Knockout phase of Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament underway

Pakistan News & Features Services

The Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), has reached the knockout stage upon the conclusion of 48 league matches. 

The tournament, contested by 32 teams, which got underway at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on September 1, will be concluding, as per the original schedule, with the final and the prize distribution ceremony at the National Stadium, Karachi, on November 13. 

Both the semifinals, also to be staged at the National Stadium on November 11 and 12, alongwith the final, will be televised live. 

All the four quarter-finals will be played at Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium. In the first quarter-final, Qadri Model School has beaten St Patrick High School by six wickets while in the remaining quarter-finals, to be held during the current week, Kamran Public School will be taking on Oasis English Secondary School, Fahad Academy will lock horns with Ebrahim Ali Bhai School and Beaconhouse School System will combat Springfield School. 

At the end of the league matches, Beaconhouse School System, Fahad Academy, Qadri Model School, Oasis English Secondary School, Springfield School, Ebrahim Ali Bhai School, St Patrick High School and Kamran Public School had emerged champions in Groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H respectively to advance to the quarter-finals. 

Like the league matches, the knockout fixtures will also be limited to 40 overs per innings and no bowler will be permitted to bowl more than eight overs in a match whereas in order to encourage fast bowlers, the teams will not be allowed to use spinners during the first six overs. 

This is for the eighth time when the PVCA has successfully organized the Inter-Schools tournament in Karachi, having launched it with great fanfare in 1999. The event is being sponsored by Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd with Bank Alfalah Ltd being the co-sponsors.

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Mohibullah Shah’s six-for powers Qadri Model School into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semis

Pakistan News & Features Services

Medium-pacer Mohibullah Shaikh’s six wicket haul powered Qadri Model School into the semifinals of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), as they overwhelmed St Patrick High School by six wickets in the quarter-finals at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium on October 27. 

Mohibullah Shaikh, adjudged Man of the Match, claimed six wickets for 19 runs to send St Patrick High School tumbling to 93 all out in 28.2 overs. Set a target of 94 in 40 overs, Qadri Model School needed just 20 overs to do it with six wickets in hand. 

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, St Patrick High School could not recover after losing wickets upfront. Coming in to bat number five, with his team reeling at 13 for three, Sharjeel Ahmed fought a lone battle against the Qadri Model School bowlers but his heroics were not enough to ensure a competitive total. Sharjeel Ahmed blasted eight fours in fighting knock of 59 off 79 balls but none of his teammates could enter double figures. He scored 63.3% of the St Patrick High School’s modest total of 93. 

Moving the ball both ways, Mohibullah Shaikh ran through the top order, dismissing the first six batsmen of St Patrick High School in his 6.2 overs. There was a wicket each for Amin Abdullah, Afzal Khan, Saad Bin Yousuf and Abdul Basit. 

Qadri Model School didn’t face any problem in reaching the target of 94 as openers S M Shaheer (23 off 33 balls) and Abdul Basit (16 off 15 balls) got them off to a solid start. 

Amin Abdullah remained undefeated on 25 off 53 balls while Roman Ali smashed a couple of boundaries in his unbeaten 14 off only six balls to guide Qadri Model School into the semifinals

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Mohammad Arif guides Behbud Boys Secondary School to victory in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Mohammad Arif’s fine all-round performance enabled Behbud Boys Secondary School to defeat Karachi Gymkhana Schoolboys XI by 76 runs in their Group G encounter of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on October 23.

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, Behbud Boys Secondary School was all out for 176 in 38 overs, Karachi Gymkhana Schoolboys XI, in reply, was bowled out for 100 in 26.2 overs. 

Behbud Secondary School got off to a flying start as the opening pair of Mohammad Farhan (29 off 41 balls) and Mohammad Usman (28 off 52 balls) added 56 for the first wicket. The momentum was sustained by number three Mohammad Arif who struck five boundaries in his 52-ball 39. 

 Karachi Gymkhana Schoolboys XI fought back through the spin trio of Rameel Aftab (3-38), Hamza (2-25) and Mohib (2-34). Medium-pacer Mohammad Makki (2-15) cleaned up the tail as Behbud Secondary School lost their last five wickets for only 25 runs. 

Chasing a target of 177 in 40 overs, Karachi Gymkhana Schoolboys XI was jolted by medium-pacer Mohammad Arif who accounted for both the openers cheaply. The damage could not be repaired with only Shaheryar (21off 20 balls) offering resistance against the steady Behbud Boys Secondary School bowling. 

