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T20I: Pakistan level series against South Africa 1-1, Nida completes 2000 runs
Sports Bulletin ReportMULTAN: Former captain Nida Dar completed 2,000 T20I runs as Pakistan defeated South Africa by 13 runs to level the three-match T20I series 1-1 at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Wednesday evening. South Africa had beaten Pakistan by 10 runs in the first T20I on Monday evening at the same venue. The third T20I of the series will be played on Friday, with the first ball to be bowled at 10am.In the must-win game, after being put into bat, Pakistan scored 181 for four in 20 overs – their highest T20I score, surpassing the 177 made against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur in 2018. Openers Gull Feroza and Muneeba Ali got going from the start as the pair struck four boundaries in 20 balls, before Gull was dismissed for 10 off 11 balls in the fourth over by Tumi Sekhukhune.With 25 runs on the board, left-handed batter Muneeba was joined by Sidra and the pair knitted a quick-fire 49 runs off 39 balls for the second wicket. Muneeba was next to return back to the pavilion after scoring 45 off 34 balls, which included six fours and two sixes with the scoreboard reading 74 for two in 10.2 overs.Sidra and Nida Dar got together and the pair added 26 runs off just 12 balls before Sidra was bowled by Sune Luus for 28. Sidra’s innings included three fours and a six. At 100 for three in 12.2 overs, Nida and captain Fatima Sana stitched a 60-run partnership for the fourth wicket off 38 balls.During the knock of 29 off 21 balls, which included four boundaries, Nida also brought up her 2,000 T20I runs. She became the third women cricketer for Pakistan to achieve this milestone after Bismah Maroof (2,893, 140 T20Is and Javeria Khan (2,018, 112 T20Is).That the hosts were able to score 181 in their 20 overs was largely due to an unbeaten knock of 37 off 23 balls by Fatima, which included three fours and two towering sixes. Aliya Riaz chipped in with an unbeaten 17 off seven balls, hitting two fours and a six.For South Africa, right-arm fast bowler Sekhukhune was the most successful bowler, grabbing two wickets for 30 runs in three overs.In turn, South Africa lost their in-form opening batter Tazmin Brits (nine, 10b, 1x4) in the third over of the innings to Sadia Iqbal. Earlier, in the same over, Pakistan suffered a blow, when their captain Fatima was hit on the face while fielding. Right-arm fast bowler Fatima was taken off the field and resultantly replaced by debutant left-arm pacer Tasmia Rubab as a concussion substitute. South Africa lost their second wicket in the ninth over with their captain Laura Wolvaardt departing for a 25-ball 36, laced with five fours and a six. After Wolvaardt’s departure, Anneke Bosch (24, 24b, 2x4s, 1x6) and Nadine de Klerk (12, 16b, 2x4s) soon followed their captain as South Africa were 88 for four in 13 overs.That the visiting team managed to score 168 and fell just 13 runs short of the target was due to an unbroken 80-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Sune Luus (53 not out, 29b, 6x4s, 1x6) and Chloe Tryon (30, 16b, 5x4s). For Pakistan, left-arm spinners Nashra Sundhu and Sadia Iqbal bagged two wickets apiece.Scores in brief (Pakistan beat South Africa by 13 runs):Pakistan 181-4, 20 overs (Muneeba Ali 45, Fatima Sana 37 not out, Nida Dar 29, Sidra Amin 28; Tumi Sekhukhune 2-30)South Africa 168-4, 20 overs (Sune Luus 53 not out, Laura Wolvaardt 36, Chloe Tryon 30 not out; Nashra Sundhu 2-20, Sadia Iqbal 2-27)Player of the match: Muneeba Ali (Pakistan).
