Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportAbu Dhabi (UAE);  Through an enthralling display of bowling prowess, MI Emirates skittled out Abu Dhabi Knight Riders for 95 runs in 14.1 overs to record a resounding nine-wicket win in the sixth match of the DP World ILT20 Season 2 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. Trent Boult (3 for 14) wiped away the cream of the Knight Riders’ batting backed by Akeal Hosein with two wickets for 21 runs. Knight Riders’ experienced allrounder Andre Russell stood amidst the ruins to hit a fighting 48 runs off 25 balls with four sixes and three boundaries. Muhammad Rohid Khan hastened the end of Knight Riders’ innings taking three wickets for 25 runs. MI Emirates began their chase with Mohammad Waseem and Kusal Perera striking comfortably. Waseem started by hitting Josh Little for two boundaries and a six off consecutive deliveries in the first over while Perera did the same against David Willey in the second over off successive deliveries. Together they put on 42 runs in 4.2 overs before Perera got out to Matiullah Khan caught by Sunil Narine at mid-on for 22.Skipper Nicholas Pooran, who joined Waseem, carried his team quickly to the target with an unbeaten 39 off 16 balls with five sixes and one boundary. Waseem remained unbeaten on 26 off 20 balls with two boundaries and a six. The MI Emirates won the match with 71 balls to spare. This big win lifted them to the top of the table too. The tale of Knight Riders’ disastrous batting began after Emirates won the toss and elected to bowl. Knight Riders lost half the side for 22 runs in 6.1 overs. UAE’s 21-year-old opener Alishan Sharafu had started off by scoring boundaries off Hosein and Boult, but fell in the third over hitting Hosein to Tim David at mid-off for 10. His opening partner Andries Gous, who had hit a match winning unbeaten 95 against Desert Vipers in his previous match, was joined by Michael Pepper. Boult removed Pepper (5) and Sam Hain (0), both of whom edged to wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran. He also went on to get Gous, caught by Dwayne Bravo at mid-on for 3. Hosein uprooted Laurie Evans off stump for 1. Imad Wasim and Andre Russell pushed the score to 47 before Wasim became the sixth wicket to fall, caught by Bravo at slip off Fazalhaq Farooqi for 7. In the 10th over, Ravi Bopara played Muhammad Rohid on to his wicket for a duck. Rohid also had David Willley caught by David at mid-on for a duck. At the half way mark, Abu Dhabi was tottering at 53 for 8. Skipper Narine, who joined Andre Russell, lasted just five balls to score one run before hitting high to Boult at mid-off. Russell though kept the scoreboard moving through some big hits. He smashed Rohid for two sixes in the 14th over and put on 36 runs in 16 balls with last man Josh Little.

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Charles virtually carried his team on his shoulders with a 71 runs partnership in 51 balls for the fourth wicket with Lewis Gregory (16), and a 29-run stand with UAE’s Basil Hameed for the fifth wicket. Though Charles got out when Warriors needed 27 runs off 23 balls, Hameed, through an unbeaten 24, and Daniel Sams (16n.o), carried their team to the victory with seven balls to spare. Capitals’ medium pacer Dushmantha Chameera picked four out of the five wickets that fell for 28 runs, but his efforts went in vain. Capitals were put into bat, but they posted a fighting total of 170 for 7 in 20 overs. Sam Billings top scored with 52 runs off 32 balls with four sixes and one boundary while Sikandar Raza’s hit 48 runs off 23 balls with three boundaries and three sixes. Together they put on 81 runs for the fourth wicket off 44 balls after their team got off to a slow start scoring just 38 runs in the powerplay. In pursuit of their target of 171 runs, Warriors brought in opener Martin Guptill as the super- sub in place of Dilshan Madushanka, but he got run out for 2.Skipper and opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore then edged Dushmantha Chameera to wicketkeeper Gurbaz for 3. Niroshan Dickwella, who put on 25 runs in 12 balls with Charles, got out to Chameera for 7. By the end of the powerplay, Charles ensured that Warriors was strongly placed at 60 for 3 by scoring 42 off those runs. He raced to his half century in 26 balls. In the last ten overs, Warriors needed 79 runs. Chameera picked his third wicket clean bowling Gregory in the 13th over for 16. Hameed and Sams then carried their team to the target.  

