Jaffer Qureshi’s century makes Omar Associates national senior champions

Pakistan News &; Features Services

Omar Associates, Karachi, won the 16^th PVCA National Seniors Cup tournament by overpowering Golden Eagles, Lahore, by five wickets in the day/night final staged at the EME DHA Cricket Ground in Lahore.

This was the first triumph of Omar Associates in this tournament as they had earlier lost the national final in 2012. The Pakistan Veterans Crickets Association (PVCA) has now successfully organized 16 editions of the National Senior Cup in as many years.

Put into bat, Golden Eagles posted a respectable total of 218 runs for loss of nine wickets in the allotted 30 overs. Former Test batsman Shahid Anwar (48 off 46 balls), Bakhtiar Hussain (36 off 37 balls) and Nadeem Farooqi (30 off 24 balls) were their leading scorers as the wickets were shared between off-spinner Iqbal Shaikh (3-36) and left-arm spinner Jaffar Qureshi (2-48).

Omar Associates batting second under floodlights reached the winning target of 219 runs in 28 overs for the loss of five wickets. Skipper Jaffer Qureshi and former Pakistan opener Sajid Ali put an opening partnership of 82 runs.

Sajid perished after scoring (27 off 27 balls) but the left-handed Jaffer scored a brilliant match-winning hundred. His sensational knock of 118 came from 78 balls and it contained eight towering sixes and as many fours. He was given a standing ovation by the sizeable crowd upon reaching his century.

Nadeem Sheikh scored 40 off 28 balls as Omar Associates romped home comfortably. For Golden Eagles, former Pakistan off-spinner, Sajjid Akbar, took a couple of wickets for 42 runs.

The prize distribution ceremony was held soon after the conclusion of the final. Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, and Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, Chief Executive, PVCA informed the gathering about the activities of the association.

Test Cricketer Mohammad Hafeez, who was the chief guest, presented the winners trophy and cash prize of Rs 150,000 to skipper Jaffer Qureshi of Omar Associates while the runners-up trophy and cash award of Rs 75,000 was collected by Mohammad Salman of Golden Eagles. Jaffer Qureshi was also adjudged named Man of the Match in the final.

Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates, announced a bonus of Rs 100,000 for his team on winning the tournament. Among those present in the prize distribution ceremony were Intikhab Alam, former Pakistan captain, and Col (Rtd) Rafi Nasim, ex-Secretary, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). 

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Golden Eagles edge out Chaudhary Sports in National Seniors regional final

Pakistan News &; Features Services

Golden Eagles emerged as the Punjab champions by edging out Chaudhary Sports by one wicket in the regional final of the 16th PVCA National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 at the Shah Faisal Ground, Lahore, on June 10.

It turned out to be a very thrilling encounter which went to the wire. Put into bat, Chaudhary Sports scored 193 for nine in the allotted 30 overs. Golden Eagles overcame tense moments to as the last pair scored the winning run with just a couple of deliveries remaining.

Golden Eagles will now be making their maiden appearance in the national final, due to be held at Lahore later this month, in which they will be taking on the southern region champions, Omar Associates.

A breezy knock of 61, containing five sixes and two fours, from skipper Chaudhary Shafqat Hussain allowed Chaudhary Sports to reach a fighting total of 193 for nine in 30 overs. Mohammad Sami (24), Mohammad Naeem (22), Kashif Latif (18) and Raza Khan (15) also contributed their bit as the wickets were shared between Akbar Khan (2-30), Shahid Anwar (2-40), Sajjad Akbar (1-39), Javed Hayat (1-44) and Tajamul Chaudhary (1-47)

In reply, Golden Ealges made 194 for nine in 29.4 overs with Nadeem Farooqi (46), Bukhtiar Hussain (33), Akbar Khan (28 not out), Naseer-ur-Hassan (17), Shahid Anwar (16), Javed Hayat (16) and Sajjad Akbar (16) making substantial contributions as the bowling honours were shared by Khalid Habib (2-19), Mohammad Asif (2-23), Raza Khan (2-34) and Mohammad Khan (2-38).

The prize distribution ceremony was held soon after the conclusion of the final in which former Pakistan captain and Director Domestic Cricket, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), Intikhab Alam, was the chief guest. Nawab Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, Chief Executive Officer, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) was also present on the occasion.

Intikhab Alam presented the winners’ trophy alongwith a purse of Rupees one lac to the Golden Eagles skipper, Mohammad Salman Khan, while the runner-up trophy, alongwith a cheque of Rs 50,000 was collected by the Chaudhary Sports captain, Chaudhary Shafqat Hussain. The CEO of Golden Banaspati, Mian Tassadaq Rasool, announced a special award of Rs one lac for the victorious Golden Eagles team.