Left-arm spinner Shahzad (4-16) ran through the middle-order and the demolition job was completed by leg-spinner Farhan who claimed a couple of wickets for only one run off 1.2 overs. By routing Karachi Gymkhana Schoolboys XI for 100, Behbud Boys Secondary School emerged triumphant by a convincing margin of 76 runs with their all-rounder Mohammad Arif clinching Man of the Match award.

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Ebrahim Ali Bhai School, New Standard Secondary School record astonishing victories in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Centuries from Mohammad Usman and Zia-ur-Rahman powered Ebrahim Ali Bhai School to a record 310-run victory over Al Hameed Secondary School while New Standard Secondary School registering an astonishing victory while defending a modest total of 84 against Falcon House Grammar School in the latest matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Both the matches witnessed sensational stuff. Ebrahim Ali Bhai School whipped Al Hameed Secondary School after posting an awesome total of 361 for in 40 overs in the Group F encounter at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium while New Standard Secondary School managed to defeat Falcon House Grammar School by 47 runs after having scored only 84 in their Group H clash at the KCCA Stadium. 

The 277-run partnership between opener Zia-ur-Rahman and Mohammad Usman for the second wicket allowed Ebrahim Ali Bhai School to post a monumental total. While opener Zia-ur-Rahman retired after scoring 120 off 89 balls with the help of five sixes and six fours, Mohammad Usman, adjudged Man of the Match, struck eight sixes and 21 fours in his staggering knock of 184, coming from only 100 balls. 

Medium-pacers Haseebuddin (2-56) and Muneeruddin (2-63) were the successful bowlers for Al Hameed Secondary School but they were also put to sword by the rampaging batsmen as Ebrahim Ali Bhai School ended up with a record total of 361. 

Al Hameed Secondary School lost their way from the outset while chasing the target of 362 to be bowled for 81 in 19.1 overs. The innings was wrapped up by Ebrahim Ali Bhai School’s leg-spinner Abdul Rahman (6-22) after medium-pacers Zeeshan-ur-Rahman (2-14) and Saeed-ur-Rahman (2-26) had routed the top-order. 

The other match of the day turned to be a low-scoring affair as New Standard Secondary School successfully defended their total of 84 against Falcon House Grammar School. 

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, New Standard Secondary School lost wickets at regular intervals to be all out for 84 in 21.1 overs. Fahad Khan (23 off nine balls) was their topscorer as the innings was rocked by leg-spinner Affan-ur-Rahman (5-22) after the early damaged was caused with the ball by medium-pacers Nafay Yar Khan (2-21) and Farjad Yar Khan (2-23). 

Set a modest target of 84 in 40 overs, Falcon House Grammar School was skittled for a paltry 37 in 13.1 overs with only Sikander Khan (14 off 17 balls) reaching double figures. Off-spinners Tariq Khan (3-5) and Mohammad Nafay (2-2) shattered the middle-order after the opening bowlers Maaz Khalid (2-16) and Saqib Khan (1-11) picked up wickets upfront. 

Falcon House Grammar School’s leg-spinner Affan-ur-Rahman was adjudicated as Man of the Match for his five-wicket haul despite being on the losing side.

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Happy Palace School, Springfield School tame rivals in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Happy Palace School and Springfield School tamed their respective rivals in the latest matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Happy Palace School whacked Fatimiyah Boys School by 148 runs in their Group B encounter at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium while Springfield School edged out Aga Khan Higher Secondary School by 25 overs in their Group E fixture at the KCCA Stadium. 

Moazzam Ghauri’s fine all-round performance enabled Happy Palace School to overpower Fatimiyah Boys School by a huge margin despite suffering a middle-order collapse. 

Put into bat, Happy Palace School got into commanding position through the 119-run third wicket partnership between Sameer Khan (76 off 90 balls) and Zaid-ul-Abedin (60 off 41 balls) after opener Moazzam Ghauri (22 off 27 balls) had seen off the new ball. After the spinners had struggled to keep the batsmen down, 

Fatimiyah Boys School’s third medium-pacer, Mohammad Aashir produced an aggressive spell of four overs in which he claimed five wickets for 25. He brought about a collapse which saw Happy Palace School succumb to 236 all out in 36.1 overs after being 198 for three not long ago. 

Fatimiyah Boys School, chasing a target of 237 in 40 overs, raised 50 of the innings for the loss of only one wicket but they were rattled by the off-spin of Moazzam Ghauri, who picked up four wickets for only 14 runs to win Man of the Match award. Leg-spinner Zaiu-ul-Abedin bowled a sensational over in which he captured three wickets to send the opponents tumbling to 87 all out in 25.1 overs. 

Springfield School and Aga Khan Higher Secondary School got engaged in a fierce battle in the other match of the day in which 207 runs were scored for the loss of 20 wickets in 60.1 overs. 

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, Springfield School was bundled out for 116 in 24.3 overs with leg-spinner Khadim Hussain picking five wickets for 28 after Mubashir Amin (30 off 37 balls) and opener Saim Ayub (27 off 37 balls) had laid the foundation for a competitive total. 

Springfield School fought back gallantly to successfully defend what had looked like a modest total. Leg-spinner Ali Nasim (4-23), declared Man of the Match, played the lead role in bowling Aga Khan Higher Secondary School out for a meagre 91 in 35.4 overs. 

Medium-pacer Taimoor Mustafa (2-10) and off-spinner Saim Ayub (2-17) also bowled effectively as only three batsmen, Ameer Hamza (21 off 35 balls), Ali Mohammad (18 off 46 balls) and Irfan Rahmat (10 off 36 balls) could enter double figures.

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Triumph for Beaconhouse School, Hira Foundation School, Behbud Secondary School in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Beaconhouse School, Hira Foundation School and Behbud Secondary School registered victories over their respective rivals in the latest matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

In the Group A fixture, defending champions Beaconhouse School whipped Fahim School System by 10 wickets at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium, Hira Foundation School overpowered B M Grammar School in the Group E encounter at the KCCA while Behbud Secondary School overcame Foundation Public School by five wickets in the Group G clash at the Hill Park Ground. 

Beaconhouse School extended their brilliant form to outclass Fahim School System after having bowled them out for 114 in 28.3 overs despite Saadi Ahmed’s 67 off 79 balls. 

The Beaconhouse School spinners turned the tables after Fahim School System appeared poised to post a competitive total. Off-spinner Shayan Haider ran through the lower-order by picking up three wickets for only four runs in a spell of 4.3 overs while the earlier damage was caused by leg-spinner Maaz Bin Salman (2-18) and left-arm spinner Abdullah Masood (2-38). 

Beaconhouse School, who needed 115 for victory in 40 overs, got off to a whirlwind start and the openers raced to the target in a matter of just 7.3 overs. Ammar Iqbal, adjudged Man of the Match, remained undefeated on 83 off 32 balls with the help of two sixes and 13 fours while his partner Haris Ali struck four boundaries in his undefeated 23 off 14 balls. 

Hira Foundation School and B M Grammar School were engaged in a dramatic match. Electing to bat, after calling correctly, B M Grammar School was skittled for 90 in 23.4 overs despite the contribution of 41 extras as three of their top five batsmen were run out and the lower-order was rocked by the spin duo of Malik Zain (3-20) and Ahmed Talal (2-10). 

Chasing what looked like a modest target of 91 in 40 overs, Hira Foundation School appeared in a state of bother at 60 for five. They were taken over the line by Man of the Match Zain Anwar, who returned unconquered on 48 off 55 balls. He received support from Sohail Khan, who contributed 10 in the match winning 34-run unbroken sixth wicket stand as the victory was achieved with nearly 20 overs to spare. 

Mohammad Arif’s fine all-round performance saw Behbud Secondary School home against Foundation Public School in the third match of the day. 

Batting first, Foundation Public School was all out for 148 in 34.5 overs with Mr Extras making the biggest contribution of 54, inclusive of 49 wides. Arsham Najam (19 off 25 balls) was the topscorer as the innings was wrecked by leg-spinner Mohammad Shahzad (3-25) and medium-pacer Mohammad Arif (2-31). 

Behbud Secondary School, in pursuit of a target of 149 in 40 overs, lost three quick wickets after opener Farhan Sadiq (26 off 19 balls) had kickstarted the chase. The 69-run fourth wicket stand Mohammad Arif and Haider Ali, however, took them to victory quite comfortably in the end with 12.3 overs in hand. 

Haider Ali was dismissed after scoring 30 off 48 balls with the help of four boundaries but Mohammad Arif, declared Man of the Match, remained unbeaten on 55 off 66 balls, hitting six fours.

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St Paul English School, Oasis Secondary School cruise in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

St Paul English School and Oasis Secondary School overwhelmed their respective rivals in the latest matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

St Paul English School trounced Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School by 103 runs in their Group C encounter at the KCCA Stadium while Oasis Secondary School outgunned Al Fatima Academy by 97 runs in their Group D clash at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium. 

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, St Paul English School reached a competitive total of 232 for eight in the allotted 40 overs, largely due to the hefty contribution of 65 extras, which included as many as 51 wides sent down by the Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School bowlers. 

Openers Omar Abdullah (26 off 37 balls) and Wakeel Hussain (18 off 61 balls) added 78 for the first wicket and the momentum was sustained by Khizar Khalid (30 off 29 balls). A middle-order collapse derailed them momentarily and the late flourish was provided by Abdullah Tariq who smashed an unbeaten 26 off 17 balls. 

Medium-pacer Ali Akbar (3-55) was the most successful of the Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School bowlers with off-spinner Faris Hussain (2-28) and leg-spinner Haider Ali (2-57) also getting vital wickets. 

Chasing a target of 233 in 40 overs, Qamar-e-Bani Hashim School could not recover after losing the top half of their batting for only 64. They were eventually bowled out for 129 in 29.4 overs with only Kazim Hussain (23 off 47 balls) and Ali Akbar (20 off 34 balls) offering some resistance. 

St Paul English School’s left-arm spinner Sohaib Sameer (4-28) wrecked the middle-order to be adjudged Man of the Match. The earlier damage was done with the new ball by medium-pacers Hamza Ali (2-23) and Omar Abdullah (2-28).

In the other game of the day, Oasis Secondary School overcame a shaky start to post a total of 189 which they were able to defend successfully against Al Fatima Academy to win the match by a comfortable margin of 97 runs. 

Mohammad Adnan (48 off 38 balls), Mohammad Waqas (24 off 21 balls), Abdul Karim (22 off 47 balls) and Shah Faisal (20 off 43 balls) rescued Oasis Secondary School after they had slumped to 50 for five due to fine bowling by medium-pacers Syed Hunaid Nadeem (3-32) and Kafeel Khan (2-35). The latter wickets were shared between off-spinners Mohammad Ahad (2-18) and Fahad Ali (2-35). 

Set a target of 190 in 40 overs, Al Fatima Academy lost the plot early to be routed for only 92 in 21.5 overs with leg-spinner Talha Ahsan returning the impressive figures of five for 16 to clinch Man of the Match award. He was assisted by left-arm spinner Abdul Mannan (3-20) and medium-pacer Abdul Karim (2-21).

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Qadri Model School, The Educators School victorious in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

The spinners played the decisive role as Qadri Model School and The Educators School prevailed over Zeeshan Secondary School and Khan Secondary School respectively in the latest league matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Both the encounters proved to be low scoring affairs as Qadri Model School overcame Zeeshan Secondary School by five wickets in the Group C at the Eastern Star Ground while The Educators School defeated Khan Secondary School by 20 runs in the Group D at the KCCA Stadium. 

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, Zeeshan Secondary School was spun out for 108 in 21.5 overs but they fought back to reduce their opponents to 76 for five at one stage. 

Qadri Model School, however, settled the issue with the 33-run unbroken sixth wicket stand which allowed them to win with as many as 16.4 overs to spare. 

All-rounder Abdul Basit, declared Man of the Match, played the key role in guiding Qadri Model School to victory. He followed a five-wicket haul with a crucial knock of 30. 

Zeeshan Secondary School seemed heading towards a big total before being tormented by the spin duo of Abdul Basit (5-21) and Saad Bin Yousuf (3-23) as they lost their last nine wickets for only 61 runs to be bowled out for 108. Mohammad Bilal (36 off 59 balls) was their topscorer with the next highest contribution coming from Mr Extras (31). 

 Chasing a modest target of 109 in 40 overs, Qadri Model School lost their first three wickets, all of them to medium-pacer Waleed Khan, rather cheaply. Opener Abdul Basit’s 30 off 44 balls revived them but the match became alive when his departure was followed by another quick wicket.

It was Auranhzeb Ahmed’s unbeaten 38 off 56 balls which sealed the fate of the match in Qadri Model School’s favour. He was assisted by Mohammad Sami, who returned undefeated on 19 off 22 balls. 

In the other game, The Educators School, who batted first after calling correctly, slumped to 138 all out in 33.5 overs against Khan Secondary School having lost their last nine wickets for only 40. 

They managed to defend what looked like a below-par total successfully by bowling their opponents out for only 118 in 33.1 overs. 

Fine knocks from number three Mohammad Moazzam (34 off 47 balls) and opener Aryan Ali (31 off 50 balls) had laid the platform for a big total for The Educators Schools who collapsed dramatically against the spin duo of Majid Aslam (4-40) and Sher Bahadur (3-27). 

Khan Secondary School’s followed identical pattern as they also lost their last nine wickets for only 55, after 62-run second wicket partnership between number three Mohammad Farhan (36 off 76 balls) and opener Aman Khan (29 off 31 balls). 

The Educators School’s left-arm spinner, Uzair Ali Khan, adjudged Man of the Match, produced a sensational spell of 6.1 overs during which he claimed four wickets for only eight runs. He was supported by leg-spinner Sameer Ahmed (3-20) and off-spinner Zaid Bin Haris (2-4).

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Ladybird Grammar School, St Patrick High School register victories in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Ladybird Grammar School and St Patrick High School registered victories over their respective rivals in the latest league matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Abdul Rafay’s fine all-round performance guided Ladybird Grammar School to an exciting three-wicket victory over CAA Model School in the Group A encounter at the Eastern Star Ground while Mohammad Usman’s exhilarating century powered St Patrick High School to an easy 72-run win over Foundation Public School in the Group G fixture at the Hill Park Ground. 

Ladybird Grammar School bowled CAA Model School out for 127 in 35.4 overs despite conceding 35 extras. 

Leg-spinner Asadullah (4-23) ran through the top-order with medium-pacer Abdul Rafay (2-17), later adjudged Man of the Match, and left-arm spinner Amanullah (2-19) sustaining the pressure. 

None of the CAA Model School batsman could play a big knock against the steady spin-cum-pace with opener Mohammad Maaz (22 off 49 balls) being the top scorer. 

CAA Model School, however, opened up the contest while defending its modest score and they seemed on top when Ladybird Grammar School lost the sixth wicket with 70 still needed for victory. 

The 44-run eight wicket stand between Abdul Rafay and Anas Ali brought Ladybird Grammar School back into the game after medium-pacer Asna Sarfraz (3-28) and leg-spinner Umar Shah (2-25) had routed the top half of the batting line-up. 

It was still anybody’s game when Anas Ali was dismissed for 22 off 27 balls at the total of 102 but Abdul Rafay’s unbeaten 21 off 46 balls allowed Ladybird Grammar School to reach the target of 128 in the 31st over with three wickets standing. 

Mohammad Usman, whose dazzling century earned him Man of the Match award, played the key role in St Patrick High School 72-run win over Foundation Public School. 

Batting first, St Patrick High School amassed 255 for eight in the allotted 40 with opener Mohammad Usman whacking two sixes and 12 fours in his 71-ball 100. Exxon John’s unbeaten 38 off 47 balls prevented them from getting bowled out after a middle-order collapse. 

The spin duo of Osama Khan (2-41) and Mohammad Abbas (2-44) pulled it back for Foundation Public School after the early onslaught from Mohammad Usman. 

Chasing a target of 256 in 40, Foundational Public School got off to a solid start as openers Bilal Khurram (32 off 58 balls) and Osama Khan (28 off 41 balls) added 60 for the first wicket. 

The introduction of spinners slowed down the rate of scoring and Foundation Public School lost wickets at regular intervals to be restricted to 183 for nine. 

St Patrick High School’s off-spinners Zayan Ahmed (2-36) and Exxon John (1-36) were instrumental in choking the run-rate and medium-pacer Syed Shayan Zaheer (2-24) return to clean the tail.

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Skipper K M Nafay’s awesome all-round effort leads New Standard Secondary School to massive victory in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Skipper K M Nafay’s awesome all-round performance led New Standard Secondary School to a massive 193-run victory over The City School in their Group H fixture of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), at the TMC Ground on October 4.

K M Nafay, adjudged Man of the Match, scored a brilliant century to help New Standard Secondary School compile an imposing total of 288 for seven in the allotted 40 overs. 

He then claimed four wickets with his off-spin to send The City School crashing to 95 all out in 21.3 overs. 

