Sports Bulletin

SPORTS BULLETIN Multan:-Sohail Khan’s four-fer and Sharjeel Khan’s blistering 53 off 36 balls led Sindh to their maiden National T20 title after beating Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by eight wickets in the final of the Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup 2022-23 here at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Monday evening. This was Sindh’s first National T20 title since the inception of the new domestic structure in 2019 and they also took away the glittering National T20 trophy besides the PKR 5million winners’ prize. While, this was defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s first defeat in the final in the last three years. In pursuit of a 141-run target, Sindh opening pair Saim Ayub and Sharjeel Khan provided a flying start to their team as both batters stroked eight fours and six sixes between them. The pair scored at 11 runs an over in the powerplay and stitched a 70-run partnership for the first wicket. The left-handed Saim was the first one to depart with 36 off 24 balls and ended the tournament with 416 runs at a staggering strike rate of over 155. Sharjeel top-scored for his side and smoked four fours and as many sixes during the course of his innings. Omair Bin Yousuf (21 not out, 12b, one four, two sixes) and captain Saud Shakeel (18 not out, 16b, two fours) saw Sindh chased down the target with 32 balls to spare. Earlier, the decision to bat first from Khalid Usman backfired as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wobbled at the top of the innings when they slumped to 44 for three in the powerplay. Sohail accounted for Sahibzada Farhan (four off two, one four) and Kamran Ghulam (16, 11b, four fours) in the first nine balls he bowled in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s batting. He went on to pick two more wickets (Mohmmad Sarwar Afridi 30 off 20, one four, two sixes) and Mohammad Abbas Afridi (one off two) to end with match figures of 4-0-18-4 and later adjudicated player of the final. Wicketkeeper-batter Rehan Afridi top-scored with a 41-ball 43, studded with four fours and one six. Mir Hamza and Asif Mehmood bagged two wickets apiece. That the Sindh were able to win the tournament goes to an all-round performance from the side which included performances from Saim – who was awarded player of the tournament, Sohail – who was awarded best bowler of the tournament with 21 scalps and Sarfaraz Ahmed – who was awarded with best wicket-keeper of the tournament with 13 dismissals to his name. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Sahibzada Farhan was awarded with best batter of the tournament with 429 runs. Scores in brief: Sindh beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by eight wickets Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 140 all out, 19.5 overs (Rehan Afridi 43, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 30; Sohail Khan 4-18, Mir Hamza 2-32, Asif Mehmood 2-35) Sindh 141-2, 14.4 overs (Sharjeel Khan 53, Saim Ayub 36) Awards: Player of the final: Sohail Khan (Sindh), PKR 50,000 Player of the tournament: Saim Ayub (416 runs), PKR 100,000 Best batter of the tournament: Sahibzada Farhan (429 runs), PKR 100,000 Best bowler of the tournament: Sohail Khan (21 wickets), PKR 100,000 Best wicketkeeper of the tournament: Sarfaraz Ahmed (13 dismissals), PKR 100,000

SPORTS BULLETIN Multan:-An unbeaten 42-run partnership off just 18 balls from Anwar Ali and Omair Bin Yousuf helped Sindh beat Central Punjab by five wickets in the second semi-final of Kingdom Valley National T20 2022-23 at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Sunday evening. The win also means Sindh – qualifying for the final of the National T20 for the first time since the inception of new domestic structure, will take on defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa tomorrow at the same venue. Requiring 25 runs from two overs to win in pursuit of 180-run target, right-handed Anwar dispatched Ahmed Daniyal for three sixes and a four to collect 24 runs in the penultimate over. He returned undefeated on a 13-ball 32, studded with two fours and three sixes. Omair Bin Yousuf – who struck the winning six with four balls to spare scored an unbeaten 51 off 36, hitting four fours and one six. Central Punjab’s Usama Mir bagged two wickets for 30 runs – both wickets in the 11th over of the innings which included the prized scalp of Sindh’s opening batter Saim Ayub who looked dangerous before getting out scoring a 24-ball 46, smashing four sixes and three fours. Earlier, the decision to bat first from Qasim Akram paid dividends as Central Punjab’s opening batters went berserk from the start and scored 77 runs in the powerplay – the most runs in this edition. Wicketkeeper-batter Muhammad Akhlaq was the first one to return to the pavilion in the seventh over not before scoring 28 off 15 balls, which included four towering sixes. The pair of Akhlaq and Mohammad Faizan knitted a 78-run partnership off 38 balls. Faizan didn’t stop there and continued to play big shots and brought up Central Punjab’s 100 in the 10th over – the fastest 100 of the ongoing tournament. Faizan top-scored for his side, scoring 52 off 31 balls and smoked six fours and three sixes at a staggering strike rate of 167.74. Qasim (25, 18b, three fours) and experienced Shoaib Malik (nine off 10, one four) failed to make an impact in Central Punjab’s batting and went in quick succession. That the Central Punjab were able to score 179 for eight in 20 overs was due to Irfan Khan Niazi’s unbeaten knock of 36 from 27 balls, which included two fours and as many sixes. Sindh’s Zahid Mehmood was the most successful bowler for his side with match figures of 4-0-20-4. Scores in brief: Sindh beat Central Punjab by five wickets Central Punjab 179-8, 20 overs (Mohammad Faizan 52, Irfan Khan Niazi 36 not out, Muhammad Akhlaq 28, Qasim Akram 25; Zahid Mehmood 4-20) Sindh 185-5, 19.2 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 51 not out, Saim Ayub 46, Anwar Ali 32 not out; Usama Mir 2-30) Player of the match – Omair Bin Yousuf and Zahid Mehmood (Sindh)

SPORTS BULLETIN Multan:-Three wickets off three balls (one run-out) from Mehran Mumtaz’s first over – 10th over of the innings and 40 unbeaten runs from Sohail Tanvir proved game changer for Northern as they defeated Southern Punjab by three runs to qualify for the semi-final in the 30th fixture of the Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup 2022-23 at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Saturday evening. Southern Punjab – that were set a modest 130-run target by Northern were well in course to achieve the target as they were 58 for two at the end of the ninth over. Introduction of left-arm spinner Mehran in the 10th over put brakes on their run-chase as Mehran got Salman Ali Agha (one off three) lbw on the first ball he bowled. The next ball he sent Sharoon Siraj (first ball duck) lbw without troubling the score. On a hat-trick ball, the direct throw from Usman Khan Shinwari was enough to send back non-striker Sohaib Maqsood (eight off seven, one four) back to the pavilion. After the quick dismissals of Southern Punjab’s batters, Northern were never in position to stage a comeback. Hasan Ali (26 not out off 16) – who was playing for the first time in the tournament struck two sixes and one four to give Southern Punjab a glimpse of hope, but Southern Punjab fell four runs shy of the target and were send packing from the tournament. Mehran, Usman Khan Shinwari and Zaman Khan bagged two wickets apiece for Northern. In the first semi-final table toppers Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will take on Northern, while Sindh will face Central Punjab in the second semi-final. Both semi-finals will be played tomorrow at the Multan Cricket Stadium and PTV Sports will broadcast the matches live while it be live streamed on the PCB YouTube channel. Earlier, after a 15-minute delayed start due to dust storm, Umar Amin’s decision to bat first didn’t go down well as Northern wobbled at the top of the innings when they slumped to 83 for seven in the 15th over. That Northern were managed to score over 100 was largely because of a 37-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Usman (21 off 16, three fours) and Sohail – who returned undefeated on 40 from 30 balls, smashing three fours and two sixes. Northern made 129 for eight from their allotted 20 overs. Hasan was dispatched for a six by Nasir Nawaz on the first ball he bowled, but the right-arm fast made a strong comeback to get Taimoor Sultan lbw for four on the last ball of his first over which went for 11 runs. Right-arm fast Mohammad Ilyas was amongst the wickets again as he took three wickets for 29. He accounted for Nasir (15, 15b, one four, one six), Mubasir Khan (six off five, one four) and Usman. Leg-spinner Ali Majid and right-arm fast Hasan bagged two wickets apiece for 29 and 3o runs, respectively.

