LAHORE: As many as four centuries were scored as Central Punjab U19 Blues, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues, and Southern Punjab U19 Blues won their second-round 50-over matches of Pool A of the National U19 Cup today. In Pool B, Central Punjab U19 Whites, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites, and Southern Punjab U19 Whites won their round matches of the day.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Blues’ Mohammad Zubair Jnr picked six for 43 to help his side to a second successive win in the tournament.
Pool A fixtures:
In A Pool, a fixture at the National Cricket Ground in Islamabad, Mohammad Danish’s unbeaten 114 guided Southern Punjab U19 Blues to an eight-wicket win over Balochistan U19 Blues. Chasing 269 to win, Southern Punjab Blues achieved the target in the 45th over courtesy of half-centuries from Moheer Saeed (58, 79b, five fours, one six) and Sharjeel Hassan (50 not out, 59b, five fours). The right-handed Danish’s knock included 14 fours and one six which came off 108 balls.
Earlier, after opting to bat first, Balochistan U19 Blues scored 268 for eight from 50 overs. Batting at number-six Sajjad Ali top-scored with an 88-ball 106, which included five fours and nine sixes. Abu Bakar contributed 53 off 84 balls.
For Southern Punjab Blues, Huzaifa Ayub and Bilal Ahmed picked two wickets apiece.
At the House of Northern in Islamabad, Central Punjab U19 Blues defeated Northern U19 Blues by a crushing 177 runs. Batting first, Central Punjab Blues scored 298 for seven from their allotted 50 overs. Captain Obaid Shahid led from the front and top-scored with an 84-ball 87, hitting 10 fours and two sixes. Opening batter Azan Awais was another notable run-getter, scoring 74 off 101 balls, striking nine fours and one six. Mohammad Muaz scored an unbeaten 46 off 57 balls.
For Northern U19 Blues, Faraz Khan and Abdullah bagged two wickets apiece.
In return, Northern U19 Blues were bowled out for 121 in the 39th over. Ali Abbas Khan top-scored with 38 off 55 balls. For Central Punjab U19 Blues, Ali Asfand and Arham Nawab bagged three wickets apiece. Mohammad Saria Khan who took six wickets in the previous outing bagged two wickets for 26 runs from five overs.
At the Ayub Park Cricket Ground in Islamabad, Mohammad Zubair Jnr six wickets and half-centuries by Abubakar Khan and Haseeb Khan helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues to a four-wicket win over Sindh U19 Blues.
Batting first, Sindh Blues scored 274 for nine in 50 overs. Captain and wicketkeeper-batter Mirza Saad Baig scored 103 off 116 and struck 14 boundaries. Haroon Arshad was another notable run-getter with 45 off 55, smashing five fours and one six. Left-arm orthodox ended up with match figures of six for 43 from 10 overs.
In return, Abubakar (80, 89b, eight fours, two sixes) and captain Haseeb (69,72b, four fours, and four sixes) achieved the target in the 45th over.
Sindh U19 Blues’ Aftab Ibrahim grabbed three wickets for 65, while Shahzaib Aziz picked two wickets for 40.
Pool B fixtures:
Southern Punjab U19 Whites’ Arafat Minhas’ unbeaten 100 led his side to a comfortable eight-wicket win over Balochistan U19 Whites at the Saeed Ajmal Academy Ground in Faisalabad. Chasing 174 to win, Arafat returned undefeated on 100 from 77 balls faced. During the course of the innings, he struck 12 fours and five sixes. Opener Arafat added 139 runs for the opening wicket with Hamza Nawaz (59 off 57, seven fours, one six) to achieve the target in the 25th over.
Earlier, opting to bat first, Balochistan U19 Whites were bowled out for 173 in the 49th over. Mohammad Siddiq top-scored with a 117-ball 54. Southern Punjab Whites Mohammad Abubakar was the pick of the bowlers with four for 31 from 7.5 overs. He was well supported by Taha Masood who bagged three for 34 from 10 overs.
At the LCCA Ground in Lahore, Ali Zoriaz Asif’s half-century and three wickets apiece from Hasan Ali Jnr and Mohammad Ibtisam helped his side Central Punjab U19 Whites to a 56-run over Northern U19 Whites.
