Sports Bulletin

Dubai (Anjum Shakeel): Gulf Giants Development have won the DP World ILT20 Development Tournament 2026, beating Desert Vipers Development by four wickets in the final at the ICC Academy Ground in Dubai, the UAE. Chasing 144, Gulf Giants reached 144/6 in 18.4 overs, with eight balls to spare, to lift the trophy for the second time.Desert Vipers won the toss and elected to bat, but Gulf Giants’ bowlers kept them in check and dismissed them for 143 in 19.5 overs. Aayan Khan led the attack with 3/33, while Hazret Luqman claimed 2/30.The chase was controlled rather than hurried. Gulf Giants reached the target in 18.4 overs, with Junaid Shamsuddin making a valuable contribution at both ends. He took 1/8 and then scored 29 off 29 balls, earning Player of the Match honours.The victory completed a strong tournament for Gulf Giants Development, who finished top of the group stage with four wins from five matches. It is the side’s second title in the competition, following its 2024 triumph.Gulf Giants Head Coach Simon Helmot said the team delivered “about as complete a performance as we could have asked for”.“We were sharp with the ball from the first over and never let the game get away from us, and then our terrific batters did the rest. To restrict a strong batting unit to 143 and chase it down with overs and wickets in hand tells you everything about the character in this group.”The campaign also brought individual recognition for two Gulf Giants batters. Sagar Kalyan finished as the tournament’s leading run-scorer, making 280 runs in seven matches at an average of 46.67 and a strike rate of 189.19.Ansh Tandon was third on the tournament’s run-scoring list with 237 runs at an average of 33.86 and a strike rate of 176.87.Helmot said having two of the tournament’s top five run-scorers in the Gulf Giants squad reflected the work being done in scouting and talent development.“Having two of the top five run scorers in the tournament come from our own squad is a testament to our scouting and talent development. Sagar and Ansh have been outstanding throughout the tournament, and the platform provided by this tournament is exactly what UAE cricket needs. It gives the upcoming players a genuine stage to show what they can do in front of the franchises ahead of the DP World ILT20 auctions.”The tournament also gives DP World ILT20 franchises an opportunity to assess emerging players ahead of the auction. Helmot said Gulf Giants had already identified players from across the competition whom they would consider for the next stage of squad-building.“This competition plays a big role in how we build our squad going forward. We’ve already identified our targets for the auction from all the teams that played in the tournament. We've got off to a great start here, and now the focus shifts to the auction and building towards a title charge in the DP World ILT20 as well.”

Lahore (Sports Reporter): Azan Ahmed has been named captain of Pakistan U17 squad that will take on Sri Lanka U17 in a bilateral series scheduled to take place in Multan next month.The series consists of one three-day match and five one-day matches, all set to be played at the Multan Cricket Stadium from 9 to 24 October. Sri Lanka will arrive on Monday, 5 October while both sides will practice at the stadium from 6 to 8 October.17-year-old Azan represented Rawalpindi U17 in the National Men’s U17 Cup held earlier this year. The right-arm leg-spinner took 36 wickets in eight matches with four for 28 his best figures in an innings during the two-day tournament. He also led his side to the title as Rawalpindi defeated Abbottabad by 125 runs in the final held at Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad from 11-13 May.Following the tournament, 48 players were called up for the U17 Skills Development Camp which was held in Faisalabad from 30 July. Among the 48 players, 30 players were later shortlisted to take part in the second phase of the camp.All 16 players alongside four reserve players selected for the series had featured in National Men’s U17 Cup.16-member squad:Azan Ahmed (captain), Abdullah Ahmed Butt, Arsalan Hassan (wk), Daud Tauqeer Rana, Fahad Iqbal, Hamid Raza, Hamza Abbas Baloch, Hassan Ali, Mohammad Essa Baloch, Mohammad Ihsaan, Mohammad Naveed, Mohammad Saim, Mohammad Yaqoob Khan, Mohammad Yousaf, Sher Wali Khan and Sudais AhmedReserve players:Ammar Khan, Imad Ali Shah, Nafees Akhtar and Saqib KhanSeries schedule (all matches at Multan Cricket Stadium):5 Oct – Sri Lanka U17 arrival6-8 Oct – Pakistan U17 and Sri Lanka U17 teams training at MCS9-11 Oct – Only Three-Day match15 Oct – First One-Day17 Oct – Second One-Day19 Oct – Third One-Day21 Oct – Fourth One-Day24 Oct – Fifth One-Day