Sports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): South Africa’s wicketkeeper batter, Andries Gous played an unbeaten 95 runs innings to lead Abu Dhabi Knight Riders to a sensational win against Desert Vipers in the third match of the DP World ILT20 season 2 at the Dubai International Stadium.Gous’ knock off 50 balls studded with five boundaries and seven sixes enthralled the large Sunday crowd and his team owner and Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan. His 85 runs partnership in 47 balls for the second wicket along with Michael-Kyle Pepper (36), and his 71 runs stand in 43 balls for the fourth wicket with Laurie Evans (21) ensured his team an easy six-wicket win with 14 balls to spare. Earlier, Knight Riders restricted Desert Vipers to a gettable 164 for 8 through some tight bowling led by their skipper Sunil Narine (2 for 23) and Ali Khan’s fine death-over spell bagging 3 for 29. Adam Hose top scored with 45 runs off 30 balls after his skipper Colin Munro hit a quick 22 in 12 balls. Vipers may not have crossed the 150 mark but for Wanindu Hasaranga (24) and Hose’s 57 runs partnership off 40 balls for the fourth wicket. Knight Riders skipper Sunil Narine won the toss and elected to bowl. Since his team had finished at the bottom of the points table in the first edition, he hoped that the new faces in his team would bring them luck this time. Colin Munro, skipper of Vipers that finished as runners-up last season hoped that even if the toss was lost, it was important to bat well and adapt accordingly. He then opened the innings along with Alex Hales.  Munro even gave a positive start by hitting David Willey for a boundary in the first over and a six and a boundary off Imad Wasim in the second over. Hales began to open up with two consecutive boundaries off Willey but fell to the third ball of the third over, caught by Wasim at covers for 11. Joshua Little took the big wicket of Munro, who pulled him straight into the hands of Laurie Evans for 22.  One-drop batter Daniel Lawrence, who attempted a slog sweep, landed up hitting Wasim high to wicketkeeper Andries Gous for 19. All eyes turned towards Sri Lanka’s Hasaranga, who joined Hose. He went on to slog sweep Wasim for a six in the 10thover. At the half way stage, Vipers were nine short of the 100-run mark.When runs were hard to get, Hose hit Little for a six and two consecutive boundaries in the 12th over. In the 14thover, Ali Khan struck to remove Hose for 45, caught behind while attempting a reverse hit. Hose had put on 57 runs off 40 balls for the fourth wicket with Hasaranga. Narine struck in the 15th over removing Hasaranga caught at deep-midwicket by Willey for 24 and Sherfane Rutherford caught and bowled for a duck. With only five overs to go, Vipers were struggling at 127 for 6. Ali Khan bowled another brilliant over giving away just four runs. Bas de Leede and Rohan Mustafa steered the score past the 150-run mark before de Leede fell to the accurate Ali Khan for 14. Ali Khan also clean bowled Mohammad Amir for 4 for his third wicket. In the end, Mustafa remained unbeaten with a run-a-ball 13. Knight Riders began their chase by losing UAE’s young opener Alishan Sharafu who pulled Sheldon Cottrell and top edged to Tymal Mills at backward point for 1. One-drop Pepper, who joined opener Gous, began by hitting Mohammad Amir for two consecutive boundaries. Gous then went on to hit Cottrell for two sixes in the fourth over.  Twenty runs were scored off that Cottrell’s over. Pepper strengthened Knight Riders’ chase hitting De Leede for three consecutive boundaries in the eighth over and taking 22 runs off the over. Mills provided the breakthrough in the 10th over by having Pepper caught by Munro at extra cover for 36. Pepper and Gous had put on 85 runs in 47 balls for the second wicket. With ten overs to go, Knight Riders needed 74 runs. Sam Hains lasted only five balls before getting clean bowled to Lawrence for 1. Gous reached his half century in 28 balls lifting Mustafa for a six over deep mid-wicket. He went on to hit Hasaranga for two consecutive boundaries and a six in the 13th over to make it a run-a-ball target for his team. Laurie Evans ensured more strike was taken by his aggressive partner Gous, and together they put their team on the road to an easy victory. They put on 71 runs in 43 balls for the fourth wicket before Evans fell to Mills, caught by Hose at long-on for 21. By then, only three runs were needed to win. Imad Wasim hit the winning boundary as Gous remained unbeaten five runs short of a century. 

