. Omair Bin Yousuf (33) was the top-scorer for Sindh in what was otherwise a disappointing batting performance. For Northern, Ather Mahmood took four wickets for 23 while Kashif Ali captured three for 42. In reply, Northern lost their openers with only 18 runs on the board before captain Umar Amin revived the innings with an unbeaten 118-run third-wicket partnership with Sarmad Bhatti. At close of play, Umar was batting on 69 (119 balls, 11 fours) while Sarmad was 53 (141 balls, six fours) not out. Northern ended the day at 136 for two, having already accumulated a 38-run first innings lead. Sohail Khan took the two wickets to fall. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel,  Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opted to bowl and their bowlers made most of the conditions by taking four Southern Punjab wickets in the morning session as lunch was taken with Southern Punjab wobbling at 51 for four. Southern Punjab got some respite through all-rounder Muhammad Imran’s fighting 64 off 83 balls (four fours, four sixes). Like Sindh, Southern Punjab also managed to avoid conceding full six bowling points to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by declaring their first innings at 166 for nine. Fast bowler Arshad Iqbal took four wickets for 41. Left-arm-spinner Asif Afridi who is captaining Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in this match took two wickets for 36 runs. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were also off to a shaky start as they finished day-one at 45 for two. Opener Musadiq Ahmed and number three Israrullah were the two batters dismissed. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Balochistan openers got their side off to a flying start by reaching 97 for no loss at lunch on day-one. Left-hander Shan Masood continued his rich vein of form by scoring his second successive century for Balochistan in as many appearances. Shan hit 13 fours and three sixes in his 102 off 142 balls before falling to Bilawal Iqbal. Shan added 157 runs for the first-wicket with Imran Butt who contributed 65 off 136 balls (seven fours, one six). After losing the openers, the Balochistan middle-order went cheaply to leave the side in slight discomfort at 247 for five. Ayaz Tassawar (36) and Kashif Bhatti (30) took the side to stumps without further loss. The two had so far added 36 runs for the sixth-wicket. For Central Punjab Hussain Talat and Zafar Gohar took two wickets each. Scores in brief: Sindh vs Northern - UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Sindh 98 for 9 declared, 31 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 33, Mir Hamza 18 not out; Ather Mahmood 4-23, Kashif Ali 3-42) Northern 136 for 2, 46 overs (Umar Amin 69 not out, Sarmad Bhatti 53 not out; Sohail Khan 2-39) Points so far: Sindh – zero, Northern – three Southern Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 166 for 9, 57.1 overs (Muhammad Imran 64, Yousuf Babar 28, Tayyab Tahir 26; Arshad Iqbal 4-41, Asif Afridi 2-36) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 45 for 2, 20 overs. Points so far: Southern Punjab – zero, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - three. Balochistan vs Central Punjab - National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Balochistan 283 for 5, 83 overs (Shan Masood 102, Imran Butt 65; Hussain Talat 2-18) Points so far: Balochistan - two, Central Punjab - one.

Saad Kayani KARACHI (December 5, 2021):-The eight-round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 season begins at three Karachi venues from Monday. Table-toppers Sindh are eying their first-ever spot in the revamped tournament’s (2019-20 onwards) 25-29 December final at the National Stadium Karachi. Sindh have had a dramatic change in fortunes after recording back to back wins since the 2021-22 edition of the prestigious tournament moved to Karachi following the first five rounds in Punjab. After a single result in the first 15 matches played in Punjab, the tournament sprung to life since moving to Karachi with results in as many as five out of the six matches played in the city so far. The trend is expected to continue with the three eight-round matches commencing from tomorrow. Sindh will take on Northern in their eight-round fixture at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi. Sindh are on a high after registering a fine comeback victory over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the State Bank Stadium courtesy a six-wicket haul by left-arm pacer Mir Hamza in KP’s second innings on Friday. Hamza (second-most wickets in the tournament – 23) and the Sindh battery of pacers (Sohail Khan, Mohammad Hasnain and Shahnawaz Dahani) were the architects of the 127-run win which earned Sindh their impressive victory following their comprehensive innings thrashing of Balochistan in the sixth-round. They will however be up against a rampant Northern side that handed a nine-wicket drubbing to Central Punjab at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex courtesy a maiden double century by Haider Ali and first-class career-best bowling performance by Haris Rauf. Both Haider and Haris along with Shahnawaz are not going to feature in the match as they are set to join the Pakistan squad for the white-ball series against West Indies. The win over Central Punjab earned Northern valuable points but they are still languishing in the fifth-spot in the table with 78 points, an outright win with bonus points will surely see them surge ahead in the table. Southern Punjab tie against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the State Bank Stadium, Karachi will be live-streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel. Southern