Pakistan News & Features Services
Beaconhouse School North Nazimabad and St Paul High School sneaked into the semifinals of the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), by edging out their respective rivals in the quarter-finals.
Beaconhouse School North Nazimabad outwitted HBL Schoolboys Whites by nine runs at the TMC Ground while St Paul High School recorded a narrow two-wicket victory over Beaconhouse School PECHS at the KCCA Stadium.
Batting first, after winning the toss, Beaconhouse School North Nazimabad overcome a shaky start to finish with a decent total 185 for seven in the allotted 40 overs. Then they bowled out HBL Schoolboys Whites for 176 on the final ball of the innings to win the keenly contested encounter.
Opener Izan Khan held the Beaconhouse School North Nazimabad innings together with a solid 47 off 93 balls. He added 80 for the fifth wicket with Muaz Bin Salman, who remained undefeated on 54 off 79 balls. Medium-pacer Sohail Khan (2-48) and leg-spinner Ashraf Khan (2-49) were the successful bowlers for HBL Schoolboys Whites.
Beaconhouse School North Nazimabad fought back through the spin trio of Waleed Hasan (2-25), Ahmed Salman (2-27) and Hasan Khan (2-30) after HBL Schoolboys Whites was put in the driving seat by their top-order batsmen Waleed Khan (54 off 73 balls), Wajid Nasir (35 off 35 balls) and Owais Butt (28 off 47 balls).
Muaz Bin Salman of Beaconhouse School North Nazimabad, who also picked up a wicket in his five-over spell of leg-spin besides scoring an unbeaten half century, was declared Man of the Match.
The other quarter-final, featuring St Paul High School and Beaconhouse School PECHS, also went to the wire. Beaconhouse School PECHS was bowled out for 175 in 35 overs and St Paul High School lost eight wickets before finally reaching the target in the penultimate over.
Leg-spinner Fahad Irfan (4-27), assisted by left-arm spinner Hamza Khan (2-10) and medium-pacer Mohammad Hasnain (2-22), wrecked the Beaconhouse School PECHS innings after enterprising knocks from Huzaifa Ahmed (44 off 45 balls) and Hammad Khan (28 off 27 balls) in the early overs.
Chasing a target of 176 in 40 overs, St Paul High School lost wickets at regular intervals to be reduced to 111 for six despite Umar Abdullah’s 45 off 102 balls. With off-spinner Mazahir Walji (3-25) delivering an outstanding spell, Beaconhouse School PECHS sensed victory when they claimed eighth wicket.
It was Mohammad Kashan’s brilliant unbeaten knock, under pressure, turned the tide decisively in favour of St Paul High School. He remained undefeated on 36 off 40 balls as the winning runs came with only eight deliveries to spare.
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