Gurbaz (81 off 39 balls), Jake Fraser-McGurk (54 off 25 balls) star in Dubai Capitals’ victorySports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Dubai Capitals outclassed MI Emirates by 7 wickets in the second match of the ILt20, as duo stars Gurbaz (81 off 39 balls), and Jake Fraser-McGurk (54 off 25 balls) guided their team to a comprehensive win here at Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday night.Emirates after getting off to a good start, slipped from a strong 79 for 1 in seven overs to 140 for 8 by the 19th over. Big hits from Tim David (27) took the score past the 150 run mark, but the architect of their fine start was UAE’s Muhammad Waseem who cracked 51 runs off 26 balls with four sixes and two boundaries. He was backed by Andre Fletcher (30) and Nicholas Pooran (21). Sikandar Raza was responsible to put the brakes on Emirates taking three wickets for 21 backed by Jason Holder (3 for 34).After the win, David Warner remarked that the energy in his team’s camp helped. “I enjoy leadership. There is great energy in our camp and that helps.” On Gurbaz and Fraser's knocks, Warner said: “These two guys come with clear minds and are at the peak of their game right now.” He then went on to appreciate Trent Boult for the delivery that got him out. “I have had a lot of good battles against Boult. This is the first time I am seeing the ball swing so much here after a long time.”MI Emirates skipper Pooran admitted that his team did not play smart cricket. “We kept losing wickets and should have played smart. All credit to Dubai Capitals, they bowled well. We thought we had a chance with 160, but surely it wasn't enough. We knew batting first was going to be tricky. We just weren't good enough. We fell short of runs. But Fraser and Gurbaz batted well.”Dubai Capitals' skipper Warner won the toss and elected to bowl stating that the wicket looked good and his team would chase the runs down. Emirates skipper Pooran too remarked that his team would have loved to bowl first, but they need to adapt to conditions and be competitive.England’s Will Smeed, opening the Emirates innings with UAE’s Mohammad Waseem, hit the first boundary of the day square driving Dushmantha Chameera. Jason Holder struck in the second over having Smeed brilliantly caught by a leaping Sam Billings at slips for 5. This brought in Andre Fletcher. Waseem got off the mark hitting Chameera over his head for a boundary. He also hit the first six of the match lifting Roelof van der Merwe over long on, and took 18 runs off that over with two boundaries.Fletcher opened up from the fifth over when he hit Paul van Meekeren for two boundaries and a six to take the score past the 50 run mark. Holder, who was re-introduced for the sixth over, was hit for 21 runs, which included sixes from Waseem and Fletcher.Akif Raja bowled the seventh over to end Fletcher’s knock forcing him to hit high to Powell at long-on for 30. His 18-ball knock had three boundaries and two sixes. He put on 72 runs in 34 balls with Waseem for the second wicket. Waseem reached his half century in 24 balls, and together with his captain Pooran, took the score past the 100 run mark.Raza ended Waseem’s fine knock forcing him to lift to Holder at long-off for 51. His knock off 26 balls had two boundaries and four sixes. Raza also struck to remove Ambati Rayudu, caught and bowled for 1.The flow of runs however reduced from the 10th over with Van Meekeren yielding only six runs. Raza gave away just three runs and Akif Raja gave away only four runs. Raza then went on to bowl Pooran for 21 in the 14th over. With half the side back in the dug-out for 120, MI Emirates struggled for runs. Van der Merwe had Corey Anderson caught by Billing at deep-midwicket for 1.Holder went on to trap Dwayne Bravo leg before for 2 and also had Akeal Hosen caught by Billings at long-on for 7. Tim David hit Chameera for two consecutive sixes in the last over and took the score past the 150-run mark. He got out to the fifth ball caught by Holder at long off for 27. Capitals began their chase through David Warner, who was cheered all the way to the crease by the crowd, along with Gurbaz. Boult would have got Gurbaz out for a duck to the third ball had he not dropped the return catch. Fazalhaq Farooqi, who was brought in as a super-sub in place of Rayudu, bowled the second over and Gurbaz celebrated his luck hitting him for a six over long-on.The first to go was Warner to a fine delivery from Boult that took the outside edge and flew into the hands of Zahoor Khan for 1. Fraser, who came in as super-sub for Paul Meekran, went for his shots and hit Akeal Hosein for a six and two boundaries. He also smashed Farooqi for a well-timed boundary and another six over long-leg. Delhi Capitals' 50 runs came in five overs. Gurbaz was severe on Zahoor Khan hitting him for three consecutive boundaries in the sixth over while Fraser hit Hosein for two successive sixes in the seventh. Fraser reached his half century in 21 balls and Capitals went past the 100-run mark in 8.5 overs. Gurbaz too reached his half century in 26 balls. So severe was the onslaught of this pair that their 100 runs partnership came in 44 balls.By the halfway mark, Capitals needed only 38 runs. Fraser got out to Boult in the 11th over, caught at long-off by Anderson for 54. Gurbaz too got out but after hitting 81 runs, brilliantly caught by Waseem at deep mid-wicket off Farooqi. Sam Billings and Rovman Powell then steered their team to the target in 16 overs.

Defending Champions claim a comprehensive victory against hosts in the opening tieSports Bulletin ReportSharjah (UAE): Defending Champions Gulf Giants defeated hosts Sharjah Warriors by 31 runs in the opening match of the ILT20 Season 2 here at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday night. Jamie Overton (3 for 29) was declared Man of the Match.Gulf Giants posted 198 for 7 in 20 overs building on the strength of a fine opening partnership of 61 runs in 5.2 overs between skipper James Vince and Jamie Smith. Vince top scored with 45 runs off 35 balls with three boundaries and two sixes while Smith cracked a breezy 42 off 18 balls with three boundaries and four sixes.Off spinner Maheesh Theekshana, who bowled brilliantly provided the breakthrough. He returned with figures of 4 for 15 producing carrom ball deliveries and accurate off cutters. Usman Khan hit a quick 32 runs off 18 balls with four boundaries and a six while Jordan Cox chipped in with 32 off 22 balls with two boundaries and two sixes. At one stage it looked like Giants could post over 225 runs but for Theekshan’s tight bowling and Chris Woakes’s two wickets for 35 runs.Sharjah Warriors began their chase confidently through an opening partnership of 93 in 10.3 overs between Martin Guptill and Johnson Charles but in end could muster only 167 for 7 in 20 overs. Jamie Overton struck to remove Guptill for 40 and also Charles for 57. After this partnership was broken Giants went for the kill with Chris Jordan striking twice in the 17th over. Guptill’s 40 came off 30 balls with six boundaries and a six. Charles’s 57 off 38 balls had six boundaries and three sixes.Scotland’s Chris Sole, who bowled the second over was lifted by Smith over mid-on for a boundary off the third ball. The fourth delivery was pulled out of the stadium for a mighty six and the fifth was cracked past point for another boundary. Smith also hit the last ball of the over through mid-wicket for another six and took 21 runs off that over.Woakes checked the run flow in the third over giving only four runs and so did off spinner Maheesh Theekshana yielding only six runs but the 50 runs partnership came in 4.5 overs. Smith was severe on Daniel Sams too hitting him for two consecutive sixes to take 19 runs off the fifth over. The 61-runs partnership ended in the sixth over when Theekshana clean bowled Smith for 42.Runs flowed with Vince lifting Qais for another six over long-off. Theekshana struck again in the 12th over to have Vince slash at him and getting caught at slips by Gregory for 45. His knock off 35 balls had three boundaries and two sixes. He also had Shimron Hetmyer leg before with the next ball.Usman Khan who joined Cox hit his first delivery for a six off Qais Ahmad to long-on. Cox smashed Woakes for a boundary and six off second and third ball of the 14th over but fell to the fourth ball attempting a reverse sweep and got caught behind by wicketkeeper Niroshan Dickwella for 32. Giants reached 150-run mark came in 14.5 overs.Usman Khan