Lahore: Centuries by Asad Shafiq and Imran Butt led Balochistan to a 76-run win over Central Punjab in the eighth round fixture of the Pakistan Cup at the Iqbal Stadium on Saturday. In other, fixtures of the round, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Northern and Southern Punjab, respectively.
Batting first, Balochistan scored 371 for four in 50 overs. Opening batter Imran Butt top-scored with a 93-ball 129, which included 18 fours and two sixes. The right-handed Imran added 92 runs for the first wicket with Haseebullah who scored 37, hitting five fours and two sixes. Abdul Wahid Bangalzai batting at number three chipped in with a 53-ball 43, which included two fours and a six. Test cricketer and middle-order batter Asad Shafiq returned undefeated on 104 off 73 balls faced. His innings included 16 boundaries. Asad knitted a 127-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Mohammad Saad who scored a quick-fire 50 off 44 balls, hitting 4 fours and two sixes.
Central Punjab’s Hussain Talat scored 47 from seven overs.
In turn, Central Punjab was bowled out for 295 in the 48th over. Ahmed Shehzad top-scored with a 54-ball 66, smashing 10 fours and two sixes, while Saad Nasim was another half-centurion from the team scoring 62-ball 59, which included six fours.
For Balochistan, Asad and Amad Butt picked three wickets apiece, while captain Yasir Shah bagged two wickets for 44 from his 10 overs.
At the House of Northern, due to overnight rain, the match between Sindh and Northern was curtailed to 25 overs aside. After being put in to bat, Sindh scored 221 for five. Opening batter Saim Ayub top-scored with a 34-ball 57, hitting eight fours and two sixes. His partner Sharjeel Khan scored 39 off 30 balls, smashing four fours and two sixes. The pair knitted 92 runs for the opening wicket.
Left-handed Danish Aziz batting at number six, scored an unbeaten 46 off 27 balls, which included four fours and one six.
In turn, half-centuries from Imad Wasim and Umar Amin went in vain as Northern managed to score 213 for nine in their allotted 25 overs. Left-handed Umar top-scored with 66 off 38 balls. His innings included seven fours and three sixes. All-rounder Imad struck six boundaries and one six during his knock of 53 off 44 balls.
For Sindh, Asif Mehmood, Mohammad Umar, Saim Ayub, and Shahnawaz Dahani bagged two wickets apiece. This was Sindh’s sixth win in the tournament and they are leading the table with 12 points from eight outings.
At Multan Cricket Stadium, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Southern Punjab by 35 runs. After being asked to bat first, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa scored 285 for seven on the back of half-centuries from Fakhar Zaman (95 off 95, seven fours, four sixes) and Mohammad Sarwar Afridi (72 off 85, seven fours, one six).
Southern Punjab’s Zia-ul Haq picked four wickets for 65.
Chasing 286 to win, Southern Punjab were dismissed for 250 in the 45th over. Captain Salman Ali Agha top-scored with a 77-ball 56, hitting three fours and one six. Wicketkeeper-batter Azam Khan and left-handed Khushdil Shah scored 40 each.
For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, captain Khalid Usman picked three wickets for 68. Imran Khan Snr and Sameen Gul grabbed two wickets each.
Scores in brief:
Balochistan beat Central Punjab by 76 runs at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
Balochistan 371-4, 50 overs (Imran Butt 129, Asad Shafiq 104 not out, Mohammad Saad 50, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 43, Haseebullah 37; Hussain Talat 2-47)
Central Punjab 295 all out, 47.1 overs (Ahmed Shehzad 66, Saad Nasim 59, Hussain Talat 36, Rizwan Hussain 34; Asad Shafiq 3-46, Amad Butt 3-53, Yasir Shah 2-44)
Sindh beat Northern by eight runs at House of Northern, Islamabad
Sindh 221-5, 25 overs (Saim Ayub 57, Danish Aziz 46 not out, Sharjeel Khan 39)
Northern 213-9, 25 overs (Umar Amin 66, Imad Wasim 53; Saim Ayub 2-25, Mohammad Umar 2-33, Shahnawaz Dahani 2-37, Asif Mehmood 2-49)
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Southern Punjab by 35 runs at Multan Cricket Stadium
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 285-7, 50 overs (Fakhar Zaman 95, Mohammad Sarwar 72, Mehran Ibrahim 34 not out; Zia-ul-Haq 4-65)
Southern Punjab 250 all out, 44.1 overs (Salman Ali Agha 56, Azam Khan 40, Khushdil Shah 40; Khalid Usman 3-68, Sameen Gul 2-25, Imran Khan Snr 2-34)