The match had a delayed start due to a wet outfield and was reduced to 47 overs a side. Batting first Central Punjab Whites scored 242 for eight. Ali top-scored with 68 while Moeez Rana scored 36. For Northern U19 Whites, Abdul Basit, Abuzar Hashim, and Raja Hamza Waheed picked two wickets each.
In reply, Northern Whites were dismissed for 186 in the 38th over. Hasnain Nadeem top-scored with 37 for the losing team. For the winning team, Hasan and Ibtisam bagged three wickets apiece while Samama Riaz picked two wickets for 26.
In the third fixture of the pool, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites beat Sindh U19 Whites by five wickets at the Rana Naved Cricket Academy in Sheikhupura. Batting first, Sindh Whites scored 209 for eight in 50 overs. Syed Tayyab Hussain top-scored with 47 off 71 balls, hitting one four.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Whites’ captain Abbas Ali was the pick of the bowlers with three for 42 from seven overs.
In return, opening batter Mohammad Salman top-scored with a 99-ball 70, hitting two boundaries. Abbas and Shahzaib Khan scored 37 runs each to achieve the target in the 42nd over for the loss of five wickets.
For the losing side, Saqlain Nawaz grabbed three wickets for 40.
The third round matches of the tournament will take place on Saturday, 2 July.
Scores in brief – Pool A:
Southern Punjab U19 Blues beat Balochistan U19 Blues by eight wickets at the National Cricket Ground, Islamabad
Balochistan U19 Blues 268-8, 50 overs (Sajjad Ali 106, Abubakar 53; Huzaifa Ayub 2-22, Bilal Ahmed 2-67)
Southern Punjab U19 Blues 269-2, 45 overs (Mohammad Danish 114 not out, Moheer Saeed 58, Sharjeel Hassan 50 not out)
Central Punjab U19 Blues beat Northern U19 Blues by 177 runs at the House of Northern, Islamabad
Central Punjab U19 Blues 298-7, 50 overs (Obaid Shahid 87, Azan Awais 74, Mohammad Maaz 46 not out; Faraz Khan 2-44, Abidullah 2-55)
Northern U19 Blues 121 all out, 38.1 overs (Ali Abbas Khan 38; Arham Nawab 3-9, Ali Asfand 3-27, Saria Khan 2-26)
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues beat Sindh U19 Blues by four wickets at the Ayub Park Cricket Ground, Islamabad
Sindh U19 Blues 274-9, 50 overs (Mirza Saad Baig 103, Haroon Arshad 45, Ali Hassan 36 not out, Afnan Khan 35; Mohammad Zubair Jnr 6-43)
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Blues 275-6, 44.2 overs (Abubakar Khan 80, Haseeb Khan 69, Mohammad Farooq 43; Aftab Ibrahim 3-65, Shahzaib Aziz 2-40)
Scores in brief – Pool B:
Southern Punjab U19 Whites beat Balochistan U19 Whites by eight wickets at the Saeed Ajmal Academy Ground, Faisalabad
Balochistan U19 Whites 173 all out, 48.5 overs (Mohammad Siddiq 54; Mohammad Abubakar 4-31, Taha Masood 3-34)
Southern Punjab U19 Whites 174-2, 24.5 overs (Arafat Minhas 100 not out, Hamza Nawaz 59; Hikmatullah 2-25)
Central Punjab U19 Whites beat Northern U19 Whites by 56 runs at the LCCA Ground, Lahore
Central Punjab U19 Whites 242-8, 47 overs (Ali Zoraiz Asif 68, Moeez Rana 36, Faraz Ahmed 33, Usman Shahid 31; Abdul Basit 2-39, Raja Hamza Waheed 2-42, Abuzar Hashim 2-51)
Northern U19 Whites 186 all out, 37.5 overs (Hasnain Nadeem 37, Salman Khan 36; Hasan Ali Jnr 3-33, Mohammad Ibtisam 3-57, Samama Riaz 2-26)
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites beat Sindh U19 Whites by five wickets at the Rana Naved Cricket Academy, Sheikhupura
Sindh U19 Whites 209-8, 50 overs (Syed Tayyab Hussain 47, Shahwaiz Yasir 42, Ali Ishaq 32; Abbas Ali 3-42)
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa U19 Whites 210-5, 41.4 overs (Mohammad Salman 70, Abbas Ali 37, Shahzaib Khan 37; Saqlain Nawaz 3-40)