further accelerated the run flow cracking three consecutive boundaries off Sams in the 16th over. Theekshana picked his fourth wicket removing Usman Khan caught by Woakes at long-off for 32. His knock off 18 balls had four boundaries and a six. Jamie Overton fell to Sams for 5 and Karim Janat too followed, falling to Woakes for 17 but Giants posted 198 for 7 in the 20 overs. Warriors began their chase through Johnson Charles and Martin Guptill providing an excellent start. Though off the first over Guptill scored only a boundary off Richard Gleeson, in the subsequent overs runs flowed. Charles hit Geelson for a boundary and six in the third over while Guptill picked two consecutive boundaries off Mujeeb Ur Rehman. Guptill on 18 got dropped by Jordan at long-on off Dominic Drakes. Their 50-runs partnership came in 5.4 overs.The pair went on to put 93 runs in 10.3 overs before Guptill steered Jamie Overton into the hands of Gleeson at third man boundary. Charles reached his half century in 34 balls with six boundaries and two sixes. The score went past the 100 run mark in 12.1 overs through a six from Charles over long-0n. Charles fell at his score on 57 to a slower delivery from Overton, caught by Usman Khan at deep mid-wicket.Drakes picked the valuable wicket of skipper Tom Kohler-Cadmore in the 15th over for 19 through a running catch by Vince. In the last five overs, Warriors needed 70 runs. Overton struck again by clean bowling Daniel Sams with a yorker for 4. This titled the match in Giants favour.Niroshan Dickwella joined Lewis Gregory but Chris Jordan clean bowled Gregory for 3 and Dickwella for 4 to put his team on the road to victory.

Lahore stun Peshawar by 147 runs, Sidra Amin (113), and Sadaf Shams (106) hit unbeaten tonsAbdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Lahore, Karachi, and Rawalpindi have claimed victories in the National Women’s T20 Tournament 2023-24 by thrashing their respective opponents at three different cricket venues of twin cities Rawalpindi and Islamabad on Thursday.Lahore crush Peshawar by 147 runs (Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi):Lahore’s decision to bat first paid dividends as the side put a mammoth 233 for no loss in the allotted 20 overs. Both the opening batters smashed unbeaten centuries. Sidra Amin took 55 deliveries to hit 113, including 12 boundaries and six maximums.She was supported by Sadaf Shams, who scored 106 from 66, showcasing 15 fours and two sixes. Peshawar bowlers toiled hard with the ball, but remained wicketless.In return, Peshawar could only manage 86-4 in 20 overs. Opening batters Aleena Shah (11, 16b, 2x4s) and Momina Riyasat (1, 5b) both fell cheaply to right-arm pacer Fatima Khan.Tehzeeb Shah, who contributed 20 from 21 with four boundaries, was caught Sidra off leg-spinner Ghulam Fatima’s bowling. Sidra later ran out Shabnam Hayat (15, 37b, 1x4) as well.Raahima Syed scored an unbeaten 28 from 42, including three boundaries, which went in vain as Peshawar lost by 147 runs.Sidra and Sadaf were jointly awarded players of the match.Karachi outplay Multan by 7 wickets (Ayub Park Ground, Rawalpindi):Karachi cruised to a seven-wicket victory over Multan after completing the target of 92 in just 11.5 overs. Javeria Khan top-scored with the bat, hitting 47 from 37, including six fours and a maximum.Syeda Aroob Shah, the fifth batter in, produced an unbeaten knock of 17 from 10, including a six and a four, to take Karachi over the line. Yusra Amir (15, 19b, 2x4s) was the other contributors with the bat.Tasmia Rubab, Asma Shareef and Rehmat Noreen got a wicket each for Multan.Earlier, Multan were bundled over for a paltry 91. Opening batter Aleena Masood top-scored for the side with a 37-ball 26, including four boundaries.Skipper Gull Feroza chipped in 13 from 11, including two fours, before she fell to off-spinner Rameen Shamim. Warda Yousaf (11, 12b, 2x4s) and Tasmia (10, 6b, 2x4s) also furthered their side’s total.Aroob was the pick of the bowlers for Karachi, grabbing three wickets for just 16 runs in four overs. Rameen accounted for two scalps for 15 runs in three overs. Skipper Fatima Sana, Omaima Sohail and Syeda Masooma Zahra also dismissed a batter each.For her all-round brilliance, Aroob was adjudged player