Individual prizes were also given away to the outstanding performers. Shahid Anwar, adjudged Player of the Tournament, was presented a cheque of Rs 10,000 with trophy while Man of the Match, Akbar Khan, received Rs 7,500 with a trophy. Best Batsman, Kamran Badar, Best Bowler, Javed Hayat, Best Wicketkeeper, Abdul Waheed, Best Fielders Imtiaz Tarar and Muhammad Shafiq, got Rs 7,500 rupees each with their awards.

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Golden Eagles take on Chaudhary Sports in National Seniors Cup regional final

Pakistan News & Features Services

Golden Eagles will clash with Chaudhary Sports in the Punjab regional final of the 16th PVCA National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 at the Shah Faisal Ground, Lahore, on June 10.

The match will start at 9.30 am and, in view of the hot weather, the innings break will of four hours with the second half to commence at 3.30 pm while the prize distribution ceremony is due to be held at 6.30 pm. Umpires Ahsan Raza and Shahzeb Raza will supervise the final with Mohammad Anis to be the match referee.

This was disclosed by Nawab Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, Chief Executive Officer, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), who added that all the arrangements to hold the final in a befitting manner have been completed.

Intikhab Alam, Col Rafi Nasim, Sardar Saadat Ali Khan, Khawaja Nadeem Ahmed, Aamir Ilyas Butt, Mohammad Nazir Junior, Rizwan Nisar, Hammad Iqbal, Mohsin Aftab and Shan Shahid are among the eminent personalities having been invited in the presentation ceremony in which cash awards will be disbursed among the outstanding performers.

Golden Eagles and Chaudhary Sports had stormed into the regional final by having overwhelmed Aftab Qarshi XI and SPM Stags respectively in the semifinals, also held in Lahore, last month.

The Punjab regional winner will then take on the southern region champions, Omar Associates, in the final to be held in Lahore later this month. The event is being jointly sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited.

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Golden Eagles, SPM Stags storm into 16th National Seniors Cup regional final

Pakistan News & Features Services

Golden Eagles and SPM Stags stormed into the Punjab regional final of the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 as they overwhelmed Aftab Qarshi XI and Chaudhary Sports respectively in the semifinals at Lahore on May 18.

The regional final, between Golden Eagles and SPM Stags, will be played on May 25 and its winners will take on the southern region champions, Omar Associates, in the final on June 1. 

The event is being jointly sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited. 

Golden Eagles overpowered Aftab Qarshi XI by six wickets at the Aligarh Ground while SPM Stags overcame Chaudhary Sports by seven wickets at LCCA Cricket Ground. 

Batting first, Aftab Qarshi XI was bowled out for 228 in 29.2 overs with Qadeer Khan (56), Farooq Shahzad (42), Sohail Idrees (28) and Faraz Hussain (26) being their leading scorers. The innings was wrecked by Shahid Anwar (4-32) and Javed Hayat (3-44) with Chaudhary Tajammul (2-41), Shan Shahid (1-37) and Sajjad Akbar (1-53) being the other wicket-takers. 

Golden Eagles reached the target of 229 for the loss of four wickets in 26.2 overs as Mohammad Shahbaz led the victory charge with a polished knock of 108 containing a six and 18 fours. Shahid Anwar (41), Naseer Ahmad (37), Salman Khan (16) and Nadeem Farooqi (17 not out) also contributed their bit while Aftab Qarshi, Tahir Saeed and Mohsin Aftab were the successful bowlers for Aftab Qarshi XI. 

The prize distribution ceremony was held soon after the conclusion of the match in which chief guest Nawab Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, Chief Executive Officer, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), presented cash awards to Shahid Anwar and Mohammad Shahbaz for their outstanding performance. 

In the other semifinal, Chaudhary Sports was all out for 211 in 30 overs with Kashif Latif (45), Abid Sheikh (30), Khalid Habib (36) and Mohammad Naeem (30) making notable contributions while the wickets were shared between Zahid Khan (4-34), Shakeel Malik (3/-24), Zahoor Elahi (2/30), Imtiaz Tarar (1-27) and Rehan Rauf (1-45). 

SPM Stags raced to the target of 212 in 25.1 overs, losing only three wickets. Kamran Khan (60), Karamat Ali (48), Zahoor Elahi (46 not out) and Zahir Umar (39 not out) batted brilliantly while Mohammad Sami (1-30) and Raza Khan (1-34) were the only wicket-takers for Chaudhary Sports bowling.

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Shahid Anwar’s century powers Golden Eagles into PVCA Cup regional semis

Pakistan News & Features Services

Shahid Anwar’s century powered Golden Eagles into the Punjab regional semifinals of the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 as they defeated Gujranwala Blues by four wickets in the quarter-finals held at the Aligarh Ground.

With the qualification of Golden Eagles the regional semifinal line-up was completed as the trio of Chaudhary Sports, Aftab Qarshi and SPM Stags had already booked a place in the last four. 

Batting first, Gujranwala Blues amassed 248 for seven in the allotted 30 overs with Majid Saeed (87), Kamran Dar (60), Naeem Khalid (30) and Basit Butt (22 not out) being the leading scorers and the wickets were shared between Sajjad Akbar (3-57), Shan Shahid (1-42), Javed Hayat (1-43) and Chaudhary Tajamal (1-57). 

Shahid Anwar’s knock of 101 allowed Golden Eagles to reach the target with an over to spare as they finished with 249 for six in 29 overs. Nadeem Farooqi (58), Mohammad Shahbaz (34) and Naseer Ahmad (34) also contributed substantially in the chase to overcome the threatening quartet of Tariq Mehmood (2-39), Abdul Jabbar (2-57), Naeem Khalid (1-25) and Aurangzaib (1-37). 

Nawab Ashiq Hussain Qureshi, Chief Executive Officer, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), who was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony, presented Man of the Match award to Shahid Anwar for his superb century. 

A record number of 108 teams from 58 cities had entered the 16th National Seniors Cup, having commenced in March. The participants included 35 city outfits from Punjab, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, three from Islamabad and one from FATA. 

The southern region competition has already been completed and its winners, Omar Associates, will take on the champions of the northern region in the national final to be played in Lahore later this month. The event is being jointly sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited.

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SPM Stags cruise into 16th National Seniors Cup semifinals in Punjab region

Pakistan News & Features Services

SPM Stags cruised into the Punjab regional semifinals of the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 by hammering Yaqoob XI by 92 runs in the quarter-finals held at the Swedish College Ground in Gujrat. 

Batting first, SPM Stags scored 234 in 30 overs with Karamat Ali (56), Afzal Shah (31), Zahid Umar (31), Shahzad Butt (19), Rehan Rauf (16), Shakeel Malik (15) and Ashfaq Aslam (15) contributing their bit as the wickets were shared between Sohail Mushtaq (2-27), Nadeem Aslam (2-33), Mohammad Mannan (2-34), Mohammad Shafiq (2-46) and Mohammad Yaqoob (1-32). 

Yaqoob XI, in reply, was bowled out for 142 in 24.2 overs with Mohammad Nadeem (39), Nisar Ahmad (26) and Anwar Haider (17) being the leading scorers as the innings was wrecked by the trio of Rehan Rauf (3-12), Zahid Khan (3-21) and Shakeel Malik (2-38). 

Aftab Qureshi XI had already reached the Punjab regional semifinals by having defeated Askari Greens by six runs in the quarter-finals held at Zahoor Elahi Stadium, Gujrat. 

A record number of 108 teams from 58 cities entered the 16th National Seniors Cup which commenced during the month of March. The participants included 35 city outfits from Punjab, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, three from Islamabad and one from FATA. 

The southern region competition was completed last month and its winners, Omar Associates, will be pitted against the champions of the northern region in the national final to be played in Lahore later this month. The event is being jointly sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited.

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Aftab Qureshi XI storm into 16th National Seniors Cup semifinals in Punjab region

Pakistan News & Features Services

Aftab Qureshi XI reached the Punjab regional semifinals of the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 by defeating Askari Greens by six runs in the quarter-finals held at Zahoor Elahi Stadium, Gujrat. 

Batting first, Aftab Qureshi XI scored 208 in 29.3 overs with Sohail Idrees (41), Hanif Butt (29), Rasheed Feroz (28) and Farrukh Shahzad (27) being the principal scores as their progress was kept in check by Asif Ahmed (2-35) and Naseer Ahmed (2-38). 

Askari Greens came up with a befitting reply, mainly through Raza Butt (65 not out), Mansoob Elahi (64) and Sharifullah (39) but the tables were turned by Mohsin Aftab (4-23) and Tahir Saeed (2-32) who restricted them to 202 for eight in the allotted 30 overs. 

Meanwhile Anwar Ahmad’s unbeaten century guided Yaqoob XI into quarter-finals as they overpowered Wah Karigars by 33 runs in the pre-quarter-finals played at the Swedish College Ground in Gujrat. 

Anwar Ahmad’s punishing knock of 115 enabled Yaqoob XI to post a total of 230 for eight in the stipulated 30 overs with Rifaqat Ali (46) and Mohammad Yaqoob (18) being the other leading scorers while the bowling honours were shared by Mohammad Pervez (3-36) and Nadeem Ahmed (2-23). 

Wah Karigars, in reply, was bowled out for 197 in 28.3 overs despite fine knocks from Tanvir Akmal (39), Aamir Ali (25), Aftab Ahmed (24) and Usman Tahir (20) as the innings was wrecked by the duo of Mohammad Ramzan (3-43) and Sohail Mushtaq (3-47). 

A record number of 108 teams from 58 cities had entered the 16th National Seniors Cup. They included 35 city teams from Punjab, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, three from Islamabad and one from FATA. 

The southern region competition has already concluded and the winners, Omar Associates, will take on the champions of the north region in the national final to be played in Lahore later this month. The event is being jointly sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited.

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Omar Associates outplay Moin Khan Academy in 16th National Seniors Cup regional final

Pakistan News & Features Services

Opener Sajid Ali and the spin trio of Jaffer Qureshi, Nadeem Musa and Saifullah Magsi powered Omar Associates to an emphatic seven-wicket victory over Moin Khan Academy in the southern region final of the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 at the National Stadium, Karachi, on April 28. 

Put into bat, Moin Khan Academy was bowled out for 199 in 28 overs. Set to score 200 in 30 overs, Omar Associates raced to the target in 24.3 overs with seven wickets in hand. Omar Associates will now take on the regional champions of the northern zone in the national final to be staged at the Qaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

The innings of Moin Khan Academy couldn’t gain momentum despite fighting knocks from Rashid Latif (31 off 22 balls), Ghulam Ali (30 off 23 balls), Nadeem Khan (30 off 21 balls) and Asif Siddiqui (28 off 30 balls) as left-spinners Jaffer Qureshi (3-36) and Nadeem Musa (3-44) alongwith off-spinner Saifullah Magsi (2-30) rocked the star-studded side. 

Sajid Ali’s undefeated 93 off 74 balls containing 15 fours guided Omar Associates to a convincing victory with Nadeem Shaikh making a breezy 33 off 18 balls with the help of one six and six fours and Azhar Khan remaining unbeaten on 33 off 30 balls, hitting two sixes and one four as the winning runs with 5.3 overs to spare. 

Arif Habib, Chairman, Chairman, Arif Habib Corporation Limited, was the chief guest in the prize distribution ceremony which was presided over by Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), with Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited, being the guest of honour. Alamgir Ahmed and Amjad Islam also spoke on the occasion. 

Jaffer Qureshi, skipper, Omar Associates, received the winners’ trophy with a cheque of Rs 50,000 from the chief guest while Rashid Latif, a former Pakistan captain, collected the runners-up trophy with a cheque of Rs 25,000 on behalf of Moin Khan Academy. 

Cash awards were also presented to Jaffer Qureshi, Man of the Tournament, Sajid Ali, Man of the Match in the final, Irfan Ali, Best Batsman of the Tournament, Nadeem Musa, Best Bowler of the Tournament and Adnan Baig, Best Wicketkeeper of the Tournament. 

Alamgir Ahmed, on behalf of the Sindh Seniors Welfare Association, distributed cheques of Rs 75,000 each to the deserving beneficiaries, Mohammad Hanif, a veteran player from Badin, and Arif Ali, a local umpire, while Wasimuddin, another umpires, received Rs 100,000. 

The National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament is an annual event, organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA). The current tournament is being sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited, offering total cash awards of Rs 805,000.

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Omar Associates, Moin Khan Academy reach 16th National Seniors Cup zonal final

Pakistan News & Features Services

Omar Associates and Moin Khan Academy stormed into the Southern Zone final of the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 as they overcame Hyderabad and Karachi Friends respectively in the semifinals on April 20.

The zonal final, between Omar Associates and Moin Khan Academy, will be played at the National Stadium, Karachi, on April 27 and the winners will qualify for the National final due to be staged in Lahore next month.

The annual tournament, organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), is being sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited, offering cash awards of Rs 805,000.

In the zonal semifinals, Omar Associates whipped Hyderabad by eight wickets while Moin Khan Academy edged out Karachi Friends by nine runs in a thrilling finish.

The spin duo of Nadeem Musa (4-21) and Saifullah Magsi (4-32) engineered a sensational collapse as Hyderabad was bowled out for 155 in 23.5 overs, losing their last nine wickets for only 73 after opener Abdul Rahim (68 off 49 balls) and number three Arshad Khan (42 off 37 balls) had laid a platform for an impressive total.

The 124-run opening partnership between Sajid Ali (56 off 27 balls) and Jaffer Qureshi (72 off 40 balls) helped Omar Associates reach the target in just 14.3 overs.

The other semifinal was a tight one as Moin Khan Academy made 216 for six in 25 overs against Karachi Friends despite being rocked by left-arm spinner Yahya Toor (4-40). Opener Asif Siddiqui (66 off 47 balls), Mahmood Hamid (38 off 30 balls) and Ghulam Ali (30 off 30 balls) kept the scoreboard moving to raise a decent total.

Opener Irfan Ali (93 off 53 balls), with the support of Sagheer Abbas (32 off 36 balls) and Zahid Ahmed (26 off 19 balls), put Karachi Friends in front but skipper Nadeem Khan (3-25) led Moin Khan Academy’s fightback and restricted the opponents to 207 for seven in 25 overs.

Earlier in their last league matches held on April 19, Moin Khan Academy blasted Gold Bridge Media by 86 while Karachi Friends booked a spot in the semifinals by surprising Omar Associates by five wickets.

Moin Khan Academy registered a cakewalk win against Gold Bridge Media after Dr Kamal’s enterprising 70 off 35 balls containing three sixes and eight fours enabled them to reach a total of 236 for seven in 25 overs. Aziz-ur-Rahman (40 off 22 balls), Umar Masood (38 off 30 balls), Abid Hanif (26 off 17 balls) and Qamar Ibrahim (24 off 20 balls) also chipped in with useful contributions while left-arm spinners Fabion Bob (3-40) and Shuja Haider (2-39) shared the bowling honours.

Gold Bridge Media lost their top three batsmen for nine runs and half of their side was back in the dugout with only 43 runs on the board. Fabion Bob (52 off 39 balls), Imtiaz Siddiqui (35 off 40 balls) and Kashif Hanif (31 off 36 balls) allowed them to reach a total of 150 for seven but it was 87 runs short of their target. The wickets were shared between Dr Kamal (2-10), Habib-ur-Rahman (2-14) and Saif Ashraf (2-39).

Omar Associates, who had overpowered the star-studded Moin Khan Academy by 25 runs the other week, was restricted to 195 for seven in 25 overs by Karachi Friends despite fine knocks from opener Sajid Ali (83 off 60 balls) and Irfan Ali (47 off 36 balls) with left-arm spinner Yahya Toor (2-31) and off-spinner Azeem Ahmed (2-20) taking key wickets.

Opener Irfan Ali’s 12-ball 33 provided an exhilarating start to the Karachi Friends innings and solid contributions from Azeem Ahmed (44 off 31 balls), Mohammad Aslam (54 off 51 balls) and Sagheer Abbas (31 off 32 balls) ensured that the target of 196 was successfully chased as the winning runs came with nine balls to spare.

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Omar Associates overpower Moin Khan Academy in 16th National Seniors Cup

Pakistan News & Features Services

Omar Associates overpowered the star-studded Moin Khan Academy by 25 runs and Hyderabad hammered Jamshoro by 143 runs in the latest round of the Southern Zone matches in the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014. 

The annual tournament, organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), is being sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited, offering cash awards of Rs 805,000. 

As expected, the match between Omar Associates and Moin Khan Academy, played here at TMC Ground, provided an absorbing contest between bat and ball. Omar Associates did well to reach a total of 225 for seven, due to the onslaught in the final overs, and they managed to defend it successfully despite being challenged by high-quality batsmen. 

Put into bat, Omar Associates was struggling at 135 for seven but the 90-run unbroken seventh wicket stand between Man of the Match Iqbal Shaikh (49 off 32 balls) and Ahmed Hanif (41 off 25 balls) lifted the total substantially. Dr Kamal (2-26) and Mahmood Hamid (2-38) were the successful bowlers for Moin Khan Academy. 

Mahmood Hamid took the centre stage again with the bat, scoring an unbeaten 64 off 44 balls, but the Omar Associates bowlers, not overawed by the big names, didn’t let the other batsmen settle down/ Moin Khan, Ghulam Ali and Rashid Latif perished while trying to force the pace as they were contained to 200 for six in the allotted 25 overs, which was 26 runs short of their target. Left-arm spinner Nadeem Musa (2-28) was the pick of the bowlers. 

Shahid Ansari’s century and Ahmed Ali’s five-wicket haul fired Hyderabad to an emphatic 143-run victory over Jamshoro at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad. They shared the Man of the Match award after a one-sided encounter. 

Opener Shahid Ansari whacked three sixes and 13 fours in his 100 off 67 balls to provide Hyderabad an explosive start. The late flourish was provided by Daulat Ram (52 off 30 balls) and Rashid Khan (33 off 10 balls) which raised the total to 260 for six in the allotted 25 overs despite fine bowling from leg-spinner Abid Baloch (3-28). 

Jamshoro succumbed under the pressure of the huge score and wickets kept on tumbling at regular intervals with none of their batsmen coming to terms with the deadly spin of Ahmed Ali who tormented them with the impressive figures of five for 15 off four overs. Jamshoro was restricted to 117 for nine in 25 overs. 

A record number of 108 teams from 58 cities are participating in the tournament, having been divided in 24 Groups. 35 city teams from Punjab, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, three from Islamabad and one from FATA have entered the tournament with the national final to be played between the winning teams of North and South zones at Lahore on May 4.

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16th National Seniors Cup: Knockout stage reached in South Punjab

Pakistan News & Features Services

Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan Tigers, Khanewal, Multan Whites, Arifwala and Sahiwal have reached the pre-quarter-finals in the South Punjab zone of the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 whose league matches have concluded. 

Dera Ghazi Khan, Multan Tigers, Khanewal, Multan Whites, Arifwala and Sahiwal emerged champions in their respective groups, having remained undefeated in the league matches. The annual event for the seniors is being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and sponsored jointly by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited. 

In the pre-quarters, Dera Ghazi Khan will be pitted against Bahawalpur Greens, Khanewal will be taking on Jampur, Multan Tigers will be confronting Khanewal Lions, Multan Whites will clash with Insaf, Arifwala will lock horns with Burewala Lions and Sahiwal will tackle Bahawalpur. 

Dera Ghazi Khan topped the Group A by securing a maximum of six points from the Group A in which Jampur ended runners-up with Rajanpur and Rahim Yar Khan having been eliminated after the first round. Multan Tigers headed the Group B with six points with Insaf ending as the runners-up and the duo of Muzaffargarh and Layyah bowing out of the competition. 

The Group C was led by Khanewal, who secured six points, while Bahawalpur Greens finished runners-up ahead of Bahawalpur and Lodhran. Multan Whites led the points table in the Group D while Khanewal Lions ended as the runners-up to knockout Multan Heroes and Mian Channu Stallions. 

The top honours in the Group E were clinchéd by Arifwala with Bahawalnagar having had to content with the runner-up slot as Pakpattan and Chishtian got out of the race. Sahiwal topped the table in the Group F with six points while Burewala Lions ended as the runners-up to which threw Vehari and Chichawatni out of the competition. 

A record number of 108 teams from 58 cities have entered the16th National Seniors Cup. The participating teams were divided in 24 Groups. They included 35 city teams from Punjab, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, three from Islamabad and one from FATA. The national final will be played between the winning teams of North and South zones at Lahore on May 4.

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Mirpurkhas, Dadu and Shikarpur register victories in National Seniors Cup

Pakistan News & Features Services

Mirpurkhas, Dadu and Shikarpur emerged triumphant over their respective rivals in the latest southern region matches of the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 played in the interior of Sindh. 

Mirpurkhas tamed Badin by five wickets, Dadu overwhelmed Sanghar by six wickets and Shikarpur defeated Sukkur by 18 runs in their opening matches of the annual event being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and sponsored jointly by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited. 

Leg-spinner Sharfuddin (4-28) and left-arm spinner Naimatullah (2-36) restricted Badin to 147 for seven in the allotted 25 overs after their openers Mohammad Musa (46 off 53 balls) and Shahid Ahmed (23 off 26 balls) had laid the foundation for a bigger total. 

Mirpurkhas made the most of the solid opening stand between Mohammad Khalid (42 off 45 balls) and Rahmatullah (29 off 27 balls) to reach the target of 148 in 21.3 overs with five wickets in hand despite Shahid’s haul of three wickets. 

Akbar Channa’s fine all-round performance helped Dadu to dominate Sanghar. The medium-pacer claimed three wickets for 22 runs to restrict Sanghar to 138 for seven with number Munawwar Ali (56 off 41 balls) fighting a lone battle. 