Babar sets Bahria Town Champions One-Day Cup alight with sparkling century
PCB ReportFAISALABAD: Babar Azam smashed his 30th List-A century, becoming the first Pakistan batter to register 30 or more List-A centuries, as Allied Bank Stallions triumphed over Engro Dolphins by 174 runs here at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad on Thursday evening.For the second consecutive game Dolphins failed to chase a total as they followed their yesterday’s score of 192 all out by 97 all out in pursuit of the 272-run target.Stallions made it two out of three wins as they qualified for the playoff stage, along with UMT Markhors and Lake City Panthers, while the Dolphins faced their third consecutive defeat. Lions and Dolphins are fighting for the fourth place in the playoff stage and will face each other on 22 September.Babar hit an unbeaten 104 off 100 balls clubbing seven fours and three sixes including a boundary on penultimate ball of the innings to bring up his record century. Yasir Khan (46, 58b, 5x4s), Shan Masood (34, 36b, 3x4s) and Tayyab Tahir (33, 49b, 4x4s) were the other notable contributors. In turn, Mehran Mumtaz (3-14) and Jahandad Khan (3-18) picked up three wickets each as Dolphins fell for a paltry 97 in just 25 overs.After Stallions won the toss and elected to bat first, Shan and Yasir provided a solid opening partnership of 76 runs before falling in 13th and 17th overs, respectively. Babar and Tayyab stitched a 57-run third-wicket partnership before the latter fell in the 30th over.Husaain Talat chipped in with 23 off 25 balls with the help of two fours while also adding 46 with Babar for the fifth wicket. The eighth-wicket partnership between Babar and Haris Rauf stretched for 41 runs in 23 balls with the latter only contributing three runs. All six Dolphins bowlers picked up one wicket each.Jahandad’s three-wicket burst with the new ball left Dolphins at 40-3 before the other bowlers struck at regular intervals as they lost remaining seven wickets for just 57 runs. Abrar Ahmed dismissed the top scorers for Dolphins, Sahibzada Farhan (32, 36b, 6x4s) and Asif Ali (21, 28b, 3x4s). Haris Rauf bagged two wickets as well.Scores in brief (Allied Bank Stallions beat Engro Dolphins by 174 runs):Allied Bank Stallions 271-7, 50 overs (Babar Azam 104 not out, Yasir Khan 46, Shan Masood 34, Tayyab Tahir 33; Saud Shakeel 1-14, Qasim Akram 1-42, Faheem Ashraf 1-48)Engro Dolphins 97 all out, 25 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 32, Asif Ali 21; Mehran Mumtaz 3-14, Jahandad Khan 3-18, Abrar Ahmed 2-15, Haris Rauf 2-28)Player of the match: Babar Azam (Allied Bank Stallions)
Jahangir Khan PSA Satellite Squash Series to start on September 18
Sports Bulletin ReportKARACHI: The Jahangir Khan PSA Satellite Squash Series will start on September 18 (Wednesday) at the Pakistan Navy Roshan Khan Jahangir Khan Squash Complex in Karachi in collaboration with Friends of Pakistan. As many as 32 players will participate in the fixture and fight for the top honour.According to an official, the total prize money for the tournament is USD 1,000. Additionally, two local categories, Boys Under-13 and Boys Under-19 will be played on Friday at the same venue.
