Sports Bulletin

Karachi (SB Report):-Northern took complete control of their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy seventh-round fixture against Central Punjab while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa gained a healthy first innings lead over Sindh on day-two. Southern Punjab and Balochistan batters took the attack to the bowlers for a second consecutive day. Over at the the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi, Southern Punjab were bowled out for 483 in their first innings on day-two after resuming at 327 for three. Middle-order batter Yousuf Babar scored his second first-class century, the right-hander remained unbeaten on 119 off 203 balls (13 fours). Salman Ali Agha who completed his century yesterday was dismissed for 135 (17 fours, 209 balls). Aamer Yamin scored a breezy 43 off 33 balls (six fours, one six) to propel the side past the 450-mark. Khurram Shehzad and Akif Javed took three wickets apiece for Balochistan. Southern Punjab collected the full five first innings batting points while Balochistan had to contend with two bowling points. Balochistan roared back in the contest courtesy a blazing century by opener Shan Masood who was making his first-ever appearance for the team. The left-hander registered the 16th first-class century of his career, Shan scored 105 off only 82 balls (17 fours, one six). After Shan’s dismissal Balochistan stuttered to 184 for four before an unbroken 92-run partnership between Ayaz Tassawar (58 not out) and captain Bismillah Khan (57 not out) took them to 276 for four at stumps. The two will resume the Balochistan innings tomorrow, 203 runs behind the Southern Punjab total. Their impressive batting so far have earned them two valuable batting points and they will be aiming to keep the scoring momentum going as they chase the full five batting points. Aamer Yamin and Ali Usman with two wickets each were the two wicket-takers for Southern Punjab. 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, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa declared their first innings at 265 for nine after gaining a 120-run first innings lead over Sindh on day-two. Resuming at the overnight 124 for two, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost six wickets with 169 runs on the board. The innings was revived by all-rounder Asif Afridi who followed his three-wicket bowling performance with 50 off 44 balls (seven fours, one six). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa added two batting points to their six-point bowling tally. Sindh collected three bowling points with fast bowler Sohail Khan playing a leading role with the ball with figures of 21.1-3-82-5 (37th first-class five-wicket haul). Sindh started their second innings in a poor fashion as opener Ahsan Ali (2) and Omair Bin Yousuf (9) fell with only 11 runs on the board. At this stage, the seasoned pair of Khurram Manzoor and captain Asad Shafiq rescued the side. The two had crossed their fifties and were at the crease when stumps were drawn for the day. Khurram has so far hit seven fours in his 59 (136 balls) while Asad’s even 50 has come off 96 balls with the help of eight fours. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, resuming his innings at 141, the hugely promising Haider Ali registered the maiden double-century of his first-class career. The 21-year-old was eventually dismissed for a scintillating 206 off 221 balls (27 fours, four sixes). Haider added 229 for the fourth-wicket with Faizan Riaz who contributed 67 as Northern amassed 445 for eight in 106 overs before declaring their innings. Northern collected the full five batting points on offer, pacer Muhammad Ali took three wickets for Central Punjab. Fast bowler Haris Rauf who was making his first Quaid-e-Azam Trophy appearance in the season then rocked the Central Punjab batters with his fearsome pace as he returned his best-ever first-class bowling haul. The right-armer, fresh from representing Pakistan in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup and the three-match T20I series against Bangladesh took a liking to the red ball taking six wickets for 41 runs from 15 overs of electrifying pace. Hussain Talat with 51 punctuated with four fours and two sixes was the best Central Punjab performer with the bat, opener Imran Dogar scored 43 while Mohammad Saad and Ali Zaryab contributed 38 and 37. Central Punjab finished the day reeling at 223 for eight, needing another 72 runs to avoid a follow-on with only two wickets in hand. After gaining full five batting points, Northern have already accumolated three bowling points. They will be striving to collect three additional bowling points by bowling out Central Punjab with-in 100 overs of their innings when play resumes tomorrow. 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) Balochistan 276 for 4, 44.5 overs (Shan Masood 105, Ayaz Tassawar 58 not out, Bismillah Khan 57 not out; Aamer Yamin 2-44) Points so far: Southern Punjab – six, Balochistan – three. 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 137 for 2, 43 overs (Khurram Manzoor 59 not out, Asad Shafiq 50 not out; Irfanullah Shah 1-24) 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 223 for 8, 60.3 overs (Hussain Talat 51, Imran Dogar 43; Haris Rauf 6-41) Points so far: Northern - eight, Central Punjab - three.