of the match.Rawalpindi beat Quetta by 8 wickets (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad):After opting to bowl first against Quetta, Rawalpindi had a strong start when Fatima Shah struck to get opening batter Dua Majid out for just three runs.Fareeha Mahmood and Tuba Hassan stitched a 58-run second-wicket partnership to bring a semblance of stability to the innings. Skipper Aliya Riaz provided the breakthrough as she rattled Fareeha’s (29, 38b, 6x4s) stumps.Jannat Rasheed (13, 14b, 1x4) also chipped in with the bat. Tuba, who scored an undefeated half-century, was the top-scorer for Quetta. Her knock of 70 from 43, showcasing seven fours and three sixes, took the team to 136-5 in 20 overs.Rawalpindi had a faltering start to the chase. Right-arm pacer Khairun Nisa landed two early blows with both the opening batters, Aima (2, 6b) and Fajar Naveed (10, 11b, 1x4), walking back to the pavilion cheaply.Aliya and Natalia built an undefeated 124-run stand for the third-wicket, which allowed Rawalpindi to recuperate after the early setback. Natalia hit an undefeated 57 from 44, with seven fours and a six, supporting her skipper batting at the other end.Aliya, who was also awarded player of the match, smashed unbeaten 63 from 49 deliveries, including seven boundaries and four maximums, to take her team over the rope.

Defending champions Gulf Giants to take on Sharjah Warriors on Friday in SharjahSports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): Defending champions Gulf Giants will face Sharjah Warriors in the opening match of the DP World ILT20 Season 2 on Friday at Sharjah Cricket Stadium, as six teams will fight for the title at the three different venues of United Arab Emirates (UAE).On Thursday, team captains and vice captains who assembled at the Dubai International Stadium for a photo shoot with the trophy, and a press conference that followed, were upbeat about their respective team’s performances. Legendary pacer Shoaib Akhtar, Brand Ambassador for the DP World ILT20 season 2, set the tempo for the action to follow by stating: “They are all superstars. I am glad I was not born in this era. Players like Chris Lynn would have smacked me all over. Sunil Narine would have always got me out. Good luck to you all. I am sure you will be all rooting for your teams. This is the trophy to be won.” Akhtar then lauded UAE for creating such a platform through this tournament saying. “We saw UAE Under-19 team beating Pakistan Under-19 and this tournament has played a big role in showcasing young talent here.” Chris Lynn of Gulf Giants, who etched his name in the history of the tournament by winning the inaugural edition of the tournament, said: “We obviously did great work last year. T20 is all about reinventing and adapting to the conditions. Last year we had some great batting wickets, and hopefully we will repeat our performance.” Talking about the Green, White, Red and Blue Belts for outstanding performance in the tournament, Lynn said: “It is a big motivation to the players but it also about playing and winning for the team. It is a recognition of performance and pride. Sunil Narine, skipper of the Abu Dhabi Knight Riders, who has an exciting squad, said: “Some things went wrong with us last year. We will better that show this season. Our ultimate goal is to win this trophy. Though I do enjoy playing in Abu Dhabi, the aim will be to adapt to all wickets and execute our plans.” Colin Munro, skipper of the Desert Vipers with star Pakistan player like Shaheen Shah Afridi in his side, has an outstanding team. Talking about his team’s chances, Munro said: “We have some superstars in our team. We will try and adapt to the conditions here and produce a good show.” Sam Billings of Dubai Capitals, who addressed the press conference in place of his captain David Warner who will be arriving soon, said: “It will be great to play with David having often played against him. We have a great team and we are confident of producing a good show. With all other teams too being strong, this will be a great completion.” Nicholas Pooran, skipper of Mumbai Indians Emirates, and who has played some scintillating cricket in the DP World ILT20 Season 1, confirmed that his eyes are on the beautiful trophy. “We look