Lahore (Sports Reporter): State Bank of Pakistan’s (SBP) opening duo Hasan Raza and Abdullah Fazal dominated the second day of the Al Batal Presents ABS Developers President’s Trophy Grade-I with an unscathed 378-run opening partnership against Ghani at National Ground in Islamabad on Friday. Only 49 overs of play was possible in Abbottabad between Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL), while Markhor IT Solutions had a field day against the struggling Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited. Kingsmen Academy responded well to Pakistan Television with the bat at Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad. At National Ground, SBP had collected 378 runs off 68 overs in their first innings after Ghani were bowled out for 322 in 84.1 overs earlier in the day. SBP’s opening batters’ determined display frustrated the Ghani’s bowling attack comprising two Test pacers in Khurram Shahzad and Ubaid Shah and helped them gain a 56-run first innings lead with all wickets intact. Left-handed Hasan, who struck the fastest first-class double ton in Pakistan’s domestic cricket off 190 balls, surpassed his previous best score of 174 in his 203-ball 204-run knock hitting 28 fours and two sixes. Meanwhile, Abdullah, who was playing his first competitive red-ball game since May, registered his fifth first-class century (168 not out, 207b, 19x4s, 4x6s) in his outing. Earlier, Ghani began from overnight score of 263-6 in 72 overs and were bowled out for 322 in 84.1 overs with Ali Razzaq (101, 129b, 13x4s, 3x6s) scoring his second first-class century. For SBP, Arshadullah and Shahid Aziz picked up three wickets each. At Abbottabad Stadium, KRL were 377-8 in 109 overs at close with no.6 batter Sarmad Bhatti unbeaten on 122 off 198 balls with the help of 21 fours. He kept the KRL innings intact by stitching a 145-run partnership with Faheem Ashraf (83, 100b, 16x4s) as the two joined forces at 202-6 after they were 202-5 in 60 overs overnight. Sarmad was 48 not out at start of the day. OGDCL’s Mohammad Hasnain picked up 3-79 in 22 overs, while Razaullah dismissed two batters. At Imran Khan Stadium, SNGPL were reeling at stumps with 32 runs on the board, a further first innings deficit of 402 runs and three batters back in the hut. MIT’s pacer Mohammad Ismail removed Sameer Minhas and Abdullah Shafique, while Mohammad Imran Jnr dismissed Azan Awais. Earlier in the day, MIT declared their innings at 434-9 in 126.5 overs after resuming from overnight score of 258-3 in 79 overs. Centurion Atiq-ur-Rehman fell for 138 – adding just two runs to his score on day two, while his Syed Awad Naqvi’s 258-ball 78-run knock was ended by Sajid Khan. The two had put on a 221-run stand for the fourth wicket.MIT’s lower order batters contributed well with the bat to stretch the score beyond the 400-run mark as Abuzar Tariq (35, 71b, 3x4s), Ismail (35, 46b, 6x4s), Samama Riaz (33, 25b, 5x4s, 1x6) , skipper Khalid Usman (33 not out, 54b, 3x4s, 1x6) and Aamir Jamal (15, 47b) all got starts. For SNGPL, Mohammad Imran (Randhawa) was the standout bowler with figures of 25-7-54-3, Naseem Shah returned figures of 19-6-57-2 and Mohammad Azab 24-3-89-2. At Diamond Ground, Kingsmen Academy’s reply to PTV’s first innings total of 355 was led by Test batter Mohammad Huraira, who struck 133 not out with the help of 20 fours. Kingsmen were 237-2 in 63 overs after Huraira’s 12th first-class ton and his second-wicket alliance of 186 runs with Mohammad Suleman (71, 122b, 4x4s, 3x6s). Test pacer Kashif Ali had claimed the early wicket of previous round’s centurion and Kingsmen skipper Mohammad Tayyab Arif (24, 23b, 3x4s) before giving his team a late breakthrough with the scalp of Suleman. Saud Shakeel saw off 11 balls and was yet to get off the mark when stumps were drawn.  