Saad Kayani KARACHI (November 30, 2021):-The seventh-round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 began at three Karachi venues today. The opening day was dominated by Southern Punjab and Northern batters while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers reigned supreme against Sindh. The toss was uncontested at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi as Southern Punjab were asked to bat first by Balochistan. Left-handed batter Zeeshan Ashraf who was included in the Southern Punjab squad for this round, made an immediate impression for his side with a stroke-filled 102 off 116 balls (13 fours, three sixes). Salman posted the 10th first-class century of his career as he took over the scoring reins after Zeeshan’s departure. The right-hander hit 15 fours in his typically stylish unbeaten 117-run innings that was compiled off 182 balls. Salman was at the crease when stumps were drawn for the day with Southern Punjab placed at a healthy 327 for three after 85 overs batting. Salman has so far added 154 runs for the unfinished fourth-wicket partnership with Yousuf Babar (45 off 117 balls, four fours). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opted to bowl after an uncontested toss against table-toppers Sindh at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium. The match is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers made most of the conditions and the decision to bowl first by reducing Sindh to 78 for four at lunch. Left-arm-spinner Asif Afridi made the inroads before lunch as he dismissed Sindh’s in form openers (Khurram Manzoor and Ahsan Ali) cheaply. Pacer Irfanullah Shah took over the wicket taking mantle post-lunch as Sindh were sent packing for 145 in 42.1 overs. The right-armer Irfan recorded the sixth five-wicket haul of his first-class career taking with figures of 12-2-43-5. Asif took three while pacer Arshad Iqbal took two wickets. Captain Asad Shafiq and Faraz Ali were the combined best scorers for Sindh with 31 runs each. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s superb bowling effort earned them the full six bowling points. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa lost their first two wickets with only 32 runs on the board. At this stage captain Iftikhar Ahmed joined opener Musadiq Ahmed. The two added 92 runs for their unbroken third-wicket stand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa finished the day a mere 21 runs behind Sindh at 124 for two. Musadiq has so far hit nine fours and one six in his 72 off 93 balls, Iftikhar’s unbeaten 34 has come off 69 balls with the aid of four fours. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Northern got off to a steady start against Central Punjab who had opted to bowl after an uncontested toss. Northern reached 77 for one at lunch. Opener Muhammad Huraira who is featuring in his maiden first-class season scored an enterprising 54 off 108 balls (eight fours). Huraira added 96 runs for the second-wicket with his captain Umar Amin who scored 50 off 73 balls (seven fours). Both Huraira and Umar fell with the score at 119, at this stage Haider Ali was joined by Faizan Riaz. Haider took control by playing some typically aggressive shots in his stellar batting performance. The right-hander fresh from a player of the match winning performance in the third Bangladesh-Pakistan T20I hit as many as many as 22 fours and one six in his unbeaten 141 off 168 balls. Haider now has three first-class centuries to his name in only nine appearances. Haider added 204 runs in the unbroken fourth-wicket alliance with Faizan Riaz who proved the perfect foil for Haider with 57 off 131 balls (five fours). Muhammad Ali with two wickets was the most successful bowler of the day for Central Punjab. Scores in brief: Southern Punjab vs Balochistan –UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Southern Punjab 327 for 3, 85 overs (Salman Ali Agha 117 not out, Zeeshan Ashraf 102, Yousuf Babar 45 not out; Akif Javed 1-59) Points so far: Southern Punjab – three, Balochistan – one. 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) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 124 for 2, 32 overs (Musadiq Ahmed 72 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 34 not out; Sohail Khan 1-24) Points so far: Sindh – zero, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - six. Northern vs Central Punjab – National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Northern 323 for 3, 87 overs (Haider Ali 141 not out, Faizan Riaz 57 not out, Mohammad Huraira 54; Mohammad Ali 2-54) Points so far: Northern - three, Central Punjab - one.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa registered contrasting wins on day-four of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 sixth-round matches in Karachi. Central Punjab thumped Southern Punjab by an innings and 56 runs while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won a closely fought encounter against Northern by four wickets. Central Punjab recorded their first win of the ongoing season as they defeated the table-toppers heading into the sixth-round Southern Punjab by a massive margin at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium Karachi. Resuming their second innings at the overnight score of 105 for five, Southern Punjab were dismissed for 175 in 47.3 overs. Yousuf Babar who was unbeaten on 30 when play began fell for 47. All-rounder Aamer Yamin who took a five-wicket haul in Central Punjab’s lone innings hammered a quickfire 32 off 16 balls (four fours, one six) but failed to take his side past an innings defeat. Pacer Bilawal Iqbal took five wickets for 23 runs, the 10th five-fer of his first-class career, Mohammad Ali and Nasir Ahmed took three and two wickets each as the pace bowlers dominated the proceedings. Central Punjab collected 26 points while Southern Punjab had to be content with four. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chased down 223 runs in the final hour of play against Northern to also record their first win of the season. Resuming their second innings at the overnight score of 240 for six, Northern were bowled out for 256, setting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a 223-run chase. Northern batters could only add 16 runs on the fourth morning, left-arm-spinner Asif Afridi took three wickets while pacers Irfanullah Shah, Arshad Iqbal and Sameen Gul two wickets each for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. After a 60-run first-wicket stand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa crashed to 149 for five as Northern fought back. Nabi Gul (34 not out, 69 balls, four fours) and captain Khalid Usman (16 not out, 16 balls, three fours) took the team past the target. Ashfaq Ahmed top-scored with 45 (75 balls, two fours), opener Musadiq Ahmed scored 35 off 36 balls (six fours). Zaid Alam and Raza Hassan took two wickets each for Northern. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected 23 points while Northern tallied six points from the match. Scores in brief: Central Punjab beat Southern Punjab by an innings and 56 runs –State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 228 all out, 77 overs (Umar Siddiq 85, Salman Ali Agha 61, Waqas Maqsood 4-52, Muhammad Ali 4-57) and 175 all out, 47.3 overs (Yousuf Babar 47, Aamer Yamin 32; Bilawal Iqbal 5-23, Mohammad Ali 3-40, Nisar Ahmed 2-49) Central Punjab 459 all out, 116.4 overs (Rizwan Hussain 253, Muhammad Saad 61, Nisar Ahmed 54; Aamer Yamin 5-122, Muhammad Imran 2-74) Match points: Central Punjab - 26, Southern Punjab - four. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Northern by four wickets – National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Northern 250 all out, 83.4 overs (Mubasir Khan 96, Muhammad Huraira 70; Arshad Iqbal 2-38, Sameen Gul 2-41) and 256 all out, 78.2 overs (Umar Amin 110, Mubasir Khan 52; Asif Afridi 3-60, Irfanullah Shah 2-33, Arshad Iqbal 2-49) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 284 all out, 93.4 overs (Adil Amin 128 not out, Asif Afridi 62; Kashif Ali 5-45, Zaid Alam 3-34) and 225 for 6, 60.5 overs (Ashfaq Ahmed 45, Musadiq Ahmed 35, Nabi Gul 34 not out; Zaid Alam 2-29, Raza Hasan 2-62) Match points: Northern - six, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - 23.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Young leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed took his maiden first-class ten-wicket haul as Sindh registered their first win of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 season. Resuming their second innings at the overnight score of 132 for five, Balochistan were bowled out for 158 runs to hand Sindh a comprehensive innings and 188-run victory at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi in the sixth-round tie. Sindh bowlers led by Abrar ran through the Balochistan lower-order in less than 10 overs on day-three to ensure a comprehensive victory for their side. Abrar who took six wickets for 40 runs was ably supported by seasoned pacer Sohail Khan who took three wickets for 41 runs, the right-armer also reached the 500 first-class wickets milestone during the innings. This was the 117th first-class match of the 37-year-old’s career. Abrar and Sohail combined to take 18 wickets in the match (Abrar 11, Sohail seven). Ayaz Tasawar (45) was the top-scorer for Balochistan in their second innings. Sindh gained 28 points (maximum available in a match) while Balochistan had to content with a mere three. In the Punjab derby between Central and Southern Punjab at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium Karachi which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, Central Punjab opener Rizwan Hussain added 100 runs to his overnight 153-run tally as his side took control of the match. The left-handed Rizwan hit 34 fours and three sixes in his monumental batting effort that came off 337 balls. Rizwan was eventually dismissed by Salman Ali Agha. Rizwan found good support from Ahmed Safi Abdullah (24) while pacer Nisar Ahmed scored a quickfire 54 off 53 balls (six fours, three sixes) to propel Central Punjab to their 459-run total. Aamer took five wickets for Southern Punjab conceding 122 runs in 28.4 overs. Muhammad Imran took two wickets. Central Punjab made most of their 199-run first innings lead by reducing Southern Punjab to 105 for five in their second innings at stumps on day three. Pacer Bilawal Iqbal took three wickets for a mere 12 runs in 6.5 overs as Southern Punjab’s top and middle-order fell cheaply. Yousuf Babar was unbeaten on 30 and Southern Punjab will be homing for a major contribution by him and the lower-order batters if they are to avoid an innings defeat tomorrow. Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa took a 34- run first innings lead over Northern, courtesy an unbeaten 128 from Adil Amin who had resumed his innings at 104 today. Adil remained unbeaten as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were bowled out for 284 in 93.4 overs. Pacer Kashif Ali took five wickets for 45 while Zaid Alam took two for 34. Northern were well-served by Umar Amin in their second innings as the seasoned left-hander posted his 23rd first-class century. Umar hit 12 fours in his gritty 196-ball effort, Mubasir Khan who fell four short of a century in the first innings made another healthy contribution for his side scoring 52 with the help of seven fours. Northern finished the day at 240 for six after 66 overs of their second innings. They will start the final day tomorrow with a 206-run lead with four wickets in hand, the match is set to have an exciting finish if Khyber Pakhtunkhwa can get rid of the remaining Northern batters in time for a fourth innings chase. Irfanullah Shah and Asif Afridi took two wickets each for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Scores