SPORTS BULLETIN Multan:-Sahibzada Farhan blasted 102 off 64 to seal a 38-run win for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa over Balochistan in the 29th fixture of the Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup 2022-23 at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Saturday. The win also confirms Khyber Pakhtunkhwa place in the semi-final after topping the six-team table with 12 points from 10 matches. After being put into bat, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa openers Farhan and Rehan Afridi provided a solid 71-run start. Wicketkeeper-batter Rehan was the first one to return to the pavilion not before scoring 34 from 25 balls, which included six boundaries. Farhan was joined by Kamran Ghulam (26, 21, one four, one six) and the pair knitted a 64-run partnership for the second wicket. Farhan continued to play shots at will and brought up his century from 61 balls which included seven fours and six towering sixes. After the dismissal of right-handed Farhan for 102 in the 19th over, the defending champions managed to add only seven in the final over to end up scoring 175 for the loss of three wickets in their allotted 20 overs. Experienced Junaid Khan was Balochistan’s pick of the bowlers with two for 34. Chasing 176 to win, Balochistan lost wickets at regular intervals and were bowled out for 137 in the 17th over. Haris Sohail came to bat at number five top-scored with a 30-ball 47, studded with five fours and two sixes. For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, skipper Khalid Usman and right-arm leg-spinner Maaz Khan bagged three wickets apiece. Mohammad Abbas Afridi grabbed two wickets for 20 runs. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Balochistan by 38 runs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 175-3, 20 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 102, Rehan Afridi 34, Kamran Ghulam 26; Junaid Khan 2-34) Balochistan 137 all out, 17 overs (Haris Sohail 47; Khalid Usman 3-19, Maaz Khan 3-39) Player of the match: Sahibzada Farhan (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa)

SPORTS BULLETIN Multan:-Three wickets apiece from Pakistan internationals Aamer Yamin and Waqas Maqsood and an unbeaten 41 runs from Tayyab Tahir led Central Punjab to a four-wicket win over Southern Punjab in the 23rd fixture of the Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup 2022-23 here at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Central Punjab came back stronger after losing to Southern Punjab in the Rawalpindi leg by 86 runs on 2 September. This was Central Punjab’s third win in the tournament – second in the Multan leg. Chasing 107 to win, Central Punjab scored at over seven runs an over in the powerplay, but also lost three wickets to keep Southern Punjab interested in the low-scoring game. That Central Punjab were able to chase down the target in the 17th over was due to an unbeaten knock from right-handed Tayyab – who scored 41 off 34 and smashed five fours and one six. Tayyab also leads the batting charts with 351 runs from eight innings at a strike rate of 139.84. Southern Punjab’s right-arm pacers Muhammad Imran and Sameen Gul took two wickets each. Earlier, after being put into bat by Central Punjab’s captain Qasim Akram, Southern Punjab wobbled at the top of the innings when they slumped to 39 for four in the ninth over. Sharoon Siraj – who has scored one half-century in the tournament was joined by Yousuf Babar and the pair added 35 runs for the fifth wicket – the highest partnership of the innings. After the departure of Sharoon (21, 21b, one four, one six), Southern Punjab lost wickets at regular intervals and were dismissed for 106 in the last over. For Central Punjab, Aamer and Waqas bagged three wickets apiece for 16 and 21 runs, respectively. Right-arm fast Hunain Shah – playing his second T20 bagged two wickets for 22. Later tonight, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will take on Sindh in the 24th fixture of the tournament. Scores in brief: Central Punjab beat Southern Punjab by four wickets Southern Punjab 106 all out, 19.2 overs (Zain Abbas 25, Yousuf Babar 22, Sharoon Siraj 21; Aamer Yamin 3-16, Waqas Maqsood 3-21, Hunain Shah 2-22) Central Punjab 110-6, 16.5 overs (Tayyab Tahir 41 not out; Muhammad Imran 2-18, Sameen Gul 2-22) Player of the match – Tayyab Tahir (Central