forward to the challenge. We are hoping for a great start. It is great to be leading the Mumbai franchise. There are many superstars in this tournament; so it is not going to be easy. To be successful we have to work hard and we are ready for the challenge.” Tom Kohler-Cadmore, skipper of the Sharjah Warriors, who too produced some great knocks in the first season, said: “This year we have a more balanced team than last year. We have some very good allrounders and excellent batting options. We are confident of our boys. Every team wants to have a winning start and that is what we will look forward tomorrow. Hopefully we can start well and go towards the final.” All teams are packed with legendary cricketers who have sparkled especially in the T20 format and those who have displayed outstanding performances in the recent ICC World Cup in India. Over 100 international cricketers will feature in Season 2. Stars like David Warner, Shaheen Afridi, Sunil Narine, Dwayne Bravo, Nicholas Pooran, Alex Hales, Shadab Khan, Rovman Powell, Dasun Shanaka, Sikandar Raza, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, James Vince, Chris Jordan, Trent Boult, Carlos Brathwaite, Ambati Rayudu, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Chris Woakes, Sherfane Rutherford and Sheldon Cottrell will all be seen in action. Some of the UAE players who have produced sterling performances in international matches recently like Aayan Khan, Muhammad Waseem, Aditya Shetty, Aryan Lakra, Karthik Meiyappan, Rohan Mustafa, Vritya Aravind, Basil Hameed, and Alishan Sharafu are all playing for the different teams. A total of 25 UAE players will feature in this edition. 

Sports Bulletin ReportDunedin (New Zealand): Hosts New Zealand earned an unbeatable lead 3-0 in the 5-match T20i Series against Pakistan after posting a 45-run win in the third T20I at University Oval, Dunedin on Wednesday.Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, lucky or unlucky, won the toss and again decided to chase the target to bounce back in the series, however, a sparking innings by Finn Allen (137 off 62 balls) shattered the dreams of the skipper and his teammates. Black Caps put a mammoth total of 224-7 in 20 over per innings fixture.Although opening batter Devon Conway (7, 8b, 1x4) departed early, falling to Haris Rauf in the fourth over, Allen and Tim Seifert gave New Zealand a breezy start. A 125-run second-wicket partnership between the two allowed the home side to gain control of the innings. Mohammad Wasim provided the breakthrough for Pakistan by removing Seifert, who walked back after scoring 31 from 23, including three fours and a six.Allen went on to complete his second century in T20Is before he was removed by Zaman Khan in the 18th over. The opening batter produced an impressive 137 from 62, including five fours and a record 16 maximums. He was later adjudged player of the match for the second consecutive time.Glenn Phillips (19, 15b, 1x4, 1x6) was the other contributor with the bat as New Zealand crossed the 200-run mark for the second time in the series. The Pakistan attack had a rough day at the office, with each bowler conceding in excess of eight runs an over. Haris bagged two wickets while Shaheen Shah Afridi, Zaman, Wasim and Nawaz accounted for one each.Opening batter Saim Ayub (10, 13b, 2x4s) was dismissed inside the powerplay of the Pakistan chase, courtesy of Tim Southee. A 39-run partnership between Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan brought a semblance of stability to the chase, however, it was cut short by Mitchell Santner who removed Rizwan (24, 20b, 2x6s).Pakistan’s top run-getter of the innings, Babar, completed his third consecutive half-century (58, 37b, 8x4s, 1x6) before he fell to Ish Sodhi. Fakhar Zaman (19, 10b, 2x4s, 1x6) got a start as well before Lockie Ferguson dismissed him.Nawaz (28, 15b, 2x4s, 2x6s) stitched a 40-run seventh wicket stand with his captain Shaheen (16 not out, 11b, 1x4, 1x6) though the result seemed like a foregone conclusion by then.Southee, who picked up two wickets at the expense of 29 runs in his allotted four overs, was the pick of the bowlers for New Zealand as the home side successfully restricted Pakistan to 179-7 in 20 overs to win the game by 45 runs.