Scores in brief – 3rd round – Day 2 StumpsMatch 9 – State Bank of Pakistan v Ghani at National Ground, Islamabad SBP lead by 56 runs with 10 wickets remaining in first inningsGhani 322 all out, 84.1 overs (Ali Razzaq 101, Mirza Tahir Baig 67, Sharjeel Khan 56, Haseebullah 29, Hussain Talat 27; Arshadullah 3-55, Shahid Aziz 3-60, 2-53)  SBP 378-0, 68 overs (Hasan Raza 204 not out, Abdullah Fazal 168 not out) Match 10 – Khan Research Laboratories v Oil and Gas Development Company Limited v Khan Research Laboratories at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium KRL 377-8, 109 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 122 not out, Faheem Ashraf 83, Abdul Faseeh 36, Iftikhar Ahmed 29, Shahzaib Khan 27, Mohammad Faiq 21; Mohammad Hasnain 3-79, Razaullah 2-103) Match 11 – Markhor IT Solutions v Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at Imran Khan Cricket Stadium PeshawarSNGPL trail by 402 runs with seven wickets remaining in first innings MIT Solutions 434-9 dec, 126.5 overs (Atiq-ur-Rehman 138, Syed Awad Naqvi 78, Mohammad Ismail 35, Abuzar Tariq 35, Samama Riaz 33, Khalid Usman 33 not out; Muhammad Imran 3-54, Naseem Shah 2-57, Mohammad Azab 2-89)SNGPL 32-3, 9.5 overs (Azan Awais 14; Mohammad Ismail 2-4) Match 12 – Pakistan Television v Kingsmen Academy at Diamond Cricket Ground Kingsmen Academy trail by 118 runs with eight wickets remaining in first innings PTV 355 all out, 73.3 overs (Mohammad Shahzad 114, Sharoon Siraj 72, Mohammad Taha 43, Musa Khan 40, Taimur Khan 31; Muhammad Ilyas 5-129, Muhammad Umar 2-60, Shoaib Afridi 2-92) Kingsmen Academy 237-2, 63 overs (Mohammad Huraira 133 not out, Mohammad Suleman 71, Mohammad Tayyab Arif 24; Kashif Ali 2-57) 

Nagoya (Sports Bulletin Report): Pakistan secured Bronze Medal at the Asian Games women’s cricket event 2026 after they beat Bangladesh by 31 runs at the Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin on Tuesday. Fatima Sana starred with yet another all-round performance as her 45 pushed Pakistan to 145 and then right-arm off-spinner Umm-e-Hani took 3-10 to help restrict Bangladesh to 114-7 in the allotted 20 overs.This is Pakistan’s third Medal in Asian Games women’s cricket history after they secured Gold in 2010 and 2014 events. In 2022, Pakistan lost the Bronze Medal match to Bangladesh.Pakistan’s opening duo of Gull Feroza (31, 23b, 6x4s) and Shawaal Zulfiqar (17, 27b) provided a 46-run opening stand in 6.4 overs after Fatima won the toss and opted to bat first. Bangladesh then managed to get a grip over the proceedings as they picked up five for 21 in a space of five overs.It was at this juncture that Fatima Sana – the leading run-scorer for Pakistan in WT20Is in 2026 – came to the team’s rescue with the bat in tandem with Aliya Riaz as the duo stitched a game-changing 67-run stand off 43 balls. Fatima took her tally of WT20I runs to 540 in 2026 with a superb 30-ball 45 that included three sixes and as many fours.Aliya Riaz struck two sixes and a four in her 22-ball 25 before falling in the penultimate over. The duo upped the ante after Pakistan were 90-5 in 15 overs as Fatima struck Rabeya Khan for a six before both the batters struck a six each against Sanjida Akter in the 17th over. Despite Bangladesh giving only seven runs and taking two wickets in the last over, Pakistan managed to score 55 off the last five overs.Nahid Akter, Shorna Akter and Ritu Moni picked up two wickets each as four off the six Bangladesh bowlers leaked run in excess of six an over.In turn, Hani and Tasmia Rubab gave Pakistan the perfect start with the new ball as the former eked out two wickets – removing Juairiya Ferdous and Sobhana Mostary for single digits – while the latter got rid of Dilara Akter for 12. Saira Jabeen took all three catches with the one off Tasmia’s bowling being a spectacular grab at cover boundary.Bangladesh could not recover from being 20-3 in 4.3 overs despite Nigar Sultana’s (25, 30b, 3x4s) 56-ball 47-run stand with Sharmin Akhter (46 not out, 45b, 4x4s) for the fourth