KARACHI: The Sindh Cup on Monday completed the process of rapid demolition of Balochistan to retain its top spot in the Pakistan Cup, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is far below the leaders in net run rate after the sixth round of action. ۔
Now there is an eight-point level between Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while the Northern victory has lost the third straight Phoenix against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He will then hold on to six points after starting the tournament with three wins. North and Central Punjab are ranked third and fourth respectively, with both organizations having six points. South Punjab and Balochistan have maintained the position of six teams with only four points below their team in the last two places.
The match at the UBL Sports Complex ended before the lunch break. After Anwar Ali was sent to bat, Balochistan were bowled out for 116 in 25.3 overs and left-hander Hassan Khan claimed the man-of-the-match award for 4-15 in 3.3 overs.
Sindh lost three wickets at the hands of left-arm fast bowler Taj Wali but Khurram Manzoor (56) and Danish Aziz (46) led them with 95 runs in their unbroken partnership.
Northern was initially asked to bat Khalid Usman in a televised game at the SBP Sports Complex and he was dismissed for 324 in 49.2 overs. Haider, the opener of Pakistan T20, batted fluently and played an innings of 95 runs with the help of which he hit nine boundaries and three sixes in 87 balls.
Other notable runners-up for Naderan included Umar Amin (67) and skipper Rohail Nazir (68), who added 112 runs for the third wicket.
Irfanullah Shah (4-68) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s young fast bowlers Mohammad Imran (3-64) and Mohammad Wasim (3-70) took 10 wickets each.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chase came when they took two wickets for 41 runs but recovered brilliantly from the man-of-the-match Iftikhar Ahmed for the fourth wicket stand of 168 runs. He made a lone century of the day and played a brilliant innings of 110 runs. (12 fours and three sixes). Adil Amin (3 balls (78 balls, five fours and four sixes) remained unbeaten.
Mukhtar Ahmed scored 94 for 98 (nine fours and three sixes), while returning with 133 runs with returning captain Shaun Masood (49), followed by South Punjab captain Saad Naseem for 232 in 45.2 overs. Are out Chose first fielding at NBP Sports Complex.
Central Punjab won by 5 overs and scored 235-5 with Usman Salahuddin (unbeaten 67) and Tayyab Tahir (60) declaring Mukhtar Man of the Match.
Results on Monday:
Sixth round:
SBP Sports Complex, Karachi: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa defeated North by five wickets.
Noorin 324 in 49.2 overs (Haider Ali 95, Rohail Nazir 68, Umar Amin 67, Hamad Azam 36 Ir Irfanullah Shah 4-68, Mohammad Imran 3-64, Mohammad Wasim 3-70) Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 327-5 in 48.2 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 123, Adil Amin not out, Fakhr Zaman 42, Khalid Usman 27 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 20, Athar Mahmood 3-76)
UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: Sindh defeated Balochistan by seven wickets.
Bolical 1116 in 25.3 overs (Imran Farhat 32, Ayaz Tasur 21)
Hassan Khan 4-15, Mir Hamza 2-36); Sindh 118-3 in 19.5 overs (Khurram Manzoor 56 not out, Danish Aziz 46 not out; Taj Wali 3-35).
NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: Central Punjab defeated South Punjab by five wickets.
South Punjab 232 in 45.3 overs (Mukhtar Ahmed 94, Shaun Masood 49, Sohaib Maqsood 24; Raza Ali Dar 3-37, Zafar Gohar 3-65, Usman Qadir 2-51) Central Punjab 235-5 in 45 overs (Usman Salahuddin 67 not out, Tayyab Tahir 60, Saad Naseem 42, Qasim Akram 22 not out; Zahid Mahmood 2-52).
Fixtures on Wednesday (matches will start at 9:30 am PST): Sindh vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (SBP Sports Complex, Karachi) ؛ Central Punjab vs North (UBL Sports Complex, Karachi) South Punjab vs Balochistan (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi).