Pakistan News & Features Services
Fahad Academy and New Oxford Grammar School recorded emphatic victories over their respective rivals in the league matches of the HBL Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2014, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).
Fahad Academy trounced Zeeshan Secondary School by 123 runs in their Group D encounter at the Hussain Lawai Naya Nazimabad Stadium while New Oxford Grammar School whipped Metropolitan Academy by nine wickets in their Group H fixture at the TMC Ground.
Electing to bat first, after winning the toss, Fahad Academy amassed a huge score of 242 for eight in the allotted 40 overs. The platform was set by opener Babar Hussain (45 off 35 balls) and Farhan Shah (67 off 60 balls), who added 92 for the second wicket.
The momentum was sustained by middle-order batsmen Adeel Irshan (43 off 52 balls) and Zeeshan Ahmed (33 off 42 balls). They ensured that their team batted out the full quota of 40 overs despite fine bowling from the spin duo of Mirza Burhan (3-52) and Mohammad Javed (2-37). Medium-pacer Mohammad Hasan (2-36) also bowled well.
Set a daunting target of 243 in 40 overs, Zeeshan Secondary School collapsed against leg-spinners Mohammad Saleem (3-14) and Arsalan Shah (3-13). Off-spinner Zeeshan Ahmed, adjudged Man of the Match, grabbed a couple of wickets for only five runs to send the opponents crashing to 119 all out in 22.5 overs. Mohammad Asim (47 off 35 balls) was the only batsman to offer resistance to the spin challenge.
In the other match, the decision of Metropolitan Academy to bat first after calling correctly backfired as they tumbled to tumbled to 76 all out in 25 overs with only Abdul Rahman (20 off 42 balls) and Yaqoob Ahmed (11 off 13 balls) entered double figures as the innings was wrecked by the spin duo of Saad Ghauri (3-19) and Israr Ahmed (2-11).
Set a modest target of 77 in 40 overs, New Oxford Grammar School got over the line in a matter of just 17.3 overs. The victory charge was led by the opening pair of Chand Ahmed and Hasan Masood.
Interestingly the opening partnership was finally broken when the scores were level.
Chand Ahmed, who scored 40 off 50 balls with the help of five fours, was adjudged Man of the Match. Hasan Masood remained undefeated with 23 off 47 balls as the winning runs came with as many as 22.3 overs to spare.