Punjab)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Multan:-The Multan leg of the Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup 2022-23 kicked off with a scintillating contest between Northern and Sindh as the former sealed the thriller by one run on the last ball of the match with a run out. Balochistan completed a comfortable seven-wicket win over Central Punjab in the second match of the day. Huraira stars in Northern’s close win Mohammad Huraira played a brilliant innings of 86 in Northern’s one-run win over Sindh. The opener scored his runs at a quick pace (strike rate of 165), smashing 13 fours and a six in his 52-ball innings. Huraira, later named player of the match, put a profound 132-run first wicket partnership with Nasir Nawaz, who missed a half-century by only three runs as he was dismissed by Anwar Ali in the 14th over. Umar Amin played a cameo of 10-ball 21 not out (three fours) to lift his team to 190 for four. Zeeshan Malik, from the other end, provided his captain the desired support by spanking two sixes and a four in his nine-ball 19 not out Saud Shakeel, the Sindh captain, led his team’s reply with a breezy 43-ball 70 – hitting nine fours and a six – and stitched a 60-run partnership for the third wicket with Omair Bin Yousuf (20 off 19). Sarfaraz Ahmed provided impetus with his 13-bal 23 (two fours and a six) down the order. Sindh required 14 off the last six with Anwar Ali and Danish Aziz at the crease. Anwar Ali was dismissed on the third ball after hitting Usman Shinwari for a six on the previous ball. The equation finally came down to three off one and it ended with Faraz Ali’s run out as he looked to complete the second and take his team into the Super Over. Balochistan’s Haseebullah, Amad Butt add to Central Punjab’s misery Central Punjab won only one of their five matches in Rawalpindi and must have hoped for a change of fortunes in Multan, but their Multan leg got off with a demolishing seven-wicket defeat to Balochistan with Haseebullah’s 72 overhauling 170-run target with an over spare. Player of the match Haseebullah struck seven fours and three sixes in his 53-ball knock and provided a brilliant start to the run chase with a 96-run partnership with Asad Shafiq, who was another batter in the day to miss out a half-century by three runs. Asad made 47 in 34 (four fours and a six). Abdul Wahid Bangalzai played a blinder smashing 46 not out at a staggering strike rate of 192 as Balochistan closed the chase with ease. Amad Butt took four wickets for 30 runs when Central Punjab elected to bat. Shoaib Malik made his experience count, top-scoring with 44 off 30 (four fours). Aamer Yamin was the next best performer in the innings with 37 off 24 (five fours and a six). Central Punjab had made 169 for nine. Scores in brief: Northern beat Sindh by 1 run Northern 190-4, 20 overs (Mohammad Huraira 86, Nasir Nawaz 47, Umar Amin 21 not out) Sindh 189-7, 20 overs (Saud Shakeel 70, Sarfaraz Ahmed 23, Omair Bin Yousuf 20; Mubasir Khan 2-31, Usman Khan Shinwari 2-43) Player of the match – Mohammad Huraira (Northern) Balochistan beat Central Punjab by 7 wickets Central Punjab 169-9, 20 overs (Shoaib Malik 44, Aamer Yamin 37, Mohammad Faizan 26, Tayyab Tahir 21; Amad Butt 4-30) Balochistan 173-3, 19 overs (Haseebullah 72, Asad Shafiq 47, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 46 not out) Player of the match – Haseebullah (Balochistan)

SPORTS BULLETIN REPORT Multan:-Multan-the city of Saints-will be in the spotlight as the best domestic T20 cricketers converge in the city for the second leg of what has been an enthralling Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup 2022-23. The picturesque Multan Cricket Stadium will host the last 17 matches including the semi-finals and the final, of the 33-match tournament. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are having a near-perfect campaign winning all five matches. They have rolled over every opposition in the tournament and all five sides will be wary of the threat Khalid Usman’s men pose when the Multan leg resumes from tomorrow. Balochistan, who played the final of the 2019 edition, have won three matches of the five and lost two. With each win granting two points, they have pocketed six points. Under the captaincy of Yasir Shah, Balochistan have had a white-ball resurgence of sorts winning the Pakistan Cup One-Day Tournament at the start of 2022 and they have been on song this tournament. Sindh, led by Saud Shakeel, are third on the six-team points table due to a lesser net run rate but are locked on six points with Balochistan. They had a terrific start with wins over Southern Punjab and Northern by 42 and 10 runs, but stuttered in between – losing to Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Central Punjab. They signed off the Rawalpindi leg with a solid six-wicket win over Southern Punjab by six wickets at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. Sindh will hope to build on the win against Southern Punjab and carry the momentum when they open the Multan leg by taking on Northern. Sindh have not made it to the final in any of the last three editions. Fourth-placed Northern were lacklustre at their home ground losing three of their five matches. After starting their campaign with defeats to Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, they won two of their last three matches in Rawalpindi. They beat Central Punjab by three runs, lost to Balochistan by 19 runs and sealed a thriller by five runs against Southern Punjab. They won the 2019 edition of the tournament but have not made it to the final in the last two editions. Southern Punjab are fifth in the points table. They won two of their first three matches, and had the match against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa curtailed to five overs per side due to weather and ground conditions, which the latter won by seven wickets. It was one of the four games in this edition thus far, in which a total has been chased down. Central Punjab – the finalists of the last edition – have had the worst start. It is not only that they are placed at the bottom and have only managed one win, but their captain all-rounder Faheem Ashraf has also been ruled out of the tournament after splitting the webbing of his left-hand during his side’s second match of this edition. If there’s any team that would be hoping for a change of fortunes in Multan, it would be Central Punjab. Top performers Southern Punjab vice-captain and opener Zain Abbas has been one of the most consistent batters in the tournament with 241 runs at an average of 40.17. But, it is his strike rate of over 152 which has been extraordinary. The left-handed batter has scored two half-centuries. He is followed by another left-hander Saim Ayub of Sindh, who has brought his 237 runs at even quicker strike rate of 160.13. Twenty-year-old Saim has also made two half-centuries and is averaging 39.50. Central Punjab’s top-order batter Tayyab Tahir is third on the list with 214 at 42.80 runs per dismissal. He is the only batter this tournament to score three half-centuries and his strike rate stands at 140. Experienced fast bowler Sohail Khan has made his experience count for Sindh. The 39-year-old leads the chart for most wicket-takers with 10 scalps at 17 runs per dismissal. His strike rate of 11.10 reflects that he has been getting a wicket every second over. Southern Punjab captain and off-spinner Salman Ali Agha, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s left-arm fast bowler Mohammad Imran and right-arm fast bowler of Southern Punjab Sameen Gul have nine wickets each, while Ahmed Daniyal of Central Punjab and Imran Khan Snr of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are the next best with eight wickets each.

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI:-Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s extraordinary run in the Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup 2022-23 continued as they completed the Rawalpindi leg of the tournament on Wednesday with five wins from as many matches. Mohammad Sarwar Afridi’s whirlwind 38 not out helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa put the first 200-plus score of this year’s edition. Balochistan fell 27 runs short of the 202-run target. Saim Ayub’s half-century scripted Sindh’s six-wicket win over Southern Punjab in the second match of the day. This is Sindh’s third win of the tournament. The action now moves to Multan from 10 September. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the winners of the last two editions, sit comfortably at the top of the points table with 10 points. Balochistan follow them with six points. Sindh, locked with Balochistan on points, are third, while Northern and Southern Punjab are fourth and fifth. Central Punjab, who could manage only one win in five matches, are languishing at the bottom. Sarwar Afridi’s swashbuckling 11-ball 38 not out stuns Balochistan While Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s perfect title defence continued, they also recorded the first 200-plus score of the tournament, thanks to a scintillating 38 not out in just 11 balls by Mohammad Sarwar Afridi. Sarwar spanked three sixes and smashed four fours to lift Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to 201 for five after his captain Khalid Usman elected to bat. Aamer Azmat, who made 13-ball 22 not out, duly supported him, as the two added 49 runs in the last 19 balls. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, despite losing Mohammad Haris in the first over, were provided a solid start from Sahibzada Farhan (48 off 33) and Kamran Ghulam (57 off 38) with an 84-run second wicket stand. Farhan struck seven fours and Kamran’s destructive half-century was studded with four sixes and as many fours. When it came to defending the towering target, pacers Mohammad Imran and Imran Khan Snr provided their side regular breakthroughs as Balochistan were bowled out for 174 with seven balls spare. Mohammad Imran finished with four for 28 and Imran Khan Snr returned two for 29. Sarwar made his presence felt in the second innings as well with two wickets, however, he was a touch expensive leaking 43 runs in four overs. Balochistan captain Yasir Shah and Haris Sohail scored 44 off 27 and 39 off 19. All-rounder Hussain Talat and Kashif Bhatti made 24 each, off 17 and nine balls, respectively, but Balochistan never fully recovered from the top order collapse with Asad Shafiq, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai and Haseebullah falling inside 14 balls. Saim Ayub guides Sindh to third win Left-handed opener Saim Ayub played a brilliant knock of 56 in Sindh’s six-wicket win over Southern Punjab. Saim struck seven fours and two sixes and provided a solid start to the run chase with Sharjeel Khan, who blasted 49 in 26 balls (four fours and four sixes). The pair added 83 runs for the first wicket before Omair Bin Yousuf’s 54 not out in 35 balls (four fours and two sixes) ensured Sindh retained the momentum and overhauled the 176-run target with four balls spare. Southern Punjab, after being asked to bat, made 175 for six at the back of 48 each from opener Zain Abbas and all-rounder Hassan Khan. While Zain’s 48 took 34 balls and included five fours and a six, Hassan stroked his unbeaten 48 in just 29 balls and smashed two sixes and as many fours. Mohammad Ilyas, once again, displayed his power-hitting abilities, smashing two sixes and two fours in his 11-ball 25 not out. Southern Punjab found themselves in a spot of bother when Abrar Ahmed’s leg-spin sent Mohammad Shehzad and Salman Ali Agha back to the pavilion in the seventh over with the scorecard reading 42 for three. Zain held one end and got the support from Sharoon Siraj, who made 23 off 17, before Hassan lifted Southern Punjab to 175. Scores in brief: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Balochistan by 27 runs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 201-5, 20 overs (Kamran Ghulam 57, Sahibzada Farhan 48, Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 38 not out, Aamer Azmat 22 not out; Haris Sohail 2-10, Kashif Bhatti 2-25) Balochistna 174 all out, 18.5 overs (Yasir Shah 44, Haris Sohail 39, Kashif Bhatti 24, Hussain Talat 24; Mohammad Imran 4-28, Imran Khan Snr 2-29) Player of the match – Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (Khyber Pakhtunkhwa) Sindh beat Southern Punjab by 6 wickets Southern Punjab 175-6, 20 overs (Hassan Khan 48 not out, Zain Abbas 48, Mohammad Ilyas 25 not out, Sharoon Siraj 23; Abrar Ahmed 3-30) Sindh 181-4, 19.2 overs (Saim Ayub 56, Omair Bin Yousuf 54 not out, Sharjeel Khan 49; Hassan Khan 2-21) Player of the match – Saim Ayub (Sindh)