Punjab arrived in Karachi at the top of the table but have since lost the top-spot to Sindh. After enduring a comprehensive defeat to Central Punjab in the sixth-round, Southern Punjab played out a draw against Balochistan in the seventh-round. The high scoring fixture at the UBL Sports Complex ensured that Southern Punjab don’t slip further then their second spot in the table. They at present, enjoy a five point lead over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who after beating Northern in the sixth-round lost to Sindh in their seventh-round fixture. The top two run-getters in the season KP’s Sahibzada Farhan (688 runs) and Southern Punjab’ Tayyab Tahir (644 runs) will be hoping to play a leading role for their respective sides in their quest for crucial points as the teams vie for an entry into the tournament final. Central Punjab to play Balochistan at the NBP Sports Complex, Karachi. Fourth in the table, Central Punjab will be eying valuable bonus points and a win over the sixth-placed Balochistan when the two sides clash in the eight-round fixture. Both 2021-22 season matches at the venue have produced result with Central Punjab on the receiving end against Northern in the seventh-round match last week. Central Punjab, the reigning joint champions, are currently 20 points behind Sindh and would need at least a draw with some bonus points in their kitty to retain a realistic chance of sealing one of the two final berths. Balochistan with 64 points are still not totally out of the run for a final-spot. The team received a boost with the inclusion of Shan Masood in their ranks in the round-seven match. The left-hander responded with a blazing century as his side amassed a 606-run total with Ayaz Tassawar and captain Bismillah Khan also scoring centuries. Balochistan would be hoping to maintain the batting form on a venue where bowlers have remained in the hunt in both round-six and seven matches. Eight-round fixtures: Sindh vs Northern –UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Southern Punjab vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa –State Bank Stadium, Karachi Central Punjab vs Balochistan –NBP Sports Complex, Karachi

Karachi (Sports Report):-Northern recorded their first win of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 season as they thumped Central Punjab by nine wickets while table-toppers Sindh consolidated their position at the top with a 127-run win over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Southern Punjab and Balochistan meanwhile played a draw as the seventh-round matches concluded today in three Karachi venues. At the UBL Sports Complex, Southern Punjab and Balochistan played out a draw. Resuming their second innings at the overnight 37 for no loss, Southern Punjab were bowled out for 311 in 78 overs. Opener, Tayyab Tahir were top scorer with 86 off 183 balls (nine fours, one six). First innings centurion Yousuf Babar maintained his fine form in the second innings with 63 off 86 balls (12 fours). Left-arm-spinner Kashif Bhatti who scored a fifty in Balochistan’s first innings completed a fine all-round performance with a four-wicket haul with the ball, Akif Javed took three wickets for 41 runs. Balochistan had reached 24 for no loss when stumps were drawn for the fourth and final time in the match. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which was live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, left-armer Mir Hamza’s stunning six-wicket haul helped Sindh register their second successive victory of the season as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were defeated by 127 runs. Resuming their second innings at 13 for no loss (258-run target), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were rolled over for 130 runs shortly after lunch on the final day. Hamza generated seam and swing and bowled a probing spell making regular inroads. Captain Iftikhar Ahmed (44 off 61 balls, seven fours) was KP’s top-scorer with Sahibzada Farhan contributing 39. Hamza collected the 27th five-wicket haul of his career, he was ably support by pacer Mohammad Hasnain who took two wickets. Sindh who were on the backfoot after conceding a 120-run first innings lead have now further strengthened their position at the top of the six-team table by earning a total of 19 points from the match. KP settled with eight points based on their first innings supremacy. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Northern wrapped-up a comfortable nine-wicket win with-in the first hour on the fourth-day. Central Punjab were bowled out for 207 after resuming their first innings at the overnight 197 for nine. Off-spinner Mubasir Khan who recorded his maiden first-class five-for yesterday took the final wicket to finish with impressive figures of 24.2-8-43-6. Northern lost opener Muhammad Huraira (6) but the pair of Zaid Alam and Rohail Nazir took the past the 20-run target. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab vs Balochistan, match drawn at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Southern Punjab 483 all out, 117.5 overs (Salman Ali Agha 135, Yousuf Babar 119 not out, Zeeshan Ashraf 102; Kashif Shehzad 3-63, Akif Javed 3-78) and 311 all out in 78 overs (Tayyab Tahir 86, Yousuf Babar 63; Kashif Bhatti 4-52, Akif Javed 3-41) Balochistan 606 all out, 124 overs (Ayaz Tassawar 149, Bismillah Khan 125, Shan Masood 105, Kashif Bhatti 71; Hassan Khan 3-27, Aamer Yamin 2-63) and 24 for no loss, 5 overs. Sindh beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 127 runs at State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Sindh 145 all out, 42.1 overs (Asad Shafiq 31, Faraz Ali 31; Irfanullah Shah 5-43, Asif Afridi 3-16) and 377 all out, 124.1 overs (Khurram Manzoor 107, Saad Khan 89 not out, Asad Shafiq 83; Irfanullah Shah 4-51, Asif Afridi 3-112) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 265 for 9 (declared) 64.1 overs (Musadiq Ahmed 75, Asif Afridi 50, Iftikhar Ahmed 40; Sohail Khan 5-82, Mir Hamza 3-62) and 130 all out, 44.1 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 44, Sahibzada Farhan 39; Mir Hamza 6-33, Mohammad Hasnain 2-49) Northern beat Central Punjab by nine wickets at National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Northern 445 for 8 (declared), 106 overs (Haider Ali 206, Faizan Riaz 67, Mohammad Huraira 54; Mohammad Ali 3-68) and 20 for 1, 7.3 overs. Central Punjab 257 all out, 71.5 overs (Hussain Talat 51, Imran Dogar 43; Haris Rauf 6-47, Mubasir Khan 2-38) and 207 all out, 77.2 overs (Ali Zaryab 71, Imran Dogar 55; Mubasir Khan 6-43, Haris Rauf 3-62)

Karachi (Sports Report):-Northern are on the verge of recording their first win of the season after forcing Central Punjab to follow-on on day-three of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy round-seven which is being played at three Karachi venues.  Over at the the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi, Balochistan amassed 606 runs in their first innings as Ayaz Tassawar and captain Bismillah Khan joined Shan Masood in the centurions club for the innings. The left-handed Ayaz scored the fifth century of his first-class career, his 149-run innings was studded with 16 fours and two sixes and came off 210 balls. Bismillah blazed his way to 125 off 127 balls (19 fours, one six). Kashif Bhatti and Khurram Shehzad then rubbed salt in the Southern Punjab bowlers wounds with contributions of 71 and 50 respectively as Balochistan took a 123-run lead over Southern Punjab’s first innings score of 483. At close on the third-day, Southern Punjab had reached 37 for no loss in their second innings. Over at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium in the match between Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, Khurram Manzoor’s 30th first-class century was the highlight of Sindh’s second innings. After conceding a 120-run lead, the table-toppers heading into the tournament’s seventh-round fought back through contributions by Khurram, Saad Khan and captain Asad Shafiq which helped them post 377 runs in their second innings. Sindh set Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a 258-run target, KP finished the day at 13 for no loss, they will be needing another 245 runs on the fourth and final day tomorrow to register their second successive victory in the tournament. On Thursday, Khurram’s 107 came off 280 balls and included 12 fours. Saad’s unbeaten 89 included 12 fours and two sixes, the left-hander faced 143 balls. Asad hit 13 fours in his 83 (166 balls). Irfanullah Shah who took five wickets in the first innings took four in the second while Asif Afridi took three wickets. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Northern are on the verge of recording their first win of the season after capturing nine Central Punjab second innings wickets after forcing them to follow-on. Resuming at the overnight score of 223 for eight, Central Punjab were bowled out for 257, conceding a 188-run lead. Northern enforced the follow-on and their bowlers led by off-spinner Mubasir Khan and speedster Haris Rauf gave another outstanding performance to leave Central Punjab reeling at 197 for nine at close of play, a mere nine runs ahead with only wicket standing. Haris took three wickets for 62 and if he succeeds in taking the last wicket tomorrow, Haris would complete his maiden ten-wicket haul in first-class cricket. The promising Mubasir Khan who continues to impress with his all-round talent took five wickets for 34 runs. Central Punjab collapsed from 115 for one to 189 for nine with Mubasir and Haris doing the damage. Ali Zaryab with 71 (nine fours, 169 balls) and Imran Dogar with 55 were the only batters to offer some resistance to Northern bowlers in the second innings. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab vs Balochistan –UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Southern Punjab 483 all out, 117.5 overs (Salman Ali Agha 135, Yousuf Babar 119 not out, Zeeshan Ashraf 102; Kashif Shehzad 3-63, Akif Javed 3-78) and 37 for no loss, 10 overs. Balochistan 606 all out, 124 overs (Ayaz Tassawar 149, Bismillah Khan 125, Shan Masood 105, Kashif Bhatti 71; Hassan Khan 3-27, Aamer Yamin 2-63) Points so far: Southern Punjab – seven, Balochistan – six. Sindh vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa –State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Sindh 145 all out, 42.1 overs (Asad Shafiq 31, Faraz Ali 31; Irfanullah Shah 5-43, Asif Afridi 3-16) and 377 all out, 124.1 overs (Khurram Manzoor 107, Saad Khan 89 not out, Asad Shafiq 83; Irfanullah Shah 4-51, Asif Afridi 3-112) and 13 for no loss, 3.3 overs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 265 for 9 (declared) 64.1 overs (Musadiq Ahmed 75, Asif Afridi 50, Iftikhar Ahmed 40; Sohail Khan 5-82, Mir Hamza 3-62) Points so far: Sindh – three, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - eight. Northern vs Central Punjab – National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Northern 445 for 8 (declared), 106 overs (Haider Ali 206, Faizan Riaz 67, Mohammad Huraira 54; Mohammad Ali 3-68) Central Punjab 257 all out, 71.5 overs (Hussain Talat 51, Imran Dogar 43; Haris Rauf 6-47, Mubasir Khan 2-38) and 197 for 9, 75.1 overs (Ali Zaryab 71, Imran Dogar 55; Mubasir Khan 5-34, Haris Rauf 3-62) Points so far: Northern - 11, Central Punjab - four.