wicket. Bangladesh required more than 10 runs an over at the halfway mark as Nigar was pinned leg-before in the 14th over off Ayesha Zafar.Hani registered her best bowling figures of 3-10 when she got rid of Shorna for six surpassing her previous haul of 2-28 against Sri Lanka in Dambulla this year. Her spell also included a wicket-maiden fifth over. Nashra Sundhu grabbed the seventh Bangladesh wicket with the score at 93 before they finished with 114-7.Fatima – who is also Pakistan leading wicket-taker in WT20I this year – picked the solitary scalp of Ritu Moni to take her tally to 31 in 2026.Scores in briefAsian Games women’s cricket event – Bronze Medal Match – Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 31 runs at Korogi Sports Park, NisshinPakistan 145-8, 20 overs (Fatima Sana 45, Gull Feroza 31; Shorna Akter 2-16, Nahida Akterr 2-21, Ritu Moni 2-27)Bangladesh 114-7, 20 overs (Sharmin Akhter 46 not out, Nigar Sultana 25; Umm-e-Hani 3-10)Pakistan women at Asian Games (All matches at Korogi Athletic Park in Aichi Prefecture)17 September - Quarter-final 4 – Pakistan beat Thailand by three wickets20 September – Semi-final 1 – Sri Lanka beat Pakistan by eight wickets22 September - Bronze Medal Match – Pakistan beat Bangladesh by 31 runs 

Lahore (Sports Reporter): Ghani steamrolled Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited by an innings and 14 runs to register the first result of the Al Batal Presents ABS Developers President’s Trophy Grade-I 2026-27 as day three of the second round produced exciting action across Islamabad, Peshawar, Rawalpindi and Abbottabad on Sunday. Oil and Gas Development Company Limited also inched closer to win against Kingsmen Academy, while Pakistan Television’s Muhammad Taha registered a magnificent double century – his second of the first-class career against State Bank of Pakistan. Khan Research Laboratories’ Imran Rafiq and Asim Ali Nasir’s twin centuries kept Markhor IT Solutions bowlers in the field on entire day three. At Diamond Cricket Ground Islamabad, Khurram picked up five for 75 to take match figures of nine for 116 as SNGPL copped an innings defeat. SNGPL had resumed from their overnight score of 106-2 in 22 overs and still in a 151-run first innings deficit. Sameer Minhas (96, 115b, 13x4s) had kept SNGPL afloat with his second fifty of the game but fell four runs short of his maiden century in the format as his team lost eight for 97. Ghani’s pace trio of Khurram along with Ali Shabbir and Shoaib Akhtar Jnr – who had taken five-for in first innings – accounted for eight wickets between them. At Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, PTV’s left-handed batter Taha struck 225 – falling just one short of his previous best in first-class – as his team posted 469 all out in first innings in reply to SBP’s 433 runs. Taha struck 22 fours and two sixes in the 362 balls he faced and helped his team gain a slim first innings lead of 36 as they resumed from overnight score of 268-3 with Taha on 103 not out. In reply, SBP lost four wickets for 84 runs in 23 overs by close of play and were just 48 runs ahead with skipper Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (43 not out, 36b, 8x4s) and first innings centurion Rameez Aziz (2 not out) on the crease. PTV pacers Haris Rauf, Amad Butt and Musa Khan picked up a wicket each. At Shoaib Akhtar Stadium in Rawalpindi, replying to MIT Solutions’ first innings total of 660, KRL had racked up 423-5 in 133 overs by close of play courtesy a 159-run stand between centurions Asim Ali Nasir (110 not out, 227b, 11x4s, 2x6s) and Imran Rafiq (122, 192b, 19x4s). KRL had begun the day from overnight score of 140-3 in 43 overs with Shahzaib Khan managing to move from 60 to 75 before falling. Imran and Asim joined forces at 198-4 taking the score to 357 before they were parted. Faheem Ashraf was 28 not out off 73 balls at close with Asim. OGDCL needed another 36 runs to win against Kingsmen Academy after they were 85-1 at stumps in 23 overs with Waqar Ahmed unbeaten on 56 off 78 balls. Earlier, Kingsmen Academy could only manage 203 all out in their second innings after incurring a 83-run first innings deficit. Kingsmen began the day