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI:-Qasim Akram’s Central Punjab finally opened their account in the Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup 2022-23 with an 11-run win over Sindh, thanks to Shoaib Malik’s all-round performance, at the Pindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday. Aamir Jamal’s exceptional performances with bat and ball – 47 not out off 17 and three for 27 – sealed a thriller for Northern as they beat Southern Punjab by five runs. Shoaib Malik leads Central Punjab to maiden win Experienced all-rounder Shoaib Malik blasted 54 not out off 33 (four fours and two sixes) to lift Central Punjab to 188 for five and then got the crucial wicket of dangerous-looking Saim Ayub in his one for 16 off two overs in Central Punjab’s 11-run triumph over Sindh. Shoaib and Irfan Khan Niazi, who scored a blazing 33 not out off 14 hitting four sixes, added 64 runs in the last 29 balls to help Central Punjab post a towering score. Central Punjab were dealt serious blows in the first and third over as Sohail Khan accounted for openers Abdullah Shafique and Mohammad Akhlaq, but a solid 67-run partnership between Mohammad Faizan and Tayyab Tahir rescued the side from a collapse. Faizan was instrumental in the attacking partnership with his brilliant 55 at a staggering strike rate of 229. He struck four sixes and six fours in his 24-ball knock before falling to leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed, who also dismissed Central Punjab captain Qasim Akram. Tayyab, the top-scorer in the tournament, made 33 off 28, hitting two fours and a six. Sarfaraz Ahmed top-scored in the match with an unbeaten 62, compiled at a strike rate of 168, but the lack of support from the other end allowed Central Punjab to earn their first win after four defeats. Sindh looked on track of scaling down the target but the dismissal of Saim in the seventh over altered the course of the match. Sindh, at the time of Saim’s wicket were cruising at 62 off just 6.3 overs. Saad Khan was bowled by Usama Mir in the next over and in the 15th over he sent Omair Bin Yousuf (37 off 29) and Danish Aziz back to the pavilion as Sindh slipped to 122 for five. Usama finished with three for 34. Aamir Jamal’s quick-fire 47 not out, 3-27 hand Northern thrilling win All-rounder Aamir Jamal was the star for Northern as his brilliance with bat and ball won Northern a thriller against Southern Punjab by five runs. Aamir’s swashbuckling 47 not out off 17 – studded with four sixes and five fours – lifted Northern to 187 for eight after his captain Umar Amin, who stroked a half-century, elected to bat. Northern were in a spot of bother with openers Zeeshan Malik and Hasan Nawaz dismissed in the first two overs, but a 51-run partnership for the third wicket between Nasir Nawaz (13 off 17) and Umar (52 off 42) rescued the innings and provided a platform to Mubasir Khan (34 off 18) and Aamir to go berserk in the latter half. When it came to defending the total, Aamer, later named player of the match, with the dismissals of Zain Abbas, Sharoon Siraj and Zeeshan Ashraf across his eight deliveries derailed Southern Punjab’s innings despite a promising beginning after Zain (81 off 46) and Mohammad Shehzad (28 off 24) added 111 runs for the first wicket. Zain’s 81 was studded with six sixes and as many fours, while Muhammad Imran, with 12-ball 24, provided Southern Punjab fans a glimpse of hope, but was dismissed by Zaman Khan in the 18th over. Zaman, like Aamir, also took three wickets, while experienced all-rounder Sohail Tanvir took two wickets for 39. Scores in brief: Central Punjab beat Sindh by 11 runs Central Punjab 188-5, 20 overs (Mohammad Faizan 55, Shoaib Malik 54 not out, Irfan Khan Niazi 33 not out, Tayyab Tahir 33; Abrar Ahmed 2-34, Sohail Khan 2-55) Sindh 177-8, 20 overs (Sarfaraz Ahmed 62 not out, Omair Bin Yousuf 37, Saim Ayub 35, Anwar Ali 20; Usama Mir 3-34, Mohammad Ali 2-32) Player of the match – Shoaib Malik (Central Punjab) Northern beat Southern Punjab by 5 runs Northern 187-8, 20 overs (Umar Amin 52, Aamir Jamal 47 not out, Mubasir Khan 34; Sameen Gul 3-27, Ali Majid 2-22) Southern Punjab 182 all out, 19.5 overs (Zain Abbas 81, Mohammad Shehzad 28, Mohammad Imran 24; Aamir Jamal 3-27, Zaman Khan 3-38, Sohail Tanvir 2-39) Player of the match – Aamir Jamal (Northern)

Sports Bulletin Report RAWALPINDI:-Balochistan and Northern have been fined PKR10,000 for maintaining slow over rate during their Kingdom Valley National T20 Cup 2022-23 match at the Pindi Cricket Stadium yesterday. Both teams were one over 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. Yasir Shah and Umer Amin, captains of Balochistan and Northern, accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Mohammad Anees. The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Faisal Afridi and Aalay Haider, third umpire Saqib Khan and fourth umpire Nasir Hussain.