in brief: Sindh beat Balochistan by an innings and 188 runs – UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Balochistan 96 all out, 31.5 overs (Imran Butt 33; Abrar Ahmed 5-23, Sohail Khan 4-26) and 158 all out, 43.2 overs (Ayaz Tassawar 45, Imran Butt 35; Abrar Ahmed 6-40, Sohail Khan 3-41) Sindh 442 all out, 95.2 overs (Ahsan Ali 194, Khurram Manzoor 94, Saad Khan 56; Khurram Shehzad 3-80, Akif Javed 2-54) Match points: Sindh - 28, Balochistan - three. Southern Punjab vs Central Punjab –State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 228 all out, 77 overs (Umar Siddiq 85, Salman Ali Agha 61, Waqas Maqsood 4-52, Muhammad Ali 4-57) and 105 for 5, 28.5 overs (Yousuf Babar 30 not out, Salman Ali Agha 21; Bilawal Iqbal 3-12) Central Punjab 459 all out, 116.4 overs (Rizwan Hussain 253, Muhammad Saad 61, Nisar Ahmed 54; Aamer Yamin 5-122, Muhammad Imran 2-74) First innings points: Central Punjab - nine, Southern Punjab - four. Northern vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa –National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Northern 250 all out, 83.4 overs (Mubasir Khan 96, Muhammad Huraira 70; Arshad Iqbal 2-38, Sameen Gul 2-41) and 240 for 6, 66 overs (Umar Amin 110, Mubasir Khan 52; Irfanullah Shah 2-33, Asif Afridi 2-58) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 284 all out, 93.4 overs (Adil Amin 128 not out, Asif Afridi 62; Kashif Ali 5-45, Zaid Alam 3-34) First innings points: Northern - six, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - seven.

Karachi (Sports Report):-Sindh further consolidated their strong position on day-two of the sixth-round Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 clash against Balochistan while Central Punjab gained a first innings lead over Southern Punjab. The match between Northern and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa remained evenly poised after an absorbing day’s play on Thursday. Resuming at the overnight score of 229 for one, Sindh were bowled out for 442 runs in their first innings against Balochistan at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi. Opener Ahsan Ali who scored a century on Wednesday, fell six runs short of his double-century. The right-hander hit 28 fours in his 194 off 220 balls. Middle-order batter Saad Khan contributed 56 off 78 balls as Sindh gained a massive 338-run first innings lead. Khurram Shehzad took three while Akif Javed and Gohar Faiz took two wickets apiece. Balochistan were dismissed for just 96 in their first innings. Balochistan in their second innings had reached 132 for five in 32 overs by close, still a 206-run deficit with two days play left in the match. Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who had collected his maiden first-class five-fer yesterday, took four second innings wickets today to further increase Balochistan woes. Sindh collected a total of 11 first innings points while Balochistan had to be content with three first innings points. In the Punjab derby between Central and Southern Punjab at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium Karachi which is being live streamed on PCB’s YouTube channel, Central Punjab opener Rizwan Hussain scored a brilliant unbeaten 153 to guide his side to a 20-run first innings lead with five wickets in hand at close of the second day’s play. The left-handed Rizwan hit 21 fours and one six in his 221-ball stay at the crease. Rizwan added 127 runs for the third-wicket with Mohammad Saad who contributed 61 off 107 balls (nine fours). Mohammad Imran and Aamer Yamin took two wickets apiece for Southern Punjab, Central Punjab will resume their first innings tomorrow at 248 for five. In the Northern-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa match at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex Karachi, Adil Amin’s unbeaten 104 off 209 balls (12 fours) helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa equal Northern’s first innings 250-run total. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were at one stage reeling at 77 for six, all-rounder Asif Afridi provided valuable support to Adil as the pair added 129 runs for the seventh-wicket. Asif hit seven fours and two sixes in his 62 off 94 balls. Before the Adil-Asif partnership, the right-handed Adil added 47 runs for the sixth-wicket with captain Khalid Usman (35), the two started their alliance with their side placed at a precarious 30 for five. By close, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had reached 250 for eight after 81.1 overs batting. Kashif Ali took three while Zaid Alam took two wickets for Northern. Scores in brief: Balochistan vs Sindh – UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Balochistan 96 all out, 31.5 overs (Imran Butt 33; Abrar Ahmed 5-23, Sohail Khan 4-26) and 132 for 5, 34 overs (Imran Butt 35, Ayaz Tassawar 34 not out; Abrar Ahmed 4-40) Sindh 442 all out, 95.2 overs (Ahsan Ali 194, Khurram Manzoor 94, Saad Khan 56; Khurram Shehzad 3-80, Akif Javed 2-54) Points so far: Sindh 11, Balochistan three. Southern Punjab vs Central Punjab –State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Southern Punjab 228 all out, 77 overs (Umar Siddiq 85, Salman Ali Agha 61, Waqas Maqsood 4-52, Mohammad Ali 4-57) Central Punjab 248 for 5, 75 overs (Rizwan Hussain 153 not out, Mohammad Saad 61; M0hammad Imran 2-43, Aamer Yamin 2-56) Points so far: Central Punjab six, Southern Punjab three. Northern vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa –National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi Northern 250 all out, 83.4 overs (Mubasir Khan 96, Mohammad Huraira 70; Arshad Iqbal 2-38, Sameen Gul 2-41) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 250 for 8, 81.1 overs (Adil Amin 104 not out, Asif Afridi 62; Kashif Ali 3-33, Zaid Alam 2-29) Points so far: Northern five, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa seven.