The captain led from the front as he himself kickstarted the New Standard Secondary School innings, having elected to bat after calling correctly. The opener smashed a couple of sixes and 14 sixes in his 83-ball 111 to flatten the bowlers. 

The City School’s leg-spinner Talha Musavi caused a mini-collapse by taking three wickets in rapid succession and useful little contributions from Saqib Khan (35 off 30 balls) and Maaz Khalid (33 off 29 balls) lifted the New Standard Secondary School total to 288. 

The target of 289 in 40 proved too steep for The City School and their task became increasingly difficult after the loss of quick wickets upfront. Umar Saleem (17 off 20 balls) and Areeb Moin Khan (14 off 16 balls) were the only ones among the top-order batsmen to reach double figures while lastman Rayyaz Rameez made 15 off as many balls. 

The City School’s innings was rocked by the spin duo of K M Nafay (4-30) and Tariq Khan (4-32) as they dismissed the last eight batsmen for the addition of only 43 runs.

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Saif-ul-Haq’s unbeaten century powers Kamran Public School in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Pakistan News & Features Services

Saif-ul-Haq’s brilliant unbeaten century powered Kamran Public School to a massive 132-run victory over Falcon House Grammar School in their Group H encounter of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), at the TMC Ground on October 3.

Saif-ul-Haq, adjudged Man of the Match, scored an even hundred which took the Kamran Public School total to an imposing 282 for six in the allotted 40 overs. In reply Falcon House Grammar School was bowled out for 150 in 36 overs. 

Electing to bat, after winning the toss, Kamran Public School was provided an enterprising start by Hashir Ansari (23 off 12 balls) and Hasan Jafri (21 off 18 balls) as there were flurry of boundaries in the 56-run opening partnership. 

Coming in at number four, Saif-ul-Haq sustained the momentum until the end of innings, finishing with an unbeaten 100 off 92 balls with the help of 10 fours. He was ably supported by Abdul Moiz (34 off 29 balls), Aliyan Mahmood (29 off 47 balls) and Ali Hasan (23 off 43 balls). 

Off-spinner Affan-ur-Rahman (2-26) and medium-pacer Nafay Yar Khan (2-53) were the successful bowlers for Falcon House Grammar School who didn’t help their cause by sending down 40 wides during the innings. 

Chasing a formidable target of 283 in 40 overs, Falcon House Grammar School wilted under the scoreboard pressure. Opener Sikander Ali Khan (37 off 48 balls) and Mohammad Mutawakkil (25 off 53 balls) contributed substantially but they also couldn’t force the pace. 

The clinical bowling performance of Kamran Public School conjured a resounding win for their side. Medium-pacers Hammad Ahmed and Anas Ilyas set the tone by picking early wickets with the new ball and the issue was wrapped up by the spin trio of Mohammad Ovais (4-35), Ubaidullah Khan (2-14) and Ali Hasan (2-20).

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Indo-Pak veteran cricket series called off

By Syed Khalid Mahmood
(Pakistan News & Features Services)

The Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) has cancelled its upcoming tour to India amid escalating tensions between the South Asian neighbours.

Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, has announced that, in view of the prevailing tense conditions at the Indo-Pak border, the series which was due to be held in India during the months of December 2016 and January 2017 stood cancelled. 

“The PVCA had planned to send its Over-50 veterans squad to play four in the Indian state of Kerala from December 26 to January 3. The proposed tour included a couple of 50-overs-a-side contests besides as many Twenty20 games. We were going there upon the invitation from the Board of Veterans in India (BVI),” he disclosed. 

“All the four matches were scheduled to be staged in Kerala which is the busiest centre of veteran cricket activities in India as they also organize the veteran league tournaments regularly,” he added. 

The PVCA Chairman disclosed that the decision of cancelling the tour of India has been conveyed to the BVI. 

The decision of the PVCA has come just a day after the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had asked the International Cricket Council (ICC) to not place India and Pakistan in the same group during upcoming international events. The two teams are currently scheduled to play each other in the ICC Champions Trophy to be held next year in June in England. 

Previously the BCCI had ruled out the possibility of an Indo-Pak bilateral series although as of late no proposal from either side was made for a bilateral series. There hasn’t been a complete bilateral series between the Asian cricketing giants since 2007-08. The BCCI statement seemed to have cemented the notion that they were unwilling to play a series with Pakistan in the foreseeable future.

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