The 79-run second wicket partnership between opener Abdul Ghaffar (60 off 41 balls) and Akbar Channa (38 off 18 balls) put Dadu in commanding position and they romped home in the 16th over even after a mini-collapse that saw them lose three wickets for nine runs. 

Fluent knocks from opener Nisar Ahmed (71 off 60 balls) and Himmat Raza (91 off 61 balls), who added 141 for the second wicket, allowed Shikarpur to post an impressive total of 214 for five in the allotted 25 overs. 

Sukkur responded positively with the openers Shafi Mohammad (39 off 32 balls) and Khan Mohammad (25 off 23) laying the base. Number three Mushtaq Ali (47 off 44 balls) kept them in the hunt but wickets tumbled at the other end and they were restricted to 196 for nine with Himmat Raza (2-30) and Mazhar Ali (2-41) doing the damage. 

As many as 108 teams from 58 cities have entered the tournament. They have been divided in 24 Groups and they incl;ude 35 city teams from Punjab, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, three from Islamabad and one from FATA. The national final will be played between the winning teams of North and South zones at Lahore on May 4.

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Omar Associates, Moin Khan Academy triumph in National Seniors Cup

Pakistan News & Features Services

Omar Associates and Moin Khan Academy opened their campaign on a winning note as they prevailed over their respective rivals in the latest southern region matches of the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 played at the TMC Ground, Karachi, over the weekend. 

Omar Associates whipped Gold Bridge Media by 106 runs while Moin Khan Academy blasted Karachi Friends by eight wickets to consolidate their position in the annual event being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd. The event offers Rs 805,000 in prize money. 

Left-arm spinner Nadeem Musa, adjudged Man of the Match, played the pivotal role in guiding Omar Associates to an emphatic win in their first outing in the tournament. He returned the exceptional figures of 6 for 30 off 4.3 overs to send Gold Bridge Media, set a daunting target of 273 in 25 overs, crashing to 166 all out in 18 overs. 

Gold Bridge Media started their reply in a spectacular style as the enterprising knocks from opener Mukhtar Ali (41 off 20 balls) and Kashif Hanif (41 off 26 balls) kept them ahead of the clock but their dismissal in rapid succession followed by the terrific spell from Nadeem Musa changed the complexion of the game. Jaffer Qureshi, also a left-arm spinner, and leg-spinner K K Mahmood claimed a couple of wickets each. 

Earlier left-handed Jaffer Qureshi had also struck 61 off 37 balls while opening the Omar Associates innings. The momentum was sustained by Azhar Khan who stroked a whirlwind 70 off 31 with the help of three sixes and eight fours to take the total to a mammoth 272 for eight in 25 overs despite fine bowling from left-arm spinner Salahuddin (3-37) and off-spinner Ahsan Shakoor (2-37). 

In the other game, Moin Khan Academy faced no problems in chasing down the modest target of 168 with opener Asif Siddiqui (57 off 38 balls) setting the platform and number three Omar Masood, declared Man of the Match, finishing it off with unbeaten 73 from only 49 balls, striking five sixes and four fours as the winning runs came with 5.2 overs to spare. 

The spin duo of Habib-ur-Rahman (3-20) and Mahmood Hamid (2-21) restricted Karachi Friends to 167 for eight in 25 overs despite opener Irfan Ali Khan, who followed up his century in the opening game, with another superb knock of 72 off 45 balls, hitting one six and a dozen boundaries. He dominated the 98-run opening partnership with Azeem Ahmed (31 off 35 balls) but the middle-order succumbed to the accurate spin bowling in the later part of the innings. 

A record number of 108 teams from 58 cities have entered the tournament. They have been divided in 24 Groups and they incl;ude 35 city teams from Punjab, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, three from Islamabad and one from FATA. The national final will be played between the winning teams of North and South zones at Lahore on May 4.

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Irfan Ali Khan’s century powers Karachi Friends to victory in 16th National Seniors Cricket Cup opener

Pakistan News & Features Services

Irfan Ali Khan’s blazing century (110 off 65 balls) powered Karachi Friends to a comfortable 25-run victory over Karachi Gold Bridge in the opening match of the 16th National Seniors Cup Cricket Tournament 2014 at the National Stadium, Karachi, on March 30. 

The tournament, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), was inaugurated by Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited, who pledged his unstinted support for the promotion of the game at all levels. 

Karachi Friends, who elected to bat after winning the toss, rattled up a huge score of 268 for two in the allotted 25 overs. Karachi Gold Bridge responded positively but lost wickets at regular intervals to be bowled out for 243 on the final ball of their innings. 