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (November 21, 2021):-Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa teams have been fined for maintaining a slow over rate during their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first-class match that ended at the Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan on Saturday evening. In the drawn game, Central Punjab were found three overs short of their target after taking into account time allowances and, as such, were charged under Article 2.22 of the PCB Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which deals with the minimum over-rate offences. As such, all members of the playing XI were fined PKR28,000. Similarly, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were found two overs short of their target. As such, all members of the playing XI were fined PKR 16,000. Central Punjab captain Ali Zaryab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Khalid Usman accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Mohammad Javed. The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Qaiser Waheed and Saqib Khan.

Sports Reporter LAHORE (November 20, 2021):-Balochistan secured a thrilling draw against Northern at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad thanks to Gohar Faiz and Taj Wali. Balochistan had to knock off 285 runs with nine wickets in hand to secure their first Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 win when the final day’s play of the fifth round began on Saturday, but Mehran Mumtaz’s four for 89 – which included wickets of Azeem Ghumman (21), Abdul Wahid Bangalzai (54), Ayaz Tasawar (90) and Jalat Khan (38) – pushed the Imran Butt-captained side on the back foot. They finished the day on 278 for nine. Abdul Wahid continued his run of form with a remarkable 97-ball 54. The youngster, who is playing his first Quaid-e-Azam Trophy season, smashed seven fours. It was Ayaz who provided stiff resistence with a 194-ball 90 (nine fours and a six) in the middle order, before he fell to Mehran. Kashif Ali and Raza Hasan shared four wickets equally between them. Both sides, for securing draw, shared five points each. The other four sides also secured five points each as the other two matches also ended in a draw. At the Gaddafi Stadium, Tayyab Tahir and Azam Khan scored half-centuries for Southern Punjab and Sindh’s Mohammad Asghar picked up four for 96. Tayyab top-scored with 179-ball 75, while wicketkeeper Azam smashed 67 off 71 (four fours and five sixes). At the Multan Cricket Stadium, Mohammad Ali’s three wickets instilled hope in Central Punjab’s camp, but Adil Amin’s 105-ball 10 not out and Rehan Afridi’s 65-ball 32 not out ensured the match between the joint-winners of the 2020-21 edition end in a draw. Ali followed up his brilliant six for 52 in the first innings with three for 42 as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 109 for five before both captains shook hands. Central Punjab set 349-run target after declaring their second innings on 290 for eight. Zafar Gohar remained unbeaten on 49, while captain Ali Zaryab converted his overnight 102 int0 131 before he was dismissed by Khalid Usman. The Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 now moves to Karachi, where they last five rounds and the final will be played. Scores in brief: Balochistan and Northern play a draw at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Northern 244 all out, 84.4 overs (Abdul Faseeh 47, Rohail Nazir 41, Umar Amin 37, Muhammad Huraira 33, Mehran Mumtaz 23, Aamir Jamal 22; Kashif Bhatti 5-92, Raza-ul-Hasan 2-37, Jalat Khan 2-68) and 259-6, 76.4 overs (Abdul Faseeh 94, Mohammad Huraira 65, Umar Amin 42; Taj Wali 5-47) Balochistan 211 all out, 74.1 overs (Bismillah Khan 64, Akbar-ur-Rehman 50, Gohar Faiz 22; Raza Hasan 4-67, Mehran Mumtaz 3-80, Mubasir Khan 2-21) and 278-9, 85 overs (Ayaz Tasawar 90, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 54, Jalat Khan 38, Bismillah Khan 34, Azeem Ghumman 21; Mehran Mumtaz 4-89, Kashif Ali 2-24, Raza Hasan 2-87) Match points – Northern 11, Balochistan 11 Sindh and Southern Punjab play a draw at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Southern Punjab 310 all out, 101.3 overs (Umar Siddiq 84, Imran Rafiq 68, Umar Siddiq 61 not out, Zain Abbas 45, Yousuf Babar 36, Tayyab Tahir 24, Zia-ul-Haq 