with 35 for no loss in nine overs before OGDCL’s pacer Mohammad Salman and left-arm spinner Danish Aziz ripped through their batting with four wickets each. Salman returned figures of 14.5-3-48-4, while Danish’s four came just for seven runs in four overs. Skipper Mohammad Tayyab Arif (56, 76, 9x4s) was again the lone fighter after his first innings century as no one else crossed the 41-run mark except him in the second dig. Scores in brief – 2nd round – Day 3 Stumps Match 5 – Ghani beat Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited by an innings and 14 runs at Diamond Cricket Ground, IslamabadSNGPL 152 all out, 41.5 overs (Sameer Minhas 53, Mohammad Imran 52; Shoaib Akhtar Jnr 5-34, Khurram Shahzad 4-42) and 243 all out, 60.4 overs (Sameer Minhas 96, Omair Bin Yousuf 35, Imran Dogar 25, Khan Zeb 22, Saad Baig 22; Khurram Shahzad 5-74, Ali Shabbir 2-52) Ghani 409 all out, 103.2 overs (Sharjeel Khan 156, Mohammad Rameez Jnr 76, Khawaja Arham 54, Mohsin Riaz 51, Haseebullah 42; Shahnawaz Dahani 3-103, Sajid Khan 2-85, Khan Zeb 2-108) Match 6 – Khan Research Laboratories v Markhor IT Solutions at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, RawalpindiKRL trail by 237 runs with five wickets remaining in first innings MIT Solutions 660 all out, 126.1 overs (Salman Khan Jnr 181, Mohammad Farooq 163, Atiq-ur-Rehman 142, Samama Riaz 50, Hasnain Nadeem 36, Mohammad Ismail 29; Ahmed Bashir 5-100, Iftikhar Ahmed 2-108, Mohammad Hamza Sohail 2-112) KRL 423-5, 133 overs (Imran Rafiq 122, Asim Ali Nasir 110 not out, Shahzaib Khan 75, Mohammad Faiq 47, Faheem Ashraf 28 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 24; Mohammad Ismail 2-103) Match 7 – Pakistan Television v State Bank of Pakistan at Abbottabad Cricket StadiumSBP lead by 48 runs with six wickets remaining in second innings SBP 433 all out, 95.1 overs (Rameez Aziz 120, Hasan Raza 75, Naqeebullah 74, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori 66, Sirajuddin 25, Faham-ul-Haq 23; Amad Butt 4-101, Musa Khan 3-79, Haris Rauf 2-88) and 84-4, 23 overs (Mohammad Ghazi Ghori 43 not out, Kamran Ghulam 25) PTV 469 all out, 122.3 overs (Mohammad Taha 225, Yasir Khan 73, Muhammad Shahzad 48, Sharoon Siraj 23; Kashif Bhatti 4-104, Sirajuddin 3-92, Naqeebullah 2-70) Match 8 – Oil and Gas Development Company Limited v Kingsmen Academy at Imran Khan Stadium, Peshawar OGDCL require another 36 runs to win with nine wickets remaining Target for OGDCL – 121 Kingsmen Academy 215 all out, 57.3 overs (Mohammad Tayyab Arif 105, Mohammad Suleman 33, Salman Ali Agha 25; Mohammad Amir Khan 5-51, Mohammad Hasnain 3-36) and 203 all out, 61.5 overs (Mohammad Tayyab Arif 56, Mohammad Arshad 41, Azan Tariq 30, Mohammad Huraira 26, Mohammad Shayan 22; Danish Aziz 4-7, Mohammad Salman 4-48)OGDCL 298 all out, 89 overs (Danish Aziz 93 not out, Rohail Nazir 81, Mohammad Irfan 21; Mohammad Ilyas 4-57, Mehran Mumtaz 2-27, Salman Ali Agha 2-58) and 85-1, 23 overs (Waqar Ahmed 56 not out, Umar Siddiq 23 not out)

Abdul Jabbar FaisalISLAMABAD: Pakistan will take on traditional foes, India, on November 17 in the T20 Asia Cup Cricket Tournament for the Blind, as Bangladesh is ready to host four-nation fixtures this year, 2026. Besides, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Afghanistan will participate in the regional tournament,The league matches will be played from November 15 to 19 Bashundhara Cricket Stadium in the capital city of Dhaka, as the final will be played on November 20 at the same venueMoin Iqbal, Director International, Bangladesh Blind Cricket Council (BBCC) and Regional Development Director Asia, World Blind Cricket Ltd. l(WBC), said: “We are delighted to announce the Safwan Bashundhara Global T20 Asia Cup Cricket Tournament for the Blind 2026 in Bangladesh. The participation of Bangladesh, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka will make this an exciting International spotting event and an important milestone for the development of Blind Cricket in Asia. We warmly welcome all teams to Bangladesh.” #T20AsiaCup2026 #BlindCricket #CricketForTheBlind #Bangladesh #BBCC #InclusiveSports #SportsForAll #BeyondSightBeyondLimits #BangladeshCricket #TheTigersAreReady

