- Points table available here
Lahore, 25 November 2021: Sindh beat Balochistan by 46 runs to go on top of the points table of Cricket Associations Challenge on Thursday. Southern Punjab and Northern also won their fourth-round matches.
At LCCA Ground in Lahore, after being put into bat Sindh were bowled out for 250 in the 45th over. Captain Danish Aziz top-scored with a 65-ball 64, hitting five fours and one six. Rameez Aziz contributed 37 off 53, laced with three fours and one six. Wicketkeeper-batter Saifullah Bangash chipped in with an unbeaten quick-fire 29-ball 36, which included four fours and one six.
Balochistan’s Mohammad Idrees picked four wickets for 46. Mohammad Junaid and Saleem Mal bagged two wickets apiece.
In return, Balochistan were bundled out for 204 in the 44th over. Fahad Iqbal top-scored with run-a-ball 55, laced with four fours and one six. Wicketkeeper-batter Haseebullah was other notable run-getter with 54 off 66, smashing four fours and one six.
Balochistan’s Asif Mehmood grabbed three for 32, while Asad Malik bagged two wickets for 50.
In Punjab derby, Southern Punjab beat Central by five wickets at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Batting first, Central Punjab managed to score 211 for nine in 45 overs. Muhammad Akhlaq coming to bat at number three top-scored with a 101-ball 81, laced with six fours and one six. Kamran Afzal, batting at number eight returned undefeated on 67 off 97, which included three fours and two sixes.
Southern Punjab’s Ali Majid bagged four for 30, while Ali Shafiq took three for 35 in nine overs.
Southern Punjab chased down the target in the 42nd over with five wickets in hand. After losing three wickets for 65, Rameez Alam and Moinuddin knitted a 116-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Rameez returned undefeated on 77 off 85, hitting eight fours and one six. Captain Moinuddin scored a quick-fire 58-ball 60, and struck four fours and two sixes.
Mohammad Irfan Jnr took two wickets for 31 for Central Punjab.
At Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, Northern beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 92 runs. Opting to bat, Northern scored 273 for eight in 45 overs. Taimoor Sultan top-scored with a 89-ball 94, which included 10 fours and two sixes. Aqib Shah contributed 61 off 66, laced with seven fours and one six. The pair of Taimoor and Aqib added 122 runs for the third wicket. Captain Ali Sarfraz batting at number six scored 40 off 30, which included six fours.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Mohammad Abbas Afridi picked three for 46, while Zohaib Khan took two for 34 from nine overs.
In reply, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were dismissed for 181 in the 38th over. Zohaib coming to bat at number eight returned undefeated on 46 off 61, hitting two fours and as many sixes.
Northern’s Salman Irshad grabbed three wickets for 48, while Aaqib Liaquat, Nasir Nawaz and Zaman Khan picked two wickets each.
The fifth and final round matches of the tournament will be staged on Saturday, 27 November. Sindh lead the points table with six points from four matches. Central Punjab, Northern, Southern Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are equal on four points, but on better net run-rate Central Punjab are on the second spot.
Scores in brief:
Sindh beat Balochistan by 46 runs at LCCA Ground, Lahore
Sindh 250 all out, 44.4 overs (Danish Aziz 64, Fazal Subhan 37, Rameez Aziz 37, Saifullah Bangash 36 not out; Mohammad Idrees 4-46, Mohammad Junaid 2-40, Saleem Mal 2-47)
Balochistan 204 all out, 43.3 overs (Fahad Iqbal 55, Haseebullah 54; Asif Mehmood 3-32, Asad Malik 2-50)
Southern Punjab beat Central Punjab by five wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore
Central Punjab 211-9, 45 overs (Muhammad Akhlaq 81, Kamran Afzal 67 not out; Ali Majid 4-30, Ali Shafiq 3-35)
Southern Punjab 213-5, 41.2 overs (Rameez Alam 77 not out, Moinuddin 60; Mohammad Irfan Jnr 2-31)
Northern beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 92 runs at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
Northern 273-8, 45 overs (Taimoor Sultan 94, Aqib Shah 61, Ali Sarfraz 40; Mohammad Abbas Afridi 3-46, Zohaib Khan 2-34)
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 181 all out, 37.2 overs (Zohaib Khan 46 not out, Mohammad Abbas Afridi 32; Salman Irshad 3-48, Zaman Khan 2-22, Aaqib Liaquat 2-40, Nasir Nawaz 2-42)