22; Sohail Khan 4-62, Tabish Khan 2-81, Mohammad Asghar 2-91) and 239-8, 74.4 overs (Tayyab Tahir 75, Azam Khan 67, Umar Siddiq 25; Mohammad Asghar 4-96, Mir Hamza 2-30) Sindh 350-9, 85 overs (Saad Khan 90, Ahsan Ali 70, Asad Shafiq 48, Tabish Khan 29 not out, Sohail Khan 22, Mohammad Hasan 21; Ali Usman 4-75, Aamer Yamin 2-70) Match points – Southern Punjab 12, Sindh 12 Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa play a draw at Multan Cricket Stadium Central Punjab 270 all out, 88.3 overs (Mohammad Saad 98, Ahmed Shehzad 36, Imran Dogar 32, Zafar Gohar 24, Saif Badar 23, Zafar Gohar 21 not out; Sameen Gul 3-55, Asif Afridi 3-57, Imran Khan Snr 3-97) and 290-8, 77.2 overs (Ali Zaryab 131, Zafar Gohar 49 not out, Junaid Ali 35, Saad Nasim 23; Khalid Usman 3-26, Imran Khan Snr 3-42) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 212 all out, 50.2 overs (Asif Afridi 61, Musadiq Ahmed 46, Asif Afridi 42 not out, Adil Amin 26, Sahibzada Farhan 24; Mohammad Ali 6-50, Waqas Maqsood 2-41) and 109-5, 47 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 35, Rehan Afridi 32 not out; Mohammad Ali 3-42) Match points – Central Punjab 14, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 10

Sports Reporter LAHORE (November 19, 2021):-Balochistan were eight for one in pursuit of 293 against Northern to record their first win of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22. Their captain Imran Butt (0) was bowled by Kashif Ali when Balochistan began their second innings at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium. Azeem Ghumman and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai with the scores of four and three were at the crease when stumps were called on day three. Northern made 259 for six in 76.4 overs before declaring the innings after Muhammad Huraira and Abdul Faseeh made 65 and 94 and put 148 runs for the first wicket. With 73-ball 42, Umar Amin was the next best run-getter in the innings before he was bowled by Taj Wali, who also sent Huraira, Aamir Jamal, Mubasir Khan and Mehran Mumtaz packing to record his 17th first-class five-wicket haul. At the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Sindh collected four batting points, while Southern Punjab added three more points to their tally as the former declared their first innings at 350 for nine in 85 overs after taking a lead of 40. Saad Khan, resuming the day on 54, fell 10 runs short of a century when he was dismissed by Ali Usman, who finished with four for 75. Saad added 104 runs with his captain Asad Shafiq who made 48 off 98 before he was run out. Southern Punjab lost their opener Zain Abbas to Mir Hamza in seven overs bowled in their second innings. They were 12 for one with Tayyab Tahir and Umar Siddiq at the crease. At the Multan Cricket Stadium, captain Ali Zaryab’s unbeaten century had given Central Punjab a 267-run lead over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Ali made 102 and smashed 14 fours from 179 balls as Central Punjab finished the day on 209 for six. Central Punjab will be looking to add quick runs on the final day’s play before they insert Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Imran Khan Snr had Central Punjab reduced to three for three with the wickets of Imran Dogar, Ahmed Shehzad and Mohammad Saad upfront. The pacer has taken three wickets for 42. Earlier, his team was bowled out for 212 in 50.2 overs as Central Punjab collected five bowling points. Scores in brief: Northern won the toss and elected to bat against Balochistan at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Northern 244 all out, 84.4 overs (Abdul Faseeh 47, Rohail Nazir 41, Umar Amin 37, Muhammad Huraira 33, Mehran Mumtaz 23, Aamir Jamal 22; Kashif Bhatti 5-92, Raza-ul-Hasan 2-37, Jalat Khan 2-68) and 259-6, 76.4 overs (Abdul Faseeh 94, Mohammad Huraira 65, Umar Amin 42; Taj Wali 5-47) Balochistan 211 all out, 74.1 overs (Bismillah Khan 64, Akbar-ur-Rehman 50, Gohar Faiz 22; Raza Hasan 4-67, Mehran Mumtaz 3-80, Mubasir Khan 2-21) and 8-1, 5 overs (Kashif Ali 1-5) Innings points – Northern 6, Balochistan 6 Toss Uncontested – Sindh opt to bowl against Southern Punjab at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Southern Punjab 310 all out, 101.3 overs (Umar Siddiq 84, Imran Rafiq 68, Umar Siddiq 61 not out, Zain Abbas 45, Yousuf Babar 