Kuwait (Sports News): The DP World ILT20 Development Tournament Kuwait 2026 officially got underway with a prestigious Trophy Unveiling Ceremony, bringing together dignitaries, participating teams, players, match officials, families and supporters as excitement builds ahead of the tournament.The ceremony was hosted by Harman Sahni, who welcomed the participating teams and distinguished guests, including Mr. Emad Al Jassam, General Secretary, Kuwait Cricket Board, and Mr. Sajid Ashraf, Executive Director & Strategic Partner, DP World ILT20.Following the National Anthem of the State of Kuwait, Mr. Emad Al Jassam and Mr. Sajid Ashraf officially unveiled the tournament trophy, marking an important milestone ahead of the start of the competition.Addressing the players and guests, Emad Al Jassam expressed his appreciation to the Public Authority for Sport in Kuwait and Kuwait Cricket Board President Mr. Haider Farman for their leadership and continued support. He also congratulated the DP World ILT20 leadership team on the League’s continued success and its commitment to creating opportunities for emerging cricket talent.Sajid Ashraf extended his heartfelt appreciation to the visionary Chairman of DP World ILT20, Mr. Khalid Al Zarooni, and the dynamic League Commissioner, Mr. Mubashshir Usmani, along with the entire DP World ILT20 team, for their continued leadership, guidance and support.Emad Al Jassam and Sajid Ashraf also extended their best wishes ahead of the DP World ILT20 Player Auction, scheduled for 1 October 2026 in Dubai, followed by DP World ILT20 Season 5, from 21 November to 20 December 2026.The ceremony highlighted the growing opportunities being created for emerging cricket talent through the Development Tournament and acknowledged the tireless efforts of the entire Kuwait Cricket management team in contributing to the continued growth and global reach of the DP World ILT20 brand.The four team captains — Meet Bhavsar (Failaka Guardians), Mohamed Aslam (Boubyan Warriors), Yasin Patel (Kuwait Falcons) and Ali Zaheer (Pearl Strikers) — joined the dignitaries for the ceremonial cake cutting, followed by an exclusive captains’ photo shoot with the coveted trophy.The ceremony concluded with a series of official photographs featuring the captains, participating teams and Kuwait Cricket Board management.With the trophy unveiled and the teams ready for action, the stage is now set for an exciting chapter of competitive cricket in Kuwait.The DP World ILT20 Development Tournament Kuwait 2026 promises to shine a spotlight on emerging talent, provide players with a platform to showcase their abilities, and further strengthen the pathway between Kuwait cricket and one of the world’s leading T20 leagues.#KuwaitCricket | #AllInForCricket | #WhereTheWorldPlays

Lahore (Sports Reporter): Eight matches were played on the opening day of the National U19 Cup (One-Day), with Faisalabad, Sialkot Whites, Bahawalpur, Lahore Blues, Multan, FATA, Karachi Blues and Peshawar Blues registering wins in their respective first-round fixtures.At the Saeed Ajmal Academy in Faisalabad, Faisalabad defeated Abbottabad by six wickets. Abbottabad were bowled out for 125 in 33.1 overs, with Adil Waheed remaining unbeaten on 37. Shahzaib Zafar returned three for 29. Faisalabad achieved the target in 29.1 overs, reaching 129 for four with Hamza Liaqat scoring 29.Sialkot Whites beat AJK by 66 runs at the HPC Faisalabad Cricket Ground. Sialkot Whites posted 241 for nine in their 50 overs, with Mohammad Fahad, Ghulam Haider and Mohammad Abdul Qadeer scoring half-centuries. Zahid Munawar bagged six for 14 as AJK were dismissed for 175 in 49.1 overs.In Group B, Bahawalpur beat Islamabad by four wickets after chasing 167 in 36.3 overs, with Mohammad Rehan scoring 50. Lahore Blues beat Karachi Whites by 24 runs at the Ashfaq Cricket Ground in Charsadda. Hammad Asif’s 73 and Muhammad Hamza Bajwa’s 62 helped Lahore Blues post 293 for eight before Karachi Whites were bowled out for 269.In Group C fixture, Multan registered an eight-wicket win over Larkana after Mohammad Haseeb Zia took six for 23. FATA beat Lahore Whites by five wickets, with Shahid Khan taking