Skipper Abdul Basit powers Qadri Public School into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket final

Pakistan News & Features Services

Skipper Abdul Basit’s fine all-round performance powered Qadri Public School into the final of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), as they defeated Springfield School by three wickets in the first semifinal at the National Stadium Karachi on November 11. 

The other semifinal will be played between Fahad Academy and Kamran Public School at the same venue on November 12 and its winners will take on Qadri Public School in the final also to be staged at the National Stadium on November 13.

The captain led by example as Abdul Basit, adjudged Man of the Match, came out trumps with both bat and ball to become the difference between the two evenly matched sides in what turned out to be rather close encounter. He received the award from chief guest Syed Asad Murtaza, Marketing Manager, Bank Alfalah Limited.

Qadri Public School, after a superb opening stand, suffered a horrible middle-order collapse in pursuit of the target of 166 in 40 overs before eventually getting it with only three wickets and four overs in hand. 

Batting first, after winning the toss, Springfield School recovered to post a fighting total of 165, after having lost the first four wickets with only 45 runs on the board. Ibad-ur-Rahman led the recovery with a fluent half century, striking seven boundaries in his 54 off 59 balls. 

Then Badar Qureshi, who came at number nine, got some useful runs under pressure. He whacked four boundaries in 32 off 37 balls, dominating the 32-run last wicket stand with Taimur Mustafa whose contribution was a mere couple of runs. 

Qadri Public School’s medium-pacer Mohibullah Shaikh (4-35) rocked the top order while the off-spin of Abdul Basit (2-29) helped in bowling out Springfield School for 165 in 36 overs. 

Abdul Basit (57 off 78 balls) then featured in 95-run opening partnership with S M Shaheer (51 off 63 balls) which put them in the driving seat. Both the openers hammered seven boundaries in their half centuries. Springfield School fought back through the spin duo of Badar Qureshi (3-29) and Ibad-ur-Rahman (2-20) which saw the batting side slump from 131 for one to 151 for six. 

Medium-pacer Saim Ayub also took a couple of crucial wickets in his second spell to open up the contest but Qadri Public School was taken over the line by S M Sharjeel who remained undefeated on 24 off 32 balls with the help of two fours.

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Springfield School takes on Qadri Public School in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semifinal

Pakistan News & Features Services

Springfield School will take on Qadri Public School in the first semifinal of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), at the National Stadium Karachi on November 11. 

The other semifinal will be played between Fahad Academy and Kamran Public School at the same venue on November 12 while the curtain will fall on the two and a half month event with the final and the prize distribution ceremony, also to be staged at the National Stadium on November 13 

Rasheed Khan and Wasimuddin will be standing as umpires in the first semifinal while Nazir Butt and Mohammad Asghar will be the two umpires in the second semifinal. Rasheed Khan and Wasimuddin will also supervise the final and Mohammad Imran will continue to be the official scorer in the last three games of the tournament. 

Like the previous matches, the semifinals as well as the final 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. 

In the quarter-finals, held at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium, Springfield School knocked down the defending champions, Beaconhouse School System, by 46 runs, Fahad Academy edged out Ebrahim Ali Bhai School by four wickets, Kamran Public School whipped Oasis Secondary School by 89 runs and Qadri Public School overpowered St Patrick High School by six wickets. 

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, at the end of the league matches, to qualify for the quarter-finals. 

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

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Asad-ul-Haq powers Springfield School into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semifinals

Pakistan News & Features Services

All-rounder Asad-ul-Haq powered Springfield School into the semifinals of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), as they knocked down the defending champions, Beaconhouse School System, by 46 runs in the quarter-finals at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium.

The quarter-final round came to an end with this match with Springfield School, Fahad Academy, Qadri Public School and Kamran Public School having advanced to the semifinals, scheduled to be held at the National Stadium, Karachi, next week. 

Asad-ul-Haq, declared Man of the Match, produced an impressive all-round effort which enabled Springfield School to overpower the holders, Beaconhouse School System. 

Put into bat by the Beaconhouse School System skipper, Ammar Iqbal, Springfield School overcame a shaky start to reach a competitive total of 177, getting bowled out on the final ball of the innings. 

The recovery was led by Asad-ul-Haq, whose counter-attacking 40 off 33 balls with the help of eight boundaries shifted the pressure on the bowlers. Mubashir Ahmed (28 off 33 balls), Badar Qureshi (26 off 52 balls) and Syed Ali Nasim (25 off 42 balls) chipped in with useful contributions to keep the scoreboard ticking. 

Beaconhouse School System’s left-arm spinner Huzaifa Ali Khan (3-35) and off-spinner Shayan Khan (2-22) prevented the total getting into mammoth proportions while medium-pacer Ahmed Kabir (2-42) had dislodged both the openers cheaply. 

Chasing a target of 178 in 40 overs, Beaconhouse School System got a decent start through the opening pair of Haris Bin Tahir and Zeeshan Iqbal, who added 41 for the first wicket in quick time. 

Zeeshan Iqbal departed after scoring 24 off 19 balls with the help of one six and four fours but Haris Bin Tahir stayed at the crease much longer, striking one six and six fours in his 60 off 82. 

Things, however, started to happen with the introduction of spin, as left-armer Badar Qureshi, after breaking the opening partnership, got another couple of wickets in his eight-over spell, yielding 33 overs. The other left-arm spinner, Asad-ul-Haq, bowled even better, returning the figures of three for 20 off eight overs. 