The 176-run opening partnership, between Irfan Ali Khan and Azeem Ahmed, in a matter of 16.3 overs laid the platform for a massive total. Irfan was the dominating partner as he clobbered five sixes and 14 fours in his 110 off 65 balls while Azeem chipped in with 64 off 40 balls with the help of two sixes and nine fours. 

The momentum was sustained by Farooq Ahmed and Anwar Baba, who added 78 runs for their unbroken third wicket stand in less than six overs. Anwar smashed three sixes and seven fours in his whirlwind unbeaten 52 off 24 balls while Farooq remained undefeated with 28 off 21 balls. 

Skipper Syed Mukhtar Ahmed and off-spinner Ahsan Shakoor were the only wicket-takers for Karachi Gold Bridge whose bowlers went for aplenty. 

The captain then led the charge as Mukhtar, who opened the Karachi Gold Bridge innings, smashed three sixes and eight fours in his swashbuckling 66 off 31 balls. The loss of quick wickets, however, derailed their progress and even the late onslaught from Mohammad Adil, who whacked two sixes and six fours in his 61 off 30 balls before being run out, was not enough to get them back in the game. 

The Karachi Friends spin trio of Sajid Ali (3-39), Raza Rizvi (2-39) and Raees Ahmed (2-40) did the damage with support from Azeem Ahmed (1-37) and Amjad Aman (1-47). The Man of the Match award, however, was clinched by Irfan Ali Khan for his splendid century. 

A record number of 108 teams from 58 cities are participating in the tournament, having been divided in 24 Groups. 35 city teams from Punjab, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, three from Islamabad and one from FATA have entered the tournament with the national final to be played between the winning teams of North and South zones at Lahore on May 4. 

The total prize money in the seven-week event, being sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited, is Rs 805,000.

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16th National Seniors Cricket Cup 2014 to commence on March 30

Pakistan News & Features Services

The 16th National Seniors Cricket Cup 2014, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), will be getting underway with the inaugural match of the Southern Zone between Karachi Gold Bridge and Karachi Friends at the National Stadium, Karachi, on March 30.

The details of the seven-week event, being sponsored by Arif Habib Corporation Limited and Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited, were unveiled by Fawad Ijaz Khan, Chairman, PVCA, and Aashiq Hussain Qureshi, CEO, PVCA, in a media briefing at the Karachi Gymkhana on March 27. 

Nadeem Omar, Managing Director, Omar Associates (Pvt) Limited, and Mohammad Ejaz CEO Arif Habib REIT, were also present on the occasion. 

The total prize money in the tournament will be Rs 805,000 with the winners of the national final to receive a purse of Rs 150,000 and the runners-up to collect Rs 75,000. 

It was disclosed that a total of 108 teams from 58 cities will be participating in the tournament and they have been divided in 24 Groups. As many as 35 city teams from Punjab, 13 from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, eight from Sindh, three from Islamabad and one from FATA have entered the competition whose national final will be played between the winning teams of North and South zones at Lahore on May 4. 

The group matches for the Southern Zone will be of 25 overs each innings whereas the zonal and national finals will be of 30 overs per innings. The group matches will be organized on single league basis. 

The matches of Northern Zone will be played at Peshawar, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Bahawalpur, Multan, Okara, Lahore, Kasur, Sheikhupura, Muridke, Faisalabad, Gujranwala and Sialkot while the matches of Southern Zone will be played at Karachi, Hyderabad, Dadu, Shikarpur and Badin. 

Alamgir Ahmed has been designated as the Coordinator for the Southern Zone whose organizing committee will comprise of Amjad Islam Rishi, Mir HyderAli Talpur, Abdul Hussain Shah, Visal Ansari, Hasnain Bokhari and Ateeq Shaikh. 

The PVCA, it may be recalled, was established in 1998 at Karachi, having been registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan (SECP) since 2001 as the sole representative cricket organization for seniors/veterans cricket in the country. 

The PVCA has attained not only national but international recognition as well. It has played three series of one-dayers against Indian Veterans with some of the legendary cricketers having played in those games. Besides organizing seniors/veterans/super veterans cricket, the PVCA is also actively promoting school cricket. 

The flagship event of the PVCA at national level has been the National Seniors Cup, now in its 16th year, having been played annually amongst selected teams of various cities. The PVCA has been organizing the National Seniors Tournament every year since 1998. 

As far as the playing conditions for the tournament are concerned, players who are 40 years or above on the day of the match are eligible to participate and the age of players will be certified through CNIC. Only those players who have stopped playing first class cricket since last year are eligible to participate in the tournament.

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