five wickets for 23 runs.In Group D, Karachi Blues beat DM Jamali by four wickets, while Peshawar Blues recorded the biggest win of the round, beating Sialkot Blues by 180 runs. Haroon Rasheed scored 76 for Peshawar Blues, while Muhammad Awais took six for 21.The second round of the National U19 Cup will be played on Saturday, 26 September.Scores in brief:Group AFaisalabad beat Abbottabad by six wickets at Saeed Ajmal Academy, FaisalabadAbbottabad 125 all out, 33.1 overs (Adil Waheed 37 not out; Shahzaib Zafar 3-29)Faisalabad 129-4, 29.1 overs (Hamza Liaqat 29; Zeeshan Ahmad 2-41)Sialkot Whites beat AJK by 66 runs at HPC Faisalabad Cricket Ground, FaisalabadSialkot Whites 241-9, 50 overs (Mohammad Fahad 58, Ghulam Haider 50, Muhammad Abdul Qadeer 50; Abu Bakar Minhas 3-39, Mohammad Zeeshan Daud 3-39)AJK 175 all out, 49.1 overs (Uzair Rauf 40; Zahid Munawar 6-14)Group BBahawalpur beat Islamabad by four wickets at Mir Awais Cricket Ground, PeshawarIslamabad 166 all out, 41.2 overs (Mohammad Bilal 33; Tayyab Mukhtiar 4-18, Azad Khan 3-21)Bahawalpur 167-6, 36.3 overs (Muhammad Rehan 50; Adil Khan 2-31, Jawad Ullah 2-33)Lahore Blues beat Karachi Whites by 24 runs at Ashfaq Cricket Ground, CharsaddaLahore Blues 293-8, 50 overs (Hammad Asif 73, Muhammad Hamza Bajwa 62; Akhtar Ali 2-29)Karachi Whites 269 all out, 48.4 overs (Ahmed Shehzad 62, Muhammad Akber 53; Naqeebullah 3-40)Group CMultan beat Larkana by eight wickets at Faraz Cricket Ground, SialkotLarkana 108 all out, 29.1 overs (Moharam Ali 25; Mohammad Haseeb Zia 6-23, Ghulam Abbas 4-20)Multan 109-2, 17 overs (Muzamil Yasin 54)FATA beat Lahore Whites by five wickets at SOS Cricket Ground, SialkotLahore Whites 131 all out, 37.2 overs (Phool Ali 38; Shahid Khan 5-23)FATA 134-5, 25.1 overs (Muhammad Abbas Afridi 42; Taj Muhammad 3-29)Group DKarachi Blues beat DM Jamali by four wickets at Azhar Ali Academy Ground, LahoreDM Jamali 84 all out, 27.2 overs (Ahmed Ali 23; Asad Umar 5-15)Karachi Blues 88-6, 18.4 overs (Huzaifa Ahsan 23; Farhanullah 3-30)Peshawar Blues beat Sialkot Blues by 180 runs at Railways Cricket Ground, LahorePeshawar 266-8, 50 overs (Haroon Rasheed 76; Ahmed Bashir 3-34)Sialkot Blues 86 all out, 25.2 overs (Farman Ali 35; Mohammad Awais 6-21)

Rawalpindi (Sports Reporter):The opening day of the second round of President’s Trophy Grade-I saw centuries from MIT’s Mohammad Farooq, Salman Khan Jnr, Atiq-ur-Rehman, Ghani’s Sharjeel Khan and Kingsmen Academy’s Mohammad Tayyab Arif as action unfolded across Islamabad, Abbottabad, Peshawar and Rawalpindi on Friday. Ghani’s Shoaib Akhtar Jnr and OGDCL’s Mohammad Amir Khan were the two pacers who snared five-wicket hauls on the first day. At Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, MIT won the toss and elected to bat first as their opening batters Mohammad Farooq and Hasnain Nadeem (36, 76b, 7x4s) took only 21.5 overs to raise a 133-run stand. Farooq walked in all guns blazing and scored 163 off 99 balls hitting 11 fours and 14 sixes. The aggressive opening batter reached the three-digit mark off just 67 balls and also overtook Majid Khan’s record for most sixes by a Pakistan batter in a first-class innings. It is also hiss third first-class and second consecutive ton. Following Farooq’s departure, Atiq-ur-Rehman (142, 137b, 17x4s, 2x6s) and Salman Khan Jnr (106 not out, 199b, 12x4s, 1x6) took the Khan Research Laboratories bowlers to sword with a massive 217-run stand for the fourth wicket as both registered centuries. With Atiq scoring his second first-class ton and Salman hitting his fifth, MIT finished the day with 476-4 on the board in 87.2 overs at stumps. At Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad, Ghani had a dominant day with both bat and ball against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited by first dismissing them for 152 in 41.5 overs and then responded with 192-2 in 41 overs by close of play. After putting SNGPL in to bat, Ghani’s pace bowling duo of Shoaib Akhtar Jnr and Khurram Shahzad shared nine wickets between them, while Shoaib also run out Omair Bin Yousuf for one. Shoaib returned figures of 12.5-2-34-5 picking his fourth first-class five-for, while Khurram bagged four