Off-spinner Mubashir Amin and leg-spinner Syed Ali Nasim also chipped in with a wicket each as Beaconhouse School System was bowled out for 131 in 33 overs, losing their last eight wickets for only 28 runs.

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SSUET trials for HEC Games commence

By Abdul Qadir Qureshi
(Pakistan News &  Features Services)

The 10-day long trials for selection of teams for the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Games started at the Sir Syed University of Engineering and Technology (SSUET), Karachi, on November 2.

The SSUET will be selecting 14 teams including those of cricket, football, hockey, volleyball and basketball. 

These teams will play in the HEC Games, scheduled to start from December 2016 at different venues of various universities all over Pakistan. 

The trials for selection of the SSUET teams are being organized by the SSUET’s sports department. 

The Director Sports, SSUET, Mubbashir Mukhtar, informed that the trials will help find out new talents to replace those who passed out after completion of their studies. He said that about 1,200 to 1,500 students will be participating in trials for 14 to 16 different disciplines.

The SSUET has shown good performance in sports competitions. 

During 2016 the university has won bronze medal in Judo, Silver in Boxing and three Bronze while won tournaments in cricket and football at universities level. 

Meanwhile, the Registrar SSSUET, Syed Sarfraz Ali, along with Director Sports Mubbbashir Mukhtar, witnessed the students participating in the trials. 

The Registrar was quite impressed with the performance of students and expressed the confidence that the university will be able to raise good teams through talent hunt, competent enough to bring laurels for the university in upcoming sports events. 

He reckoned that the SSUET’s sports department was making commendable efforts to boost the university’s image through sports.

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Rahman Ghani guides Fahad Academy into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semifinals

Pakistan News & Features Services

All-rounder Rahman Ghani guided Fahad Academy into the semifinals of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), as they edged out Ebrahim Ali Bhai School by four wickets in the quarter-finals at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium.

Fahad Academy has now joined Qadri Public School and Kamran Public School in the semifinal line-up which will be completed by the winners of the last quarter-final tie between Beaconhouse School System and Springfield School. 

Rahman Ghani, adjudged Man of the Match, came up with invaluable all-round performance to keep Fahad Academy afloat as they were seriously tested by Ebrahim Ali Bhai School. 

Batting first, after winning the toss, Ebrahim Ali Bhai School squandered the brilliant start to their innings by getting bowled out for a paltry 117 in 31 overs. They pulled it back while defending the low total only to be denied by Rahman Ghani’s brilliant knock.  

Openers Asad Amin (42 off 97 balls) and Zia-ur-Rahman (32 off 33 balls) provided Ebrahim Ali Bhai School a solid foundation by adding 61 for the first wicket. None of their teammates could emulate them as the introduction of spinners turned the game. 

Leg-spinner Hammad Hasan (4-8) and Rahman Ghani (2-9) rocked their innings and Fahad Academy became the favourites after bringing about a sensational collapse which saw Ebrahim Ali Bhai School lose 10 wickets for only 56 runs. 

Fahad Academy, chasing 118 off 40 overs, ran into trouble as the top half of their batting was back in the hut with only 68 runs on the board. It was the left-arm spin of Mohammad Usman, who picked up four wickets for 23 runs, which opened up the contest. 

Rahman Ghani, however, stood calm and his unbeaten 46 off 55 balls allowed Fahad Academy to get over the line with four wickets and as many as 11.2 overs in hand. He hit five boundaries in his match-winning knock.

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Kamran Public School storm into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semifinals

Pakistan News &  Features Services

Kamran Public School stormed into the semifinals of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), by whipping Oasis English Secondary School by 89 runs in the quarter-finals at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium.

Qadri Public School had already entered semifinals after having knocked out St Patrick High School in the first quarter-final. In the remaining quarter-finals, Fahad Academy will be up against Ebrahim Ali Bhai School and Beaconhouse School System will take on Springfield School. 

Choosing to bat, after winning the toss, Kamran Public School amassed an impressive total of 241 for six in the allotted 40 overs. Oasis English Secondary School, in reply, was bowled out for 143 in 30.5 overs. 

Kamran Public School got off a flying start as the 101-run opening partnership between Anas Ilyas and Tariq Bakht laid the foundation for a big score. 

Tariq Bakht departed after making 35 off 44 balls with the help of four boundaries but Anas Ilyas stayed longer, contributing 87 off 83 balls with the help of one six and four fours. 

Oasis English Secondary School stemmed the flow of runs through leg-spinner Talha Ahsan (3-43) but Kamran Public School succeeded in raising the total past 225, thanks to the fighting unbroken 49-run seventh wicket stand between Abdul Moiz (42 off 38 balls) and Osama Adnan (24 off 32 balls). 

Chasing a target of 229 in 40 overs, Oasis English Secondary School also started their innings on a positive note with openers Mohammad Saeed (43 off 43 balls) and Mohammad Kashan (21 off 19 balls) adding 63 for the first wicket in rapid time. 

The complexion of the game changed dramatically when both the openers were run out in quick succession. Kamran Public School regained control through the spin trio of Obaidullah (3-26), Osama Adnan (3-33) and Mohammad Ovais (2-21) as Oasis English Secondary School lost their last seven wickets for only 63 to be all out for 152. 

Kamran Public School’s opening batsman Anas Ilyas was adjudged Man of the Match for his 87, edging out skipper Osama Adnan, who claimed three wickets besides scoring an unbeaten 24.

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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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