FIH Hockey Stars Awards 2024: vote for the best players of the year
Lausanne (Switzerland): The International Hockey Federation (FIH) announced that the 30 top hockey athletes have been shortlisted to win the FIH Best Player, FIH Best Goalkeeper and FIH Rising Star Awards of the Year.FIH Player of the Year Award - Nominees:Women: Gu Bingfeng (CHN), Yibbi Jansen (NED), Nike Lorenz (GER), Stéphanie Vanden Borre (BEL), Xan de Waard (NED)Men: Thierry Brinkman (NED), Joep de Mol (NED), Hannes Müller (GER), Harmanpreet Singh (IND), Zach Wallace (ENG)FIH Goalkeeper of the Year Award - Nominees:Women: Cristina Cosentino (ARG), Aisling D’Hooghe (BEL), Nathalie Kubalski (GER), Anne Veenendaal (NED), Ye Jiao (CHN) Men: Pirmin Blaak (NED), Luis Calzado (ESP), Jean-Paul Danneberg (GER), Tomás Santiago (ARG), PR Sreejesh (IND)FIH Rising Star of the Year Award – Nominees:Women: Claire Colwill (AUS), Zoe Díaz (ARG), Tan Jinzhuang (CHN), Emily White (BEL), Linnea Weidemann (GER)Men: Bautista Capurro (ARG), Bruno Font (ESP), Sufyan Khan (PAK), Michel Struthoff (GER), Arno Van Dessel (BEL)The list of nominees was established by an Expert Panel, composed of players, coaches and officials selected by each of their Continental Federations. The expert panel was provided access to match data from all international matches held in 2024, including Test Matches, the FIH hockey Pro League, FIH Hockey Nations Cups, FIH Hockey Olympic Qualifiers and the Olympic Games Paris 2024 before establishing the final list of nominees. The voting process is now open! National Associations - represented by their respective national teams’ captains and coaches -, fans, players, coaches, officials and media can register their vote until 11 October.The votes of the Expert Panel count for 40% of the overall result. Those from National Associations count for a further 20%. The fans and other players (20%) as well as the media (20%) will make the remaining 40%.Fans and players can cast their vote here.Expert Panel:Europe: Janne Müller-Wieland (GER) and Simon Mason (ENG)Asia: Tahir Zaman (PAK) and Ms Deepika (IND)Pan America: Soledad Iparraguirre (ARG) and Craig Parnham (USA)Africa: Sarah Bennett (ZIM) and Ahmed Youssef (EGY)Oceania: Amber Church (NZL) and Adam Webster (AUS)List of Awards:FIH Player of the Year (Women and Men)FIH Goalkeeper of the Year (Women and Men)FIH Rising Star of the Year (Women and Men)FIH Coach of the Year (Women and Men)FIH Umpire of the Year (Women and Men) (Press Release)
ICC enters era of equal prize money for men and women
T20 Women’s World Cup 2024: Winners to receive $2.34 million, runners-up to get $1.17millionSports Bulletin ReportDubai (UAE): The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will be the first ICC event where women will receive the same prize money as their male counterparts, marking a significant milestone in the sport’s history. The decision was taken at the ICC Annual Conference in July 2023, when the ICC Board took the step of reaching its prize money equity target seven years ahead of its schedule of 2030, making cricket the only major team sport to have equal prize money for its men’s and women’s World Cup events.The winners of the tournament, which will now be staged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), will receive US$2.34million, a massive, 134 per cent increase on the $1 million awarded to Australia when they clinched the title in South Africa in 2023.The runners-up will receive $1.17 million, an increase of 134 per cent in comparison to the $500, 000 South Africa received for reaching the final on home soil at Newlands Cricket Ground. The two losing semi-finalists will earn $675, 000 (up from $210 000 in 2023), with the overall prize pot totalling $7,958,080, a massive increase of 225 per cent from last year’s total fund of $2.45 million.This move is in line with the ICC’s strategy to prioritise the women’s game and accelerate its growth by 2032. Teams will now receive equal prize money for the equivalent finishing position at comparable events as well as the same amount for winning a match at those events. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2024 event prize money is only higher on account of 10 additional teams participating and 32 more matches played.Each win during the group stages will see teams take home $31,154, while the six teams who fail to reach the semi-finals will share a pool of $1.35 million depending on their finishing positions. In comparison, the equivalent pool for the six teams in 2023 was $180,000, shared equally. Teams, who finish third or fourth in their group will take $270,000 each while the teams who finish fifth in their group will both receive $135,000. All 10 participating teams are assured of $112,500.The increase in prize money for the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 comes in line with the prize pot for the ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup 2022 also increasing to $3.5 million in total. The ICC Women’s T20 World Cup 2024 will open on 3 October with Bangladesh taking on Scotland at Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