for 42. In turn, Sharjeel Khan brought up his 15th first-class century in a blistering 156-run knock off just 120 balls with the help of 25 fours and five sixes. He shared a 186-run second-wicket stand with Khawaja Arham (33, not out, 114b, 2x4s) after Mirza Tahir Baig had fallen for a golden duck.At Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar, Kingsmen Academy were rolled for 215 in 57.3 overs with their skipper Mohammad Tayyab Arif standing tall with his maiden first-class century against the fast bowling might of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL).Tayyab – playing just his second first-class game, walked in at no.3 with 20 runs on the board and steered the innings with a fluent 105 off 110 balls hitting 14 fours and three sixes. Kingsmen lost seven wickets for 44 runs as Mohammad Suleman (33, 95b, 3x4s) and Salman Ali Agha (25, 41b, 2x4s) fell after getting starts. Pacer Mohammad Amir Khan ran through their batting with figures of 5-51 in 13 overs, while Mohammad Hasnain backed him up with three for 36 in 12.3 overs. Niaz Khan picked up one wicket. Amir registered his fifth five-wicket haul in the format in his 28th first-class game. Abbottabad Cricket Stadium saw an attritional day’s play between State Bank of Pakistan and Pakistan Television. SBP were 278-9 in 71 overs at stumps with opening batter Hasan Raza (75, 106b, 9x4s) and incoming skipper Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (66, 79b, 9x4s) scoring half-centuries. No.7 batter Rameez Aziz was unbeaten on 42 off 73 balls at stumps. For PTV, Musa Khan and Amad Butt picked up three wickets each, Haris Rauf dismissed two batters for 73 runs in his 18 overs. Scores in brief – 2nd round – Day 1 Stumps Match 5 – Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited v Ghani at Diamond Cricket Ground, IslamabadGhani lead by 40 runs with eight wickets remaining in second innings SNGPL 152 all out, 41.5 overs (Sameer Minhas 53, Muhammad Imran 52; Shoaib Akhtar Jnr 5-34, Khurram Shahzad 4-42) Ghani 192-2, 41 overs (Sharjeel Khan 156, Khawaja Arham 33 not out; Shahnawaz Dahani 2-58) Match 6 – Khan Research Laboratories v Markhor IT Solutions at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, RawalpindiMIT Solutions 476-4, 87.2 overs (Mohammad Farooq 163, Atiq-ur-Rehman 142, Salman Khan Jnr 106 not out, Hasnain Nadeem 36; Ahmed Bashir 2-53) Match 7 – Pakistan Television v State Bank of Pakistan at Abbottabad Cricket StadiumSBP 278-9, 71 overs (Hasan Raza 75, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori 66, Rameez Aziz 42 not out, Sirajuddin 25, Faham-ul-Haq 23; Musa Khan 3-47, Amad Butt 3-60, Haris Rauf 2-73)  Match 8 – Oil and Gas Development Company Limited v Kingsmen Academy at Imran Khan Stadium, Peshawar Kingsmen Academy 215 all out, 57.3 overs (Mohammad Tayyab Arif 105, Mohammad Suleman 33, Salman Ali Agha 25; Mohammad Amir Khan 5-51, Mohammad Hasnain 3-36)OGDCL 57-3, 15 overs (Saad Khan 19; Mohammad Ilyas 2-31) 

Lahore (Sports Reporter): Sri Lanka U17 will travel to Pakistan next month to take part in a bilateral series against Pakistan U17, the PCB announced today. During the tour, both sides will play one three-day and five one-day matches.All matches will be staged at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan from 9 to 24 October.Sri Lanka U17 will arrive in Multan on Monday, 5 October and both sides will take part in practice sessions from 6 to 8 October at the Multan Cricket Stadium. The three-day match will then take place at the same venue from 9 to 11 October.Following the three-day match, Pakistan U17 will play five one-day matches against Sri Lanka U17 from 15 to 24 October.Currently, the U17 players are taking part in a Skills Development Camp, which commenced in Faisalabad on Thursday, 30 July. Earlier this year, the PCB also hosted the National U17 Cup in Faisalabad, which was won by Rawalpindi U17 Region.Series schedule (all matches at Multan Cricket Stadium):5 Oct – Sri Lanka U17 arrival6-8 Oct – Pakistan U17 and Sri Lanka U17 teams training at MCS9-11 Oct – Only Three-Day match15 Oct – First One-Day17 Oct – Second One-Day19 Oct – Third One-Day21 Oct – Fourth One-Day24 Oct – Fifth One-Day