HBL Schoolboys Whites, Qadri Public School register wins in Inter-Schools cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

HBL Schoolboys Whites and Qadri Public School (QPS) whipped their respective rivals in the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA). 

HBL Schoolboys Whites began their campaign on a winning note as the spin duo of Ashraf Khan and Emad Ahmed helped them overwhelm Behbud Boys Secondary School (BBSS) by 94 runs in their Group A encounter at the TMC Ground while Ashar Qureshi’s splendid all-round performance powered QPS to an emphatic 178-run victory over New Standard Grammar School (NSGS) in their Group D fixture at the Hussain Lawai Naya Nazimabad Stadium. 

Batting first, after winning the toss, HBL Schoolboys Whites recovered to post an imposing total of 228 for seven in the allotted 40 overs. Naved Ahmed (50 off 68 balls) and Wajid Nasir (42 off 51 balls) repaired the damage after the loss of early wickets while Mohammad Zahid’s unbeaten 41 off 44 balls lifted the total in final overs. 

They were tested by medium-pacer Saif Shaukat (2-19) and left-arm spinner Haider Ali (2-37). Fighting knocks from Saif Shaukat (32 off 38 balls), Abdul Basit (28 off 27 balls) and Farhan Sadiq (24 off 34 balls) kept BBSS in the hunt as they progressed to 117 for three. 

But the game was changed by leg-spinner Ashraf Khan (4-29) and left-arm spinner Emad Ahmed (3-24) with the last seven wickets crashing for only 17 runs. QPS, elecing to bat after calling correctly, rattled up a huge score of 289 for six in the allotted 40 overs.

The platform was laid by opener Ashar Qureshi (85 off 100 balls) and Abdul Basit (61 off 68 balls), who added 139 for second wicket. Rahmatullah provided the late flourish with a breezy unbeaten 45 off 21 balls, smashing four sixes and three fours. 

Chasing a formidable target of 290 in 40 overs, NSGS didn’t recover after losing both their openers for ducks to medium-pacer Abdul Basit in the very first over of the innings. Ata-ur-Rahman (39 off 56 balls) and Osama Khalid (22 off 36 balls) offered some resistance before the spin duo of Ashar Qureshi (3-20) and Mohammad Uzair (3-25) ran though the middle-order to send them tumbling to 111 all out in 28.2 overs.