ATF U12 Team Competition Final: Pakistan beat Thailand 2-1
Sports Bulletin ReportShymkent (Kazakhstan): Pakistan beat Thailand 2-1 in th Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) Under-12 Team Competition Final 2024 here at Shymkent, Kazakhstan. The Pakistan team has been placed in Group D, alongside Saudi Arabia and Thailand.Results:In the first single: Nimnuankul Punnapat beat Rashid Ali 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (7-4)In the second singles: Mohammad Shayan Afridi beat Lamornpanich Shaah 6-1, 6-3In the doubles: Rashid Ali / Mohammad Shayan Afridi beat Nimnuankul Punnapat / Lamornpanich Shaah 6-4, 6-3
South Africa Women beat Pakistan Women by 10 runs in T20I
Sports Bulletin ReportMULTAN: South Africa beat Pakistan by 10 runs in the first T20I to take a 1-0 lead in the three-match T20I series here at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan on Monday evening.Chasing 133 to win, Pakistan struggled from the outset, losing half of their side in the 13th over with 47 runs on the board. At that time, captain Fatima Sana joined Aliya Riaz and the pair knitted an unbroken 75-run partnership for the sixth wicket, but fell 10 runs short of the target.Right-handed batter Fatima, scored an unbeaten 37 off 24 balls, which included five fours. Aliya, brought up her second T20I half-century and returned undefeated on 52 off 39 balls, smashing five fours and a six.For South Africa, Marizanne Kapp and Tumi Sekhukhune took two wickets each.Earlier, after being put into bat, South Africa managed to score 132 for four in their allotted 20 overs. Left-arm spinner Sadia Iqbal was the pick of the bowlers for the hosts, bagging three wickets for 34 in four overs. Sadia’s third scalp in the 18th over of the innings marked her 50th T20I wicket in 41 matches.Former captain Nida Dar, playing her 154th T20I, bowled economically and gave away only 11 runs in her four overs and took the prized scalp of Kapp.For South Africa, opening batter Tazmin Brits returned undefeated on 56 off 63, hitting five fours. She knitted a 63-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Sune Luus (27, 27b, 4x4s) and an unbroken 28-run partnership with Chloe Tryon (15 not out, seven balls, 2x6s).Both sides will now feature in the second T20I at the same venue on Wednesday evening. The first ball of the match will be bowled at 1900 PST.Scores in briefSouth Africa beat Pakistan by 10 runsSouth Africa 132-4, 20 overs (Tazmin Brits 56 not out, Sune Luus 27; Sadia Iqbal 3-34)Pakistan 122-5, 20 overs (Aliya Riaz 52 not out, Fatima Sana 37 not out; Tumi Sekhukhune 2-15,Marizanne Kapp 2-22)Player of the match – Tazmin Brits (South Africa).
Chris Guest appointed as England Women U19 Performance Lead
Sports Bulletin ReportLondon (UK): The England & Wales Cricket Board (ECB) appointed Chris Guest as England Women Under-19 Performance Lead here on Tuesday.Guest arrives from The Blaze where he spent three years as head coach of Loughborough Lightning and then The Blaze following the region’s move to Nottinghamshire in 2022, leading the latter to Charlotte Edwards Cup success this summer.Alongside his regional commitments, he led the England Women U19 World Cup programme as the first head coach in 2023 and then the U19 tri-series between Sri Lanka, England and Australia earlier this year. The 40-year-old has also been assistant coach at Northern Superchargers during the previous three editions of The Hundred.The first of its kind performance role has a significant coaching element as head coach of the U19 side for the forthcoming ICC U19 Women's T20 World Cup 2025 in Malaysia as well as future tours whilst also leading on talent identification from the academy and senior programmes which will feed into England’s U19 activity.Guest said: “The pride and excitement of wearing the Three Lions over last few years has been immense and to be able to do so in this new role is an incredible feeling. With the growth of the women’s game, it’s a privilege to take on this role as it will focus on ensuring our young cricketers get the cricket they need at the right time which I am extremely passionate about. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at The Blaze. It’s a great place to work and has been massive part of my development and I wish them every success in the future. Having left the ECB four years ago, I have gone away and grown. I’m really excited to take on this role and work with the country’s top talent whilst putting my own stamp on things. My philosophy is centred around creating environments where players are willing to fail in order to improve. We all began playing for the love of the game and I cannot wait to see the next generation of cricketers enjoying what they do and playing with smiles on their faces. I can’t wait to work with the other coaches and wider staff and to get started.”
FOOTBALL - Int News 16 Sep, 2024
Over 20 nationalities, 200 players: 90 matches to be played during 18-week soccer festivalSports Bulletin ReportRiyadh (Saudi Arabia): The Saudi Women’s Premier League prepares to reach new heights as the nation’s top women’s division returns to action on Friday (September 27, 2024).With 90 matches set to take place across the 18-match week campaign of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s (SAFF) Women’s Premier League, the third season of top tier professional women’s football in the Kingdom will see the game reach new levels in 2024-25, with over 200 players registered for the new season.Ahead of the new campaign, the league saw over 15 new international signings join the 10 clubs, resulting in the total number of player nationalities reaching more than 20. The influx of international talent to the Saudi Women’s Premier League is a testament to the growth of women’s football in the Kingdom, following on from the qualification of Al Nassr to the Preliminary Stage of the AFC Women’s Champions League in August.The new season’s kick-off campaign - titled ‘See Us Play’ - invites football fans to celebrate women’s football in Saudi Arabia. With a new generation of football fans emerging in the Kingdom, including 77,000 female players in the nation’s school league, the Women’s Premier League will provide supporters with memorable moments across the new season.SAFF President, Yasser Al Misehal said: “We’re very proud of the growth of women’s football in Saudi Arabia and excited to see the return of the Women’s Premier League. The Federation’s investment in women’s football is clearly working so we will continue to increase our investments at all levels. As we go into the third season of the league, we have more registered players, football clubs, domestic competitions, national teams, licensed coaches, referees, and girls participating in the regional training centers and the school’s league than ever before. I congratulate our Women’s Football Department on this initiative, and wish the players, clubs and officials good luck and in the spirit of the campaign, encourage everyone across Saudi and beyond to #SeeUsPlay. We have so many historic clubs and passionate fans who support them but there is new history to write, and these players simply deserve your support. Everyone benefits from the noise and energy you will bring.”Head of Women’s Football at SAFF, Aalia Al Rasheed said: “The development we have seen for the Saudi Women’s Premier League over the past two seasons has been remarkable, going from having no professional female players to now having over 20 nationalities competing here in Saudi Arabia. It has been an incredible experience to witness how this game is inspiring a new generation, with players who saw the formation of our national team in 2021 now joining the women’s professional league and professional women’s clubs now competing on the international stage. The Saudi Women’s Premier League continues to develop rapidly with international players now eager to join our clubs and the formation of youth clubs and leagues to support the emerging talents of Saudi football and highlight the unique international stars to join the league this season. The record growth at a grassroots level is what we are most proud of, but we are looking forward to seeing how this continues to develop in the coming season, inspired by our new #SeeUsPlay campaign.”
ATF U12 Team Competition Final 2024: Pakistan beat Saudi Arabia 2-1
Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Pakistan started their campaign in the ATF Under-12 Team Competition Final 2024 and thrashed Saudi Arabia 2-1 at Shymkent, Kazakhstan. Pakistan will face Thailand in their second match on Tuesday at the same venue. The Pakistan team has been placed in Group D, alongside Saudi Arabia and Thailand.Results:In the first single, Rashid Ali beat Al Ghafi Elyas 6-0, 4-6, 6-1In the second singles, Elmansoury Hamza beat Mohammad Shayan Afridi 4-6, 6-3, 6-2In the doubles: Rashid Ali / Mohammad Shayan Afridi beat Al Zahrani Anas/Elmansoury Hamza 6-2, 6-4.
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