36, Tayyab Tahir 24, Zia-ul-Haq 22; Sohail Khan 4-62, Tabish Khan 2-81, Mohammad Asghar 2-91) and 12-1, 7 overs (Mir Hamza 1-2) Sindh 350-9, 85 overs (Saad Khan 90, Ahsan Ali 70, Asad Shafiq 48, Tabish Khan 29 not out, Sohail Khan 22, Mohammad Hasan 21; Ali Usman 4-75, Aamer Yamin 2-70) Innings points – Southern Punjab 7, Sindh 7 Toss Uncontested – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opt to bowl against Central Punjab at Multan Cricket Stadium Central Punjab 270 all out, 88.3 overs (Mohammad Saad 98, Ahmed Shehzad 36, Imran Dogar 32, Zafar Gohar 24, Saif Badar 23, Zafar Gohar 21 not out; Sameen Gul 3-55, Asif Afridi 3-57, Imran Khan Snr 3-97) and 209-6, 60 overs (Ali Zaryab 102 not out, Junaid Ali 35, Saad Nasim 23, Zafar Gohar 20 not out) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 212 all out, 50.2 overs (Asif Afridi 61, Musadiq Ahmed 46, Asif Afridi 42 not out, Adil Amin 26, Sahibzada Farhan 24; Mohammad Ali 6-50, Waqas Maqsood 2-41) Innings points – Central Punjab 9, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 5

Ali Ahmed LAHORE (November 18, 2021):-Central Punjab pacer Mohammad Ali’s six for 37 had Khyber Pakhtunkhwa struggling at 187 for nine and trailing by 83 when stumps were called for the second day’s play at Multan Cricket Stadium in the fifth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22. The right-arm pacer accounted for Sahibzada Farhan (24), Nabi Gul (seven), Adil Amin (26), Rehan Afridi (18), Khalid Usman (11) and Niaz Khan (0). The pacer’s remarkable spell has Central Punjab at the verge of collecting all six available points for bowling. They have already collected three points for removing eight or more wickets in 100 overs and will get further three if they dismiss the last Khyber Pakhtunkhwa batter under the score of 200. It was 46 by Musadiq Ahmed and 42 not out by Asif Afridi that dragged Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 187. Asif, who usmashed three fours and four sixes in the 31 balls he faced, will be joined by Imran Khan Snr when play resumes on Friday. Central Punjab after resuming the day on 206 for six were bowled out for 270 inside 10 overs as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected four bowling points. Mohammad Saad fell two runs short of a century as he fell on 98 after resuming the day on 64. Imran, Sameen Gul and Asif Afridi picked up three wickets each. Ahsan Ali followed up his triple century in the last round with a 62-ball 70 as Sindh managed 161 for three in reply of Southern Punjab’s 310 before bad light enforced the close of play at the Gaddafi Stadium. The right-handed opener smashed 13 fours, before he became Sindh’s third wicket to fall after Khurram Manzoor and Ammad Alam were sent packing by Aamer Yamin and Zia-ul-Haq. It was Saad Khan’s unbeaten 80-ball 54 (eight fours) which propelled Sindh to 161. He will resume the innings with his captain, Asad Shafiq, who is not out on 11, on Friday. Earlier, Umar Siddiq converted his overnight 61 into 84. The Southern Punjab skipper became Test cricketer Tabish Khan’s second victim. The destroyer-in-chief, however, was Sohail Khan, who dismissed four batters and gave away 62 runs in 26 overs. Northern, in what is a remarkable comeback following a defeat to Southern Punjab in the last round, were 50 runs ahead of Balochistan at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad as they closed the day on 17 for none playing for the second time in the match. It was Raza Hasan’s four wickets at the cost of 67 runs which rolled out Balochistan for 211. Bismillah Khan and Akbar-ur-Rehman scored half-centuries as they made 64 and 50. Northern’s Mehran Mumtaz took three wickets for 80, while Mubasir Khan returned two for 21. By dismissing Balochistan inside 100 overs and under 250, Northern bagged five bowling points. At the start of day, Balochistan had also bagged five points for rolling out Northern for 244 in 84.4 overs. Toss Uncontested – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opt to bowl against Central Punjab at Multan Cricket Stadium Central Punjab 270 all out, 88.3 overs (Mohammad Saad 98, Ahmed Shehzad 36, Imran Dogar 32, Zafar Gohar 24, Saif Badar 23, Zafar Gohar 21 not out; Sameen Gul 3-55, Asif Afridi 3-57, Imran Khan Snr 3-97) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 187-9, 46 overs (Musadiq Ahmed 46, Asif Afridi 42 not out, Adil Amin 26, Sahibzada Farhan 24; Mohammad Ali 6-37) Innings points – Central Punjab 5, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4 Toss Uncontested – Sindh opt to bowl against Southern Punjab at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Southern Punjab 310 all out, 101.3 overs (Umar Siddiq 84, Imran Rafiq 68, Umar Siddiq 61 not out, Zain Abbas 45, Yousuf Babar 36, Tayyab Tahir 24, Zia-ul-Haq 22; Sohail Khan 4-62, Tabish Khan 2-81, Mohammad Asghar 2-91) Sindh 161-3, 35 overs (Ahsan Ali 70, Saad Khan 54 not out) Innings points – Southern Punjab 4, Sindh 3 Northern won the toss and elected to bat against Balochistan at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Northern 244 all out, 84.4 overs (Abdul Faseeh 47, Rohail Nazir 41, Umar Amin 37, Muhammad Huraira 33, Mehran Mumtaz 23, Aamir Jamal 22; Kashif Bhatti 5-92, Raza-ul-Hasan 2-37, Jalat Khan 2-68) and 17-0, 10 overs (Muhammad Huraira 12 not out, Abdul Faseeh 5 not out) Balochistan 211 all out, 74.1 overs (Bismillah Khan 64, Akbar-ur-Rehman 50, Gohar Faiz 22; Raza Hasan 4-67, Mehran Mumtaz 3-80, Mubasir Khan 2-21) Innings points – Northern 6, Balochistan 6

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Lahore (November 17, 2021):-Left-arm orthodox Kashif Bhatti recorded a five-wicket haul for Balochistan against Northern at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium on first day of the fifth round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22. This was 35-year-old’s 22nd first-class five-for. Kashif took five wickets for 92 runs in 30 overs as Northern finished the day on 244 for nine and helped Balochistan gather three bowling points with an eye on bonus points (for bowling out opposition). If Balochistan dismiss Northern’s last wicket under 250 they would bag two points. Doing so between the score of 251-300 would get them one point. The other four wickets were shared equally between off-spinner Raza-ul-Hasan and left-arm orthodox Jalat Khan. With the scores of 47 and 41, Northern’s Abdul Faseeh and Rohail Nazir put up resistance. Both batters, however, were sent packing by Kashif. In the match between Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Multan Cricket Stadium, Mohammad Saad was not out on 64 as the former closed the day on 206 for six after the latter opted to bowl without contesting the toss. Saad had arrived at the crease with Central Punjab at 84 for two and smashed seven fours from the 131 balls he faced. He was joined by all-rounder Zafar Gohar (21 not out) when stumps were drawn. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s pacer Imran Khan Snr and left-arm orthodox Asif Afridi took two wickets each, while Sameen Gul and Khalid Usman removed a batter each. Half-centuries by captain Umar Siddiq and Imran Rafiq had Southern Punjab on 211 for four against Sindh at the Gaddafi Stadium. The pair added 118 runs for the third wicket before Imran was out on 68 (eight fours). Umar was unbeaten on 61 (seven fours, 148 balls). Opener Zain Abbas struck 45 and stitched a 61-run opening partnership with Tayyab Tahir (24) after Sindh captain Asad Shafiq elected to bowl without contesting the toss. The four wickets to fall on the day were picked up by Sohail Khan, Mir Hamza, Tabish Khan and Mohammad Asghar. Scores in brief: Northern won the toss and elected to bat against Balochistan at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad Northern 244-9, 84 overs (Abdul Faseeh 47, Rohail Nazir 41, Umar Amin 37, Muhammad Huraira 33, Mehran Mumtaz 23, Aamir Jamal 22; Kashif Bhatti 5-92, Raza-ul-Hasan 2-37, Jalat Khan 2-68) Innings points – Northern 1, Balochistan 3 Toss Uncontested – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa opt to bowl against Central Punjab at Multan Cricket Stadium Central Punjab 206-6, 70.3 overs (Mohammad Saad 64 not out, Ahmed Shehzad 36, Imran Dogar 32, Saif Badar 23, Zafar Gohar 21 not out; Asif Afridi 2-42, Imran Khan Snr 2-73) Innings points – Central Punjab 1, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 2 Toss Uncontested – Sindh opt to bowl against Southern Punjab at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Southern Punjab 211-4, 73 overs (Imran Rafiq 68, Umar Siddiq 61 not out, Zain Abbas 45, Tayyab Tahir 24) Innings points – Southern Punjab 1, Sindh 1