Pakistan News & Features Services
Karachi Grammar School defeated St Patrick’s High School by 20 runs in their closely fought Group E encounter of the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014 at the SKBZ Ground, Karachi.
Organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), the tournament is being contested by a total of 32 teams, including a couple of outfits selected by HBL on the basis of open trials.
Electing to bat first, after winning the toss, KGS batted out their quota of 40 overs to post a competitive total of 192 for seven.
Their opponents kept the match alive despite losing wickets regular until they were bowled out for 172 in 34.5 overs.
Opener Khizar Saqib (60 off 78 balls) weathered the early storm while it was Ghasharib Shaukat’s unbeaten 73 off 61 balls with the help of eight boundaries which lifted the KGS total substantially in the final overs. Medium-pacer Salman Khan (2-45) was the pick of the bowlers with Rafay Murtaza, Saifullah Shafaat, Saad Abdul Basit and Mohammad Waris being other wicket-takers.
Medium-pacers Salman Ali and Abdullah Nasir blew the top-order of St Patrick’s High School to reduce them to 59 for five but their fortunes were revived by the 64-run sixth wicket stand between Umama Intikhan (53 off 51 balls) and Alyan Afzal (21 off 35 balls).
The lower-order batsmen also contributed their but they fell 21 short of the target with 5.1 overs remaining used. The bowling honours were shared by the trio of Ali Raza (3-27), Salman Ali (3-33) and Abdullah Nasir (3-33).