Sports Bulletin ReportHamilton (New Zeeland): Hosts New Zealand defeated Pakistan by 21 runs in the second T20 international fixture of the five-match Series in Hamilton New Zealand on Sunday, as a couple of half-centuries by Babar and Fakhar were not enough to sail the team to victory. Black Caps have earned a 2-0 lead in the vital T20i series.Pakistani captain Shaheen Shah Afridi won the toss and invited Kiwis to bat first. New Zealand posted 194 for the loss of eight wickets in the first innings. In return, Pakistan were bowled out for 173 courtesy of a solid performance by the home side’s bowling attack.A 59-run opening stand between Finn Allen and Devon Conway allowed New Zealand a breezy start. Aamir Jamal provided the first breakthrough for Pakistan by removing Conway (20, 15b, 3x4s) in the last over of the powerplay.New Zealand skipper Kane Williamson then stitched a 52-run partnership with Allen before he tight hamstring forced him to retire hurt after contributing a 15-ball 26, including three fours and a six. Allen’s attack saw him produce 74 from 41 balls, showcasing seven boundaries and five maximums before he fell to a googly by Usama Mir in the 13th over, handing the latter his maiden T20I wicket. Right-arm pacer Haris Rauf, who bagged three scalps in one over, was the most successful bowler for Pakistan. He was supported by fellow right-arm pacer Abbas Afridi, who accounted for two wickets. Aamir and Usama had a wicket each.Chasing 195, the visitors struggled at the start losing opening batters Saim Ayub (1, 3b) and Mohammad Rizwan (7, 5b, 1x6) inside the first two overs. Babar Azam and Fakhar Zaman batted well to add 87 runs for the third-wicket partnership, bringing a semblance of stability to the innings.Adam Milne struck in the 10th over to turn the tide for New Zealand as he disturbed Fakhar’s stumps, who walked back after scoring a fiery 25-ball 50, studded with three fours and five sixes. Pakistan then lost Iftikhar Ahmed, Azam Khan and Aamir cheaply to bring the total to 125-6 in 14.3 overs.Babar completed his 32nd T20I half-century (66, 43b, 7x4s, 2x6s) before he was caught by Tim Southee off Ben Sears’ bowling. Pakistan captain Shaheen Shah Afridi added a quick-fire 22 from 13, including one four and two maximums, attempting to keep Pakistan in the game, until he fell to Milne.A four-wicket haul by Milne, complemented by two wickets each by Sears, Southee and Ish Sodhi helped dismiss Pakistan for 173, to award New Zealand their second consecutive victory. Allen was adjudged player of the match for his impressive performance.

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Left-handed batter, Azan Awais is all set to feature in his maiden Under-19 World Cup for Pakistan Under-19 in South Africa and he’ll be the linchpin of the team’s batting unit during the tournament.Azan recently finished as the second-leading run-scorer in ACC Men’s U19 Asia Cup 2023 with 222 runs in four games. The highlight of his career, according to him, has been the hundred against India in that tournament, where he anchored Pakistan’s chase with maturity and courage.Azan played U13 Inter-Regional T20 Tournament 2017 for Sialkot U13, and returned in the same tournament as the leading run-scorer in the 2018 edition. His step up to the U16 level also yielded considerable success as he returned as the second leading run-scorer in the National U16 One Day Tournament 2019-20. In the subsequent edition of this tournament, he ended up as the third-leading run-scorer.Azan has played nine one-day games for Pakistan U19 and will be banking on his experience of batting in Bangladesh, Pakistan, Australia and UAE in the upcoming U19 World Cup. He was part of the Pakistan Shaheens side that toured Australia last year. In the One-Day series against Bangladesh U19, he was the leading run-scorer accumulating 269 runs in five outings.