Islamabad, AJK, Bahawalpur, and Lahore register victories on opening day
Abdul Jabbar Faisal
ISLAMABAD: Islamabad, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Bahawalpur, and Lahore register victories on the opening day of the 14th National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy” Grade-1, which commenced at two different venues simultaneously on Monday.
Ahsan Mumtaz, Head of Finance & Commercial, NBP Islamabad region, Syed Sultan Shah Chairman Pakistan Blinds Cricket Council (PBCC) & President, World Blind Cricket Ltd, and Syed Salman Tariq Bokhari Director Marketing PBCC were present on this eve.
Islamabad beat Gujranwala by 88 runs (Shalimar Ground):
In the first match of the morning, Gujranwala won the toss and decided to bowl first. Islamabad made a mammoth total of 267 for 2 runs in allotted 20 overs. Matiullah played unbeaten innings of 140 runs off 64 balls hitting 15 boundaries and 5 sixes, while Anees Javed made quick 41 runs. Talha Iqbal was the only bowler to claim a wicket.
In reply, Gujranwala was restricted to 179 runs in 20 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Israr Hassan and Mohammad Akram 49 and 45 runs respectively. Akmal Hayyat was the pick amongst bowlers with 2 wickets and Fakhar Abass claimed 1 wicket.
Result: Islamabad won by 88 runs: Man of the match: Matiuallh
AJK beat Okara by 5 wickets (PAF Ground):
In the 2nd match of the tournament, AJK won the toss and asked Okara to bat first. Okara made 161 runs for the loss of 7 wickets in the stipulated 20 overs. Abu Huraira was the top scorer with 40 runs while Shahzad Akram chipped in with 36 runs. Kamran Akhtar and Idrees Saleem took 2 wickets each.
In reply, AJK chased the target of 162 runs in 17.5 overs for the loss of 5 wickets. Mohammad Ali Jhangir made unbeaten 38 runs and Usman Ali scored 31 runs.
Mohammad Arsalan took 2 wickets while Mohammad Arfan, Shahzad Akram and Iftikhar Hussain Tiger took one wicket each.
Result: AJK won by 5 wickets: Man of the Match: Idrees Saleem
Bahawalpur beat Multan by 165 runs (Shalimar Ground):
In the penultimate fixture of the day, Bahawalpur won the toss and decided to bat first. Match was reduced to 18 overs each innings. Bahawalpur made 255 runs in allotted 18 overs for the loss of 1 wicket. Mohammad Rashid played extraordinary well and scored a ton, he made unbeaten 155 runs off 62 balls featuring 27 boundaries. Zafar Iqbal was the 2nd highest scorer with 56 runs. Mohammad Yousaf was the only bowler from Multan to claim a wicket.
In reply, Multan couldn’t make the most of the batting friendly conditions and made just 90 runs in the stipulated 18 overs for the loss of 8 wickets. Mohammad Safdar made 22 runs. For Bahawalpur, Zafar Iqbal took 2 wickets, while Mohammad Shahzaib and Saqib Ali claimed one wicket each.
Result: Bahawalpur won by 165 runs: Man of the match: Mohammad Rashid
Lahore beat Peshawar by 9 wickets (PAF Ground):
In the last game of the day, Lahore won the toss and not surprisingly decided to bowl first. Sanaullah’s unbeaten innings of 98 runs off 68 balls helped Peshawar to score 198 runs in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 3 wickets. Haroon Khan also contributed 53 runs off 36 balls. For Lahore, Badar Munir took 2 wickets for 23 runs in his 4 overs spell.
In reply, Lahore reached the target in 18.1 overs over for the loss of 1 wicket. Badar Munir also shined with the bat he got out after scoring 104 runs off 60 balls. Sanawal Shehzada remained unbeaten on 81 runs off 51 balls. Mohammad Asif was the only bowler to take the only wicket.
Result: Lahore won by 9 wickets: Man of the match: Badar Munir
Tuesday’s Fixtures:
November 14, 2023: AJK Vs Peshawar at Shalimar Cricket Ground
November 14, 2023: Bahawalpur Vs Gujranwala at PAF Cricket Ground
November 14, 2023: Lahore Vs Okara at Shalimar Cricket Ground
November 14, 2023: Islamabad Vs Multan at PAF Cricket Ground
