Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020/21 | Round 9 | December 20-23, 2020 | Matches Thread

[MenInG]

Ninth round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy begins on Sunday

• Table-toppers Khyber Pakhtunkhwa face title defenders Central Punjab i

• Second-ranked Northern play bottom-placed Balochistan at UBL Sports Complex; third-placed Southern Punjab take on fifth-ranked Sindh

Karachi, 19 December 2020:

The first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020-21 has produced exciting contests. Its penultimate round, beginning Sunday, promises riveting red-ball cricket as the battle to secure the top two positions on the six-team points table, which secures the berths in the five-day final at the National Stadium from 1-5 January, continues to heat up.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Central Punjab at National Stadium (broadcast fixture):

The two teams are enjoying an impressive run of form as they enter the match at the back of three consecutive wins. The four-day match between them will be broadcast live in Pakistan through PTV Sports and will be beamed across the globe through PCB’s YouTube channel.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with their last win over Southern Punjab by 10 wickets, consolidated their position at the top of the six-team points table and enjoy a 29-point lead over second-ranked Northern.

Their success has been built around solid contributions from Kamran Ghulam and Sajid Khan and their captain Khalid Usman will be hoping that their purple patch stretches into the upcoming round.

Kamran, the 25-year-old right-handed batsman, leads the chart for the batsmen with most runs this season with 873 runs at an average of over 62. He is the only batsman to date to cross the 800-run mark in this edition of the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and all of his three centuries have come in the past three matches.

Off-spinner Sajid has taken as many as 15 wickets in the last two matches, which include a second innings five-wicket haul against Sindh and a first-innings five-wicket haul against Southern Punjab.

After remaining at the bottom of the points table for the first half of the tournament, title defenders Central Punjab have staged an astonishing comeback, which has turned them into a formidable force. Their captain Hasan Ali has been at the forefront of the resurgence with 22 wickets and a blistering 50 not out in the three victories.

Pacer Waqas Maqsood – the leading wicket-taker amongst the pacers with 34 scalps at 20.62 – and Ahmed Safi Abdullah (28 wickets at 24.14) have duly supported their skipper.

Ali Zaryab became the only Central Punjab batsman this season to register a century and the side will be pinning their hopes on the opener along with Usman Salahuddin, the 30-year-old middle-order batsman, who is the team’s leading run-scorer with 525 runs from eight matches.

Northern v Balochistan at UBL Sports Complex:

Nauman Ali-captained Northern enter the ninth round of the tournament at the back of splendid batting performances by 18-year-old Mubasir Khan and all-rounder Hammad Azam which helped them retain the second spot on the points table and stay contenders to play the second Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final in as many seasons.

Northern are certain to derive inspiration from the resilient 294-run alliance which ensured that their eighth round fixture against Sindh ended in a draw as Mubasir registered a valiant 164 on debut and Hammad, the tournament’s second best run-scorer, scored his second century of the season.

Nauman, himself, remains their primary bowling weapon as he with 55 wickets, which includes five five-fers, is the leading wicket-taker in the season.

Over the course of the last two rounds, Balochistan have slipped to the bottom of the points table from the fourth spot. After finishing the last season at the bottom of the points table, they will be hoping for a change of fortune starting this fixture. Since their win in the opening match, Balochistan have lost four and drawn three.

Thirty-five-year-old left-arm orthodox Jalat Khan is their leading wicket-taker with 24 dismissals, while Akbar-ur-Rehman has been their chief accumulator of runs as the 37-year-old has made 481 runs from six matches.

Sindh v Southern Punjab at State Bank Stadium:

Asad Shafiq-led Sindh started the last day of the previous round as favourites to win their second match of the season only to be denied by the gutsy knocks from Northern’s Mubasir and Hammad.

The draw helped them climb one spot to number five, but it is the crucial 16 points for win, which they would be hoping to bag when their fixture against Southern Punjab begins at the State Bank Stadium.

Number three in the batting order, Saud Shakeel continues to have an impressive run with the bat as the 25-year-old has piled up 738 runs – third most in the season by the conclusion of the eighth round. Centuries (against Northern) from Sharjeel Khan, which has lifted him to the seventh spot in the list of the highest run-getters, and Asad have bolstered their batting unit.

Since earning a promotion in the First XI team, Shahnawaz Dhani has showcased brilliant bowling spells, which has earned him 20 wickets at 30.35 in five matches. The 22-year-old is yet to record a five-fer at the first-class level, something he would be hoping to check in the upcoming match.

Southern Punjab were at the end of a 10-wicket pounding from table-toppers Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in their last outing. They were forced to follow-on after which they could set a measly four-run target for the opposition which they chased in a mere three balls.

Zahid Mahmood, however, continued to live-up to the expectations as he returned yet another five-wicket haul with six for 163 and the 32-year-old Dadu-born, who has the third-most scalps this season, will continue to spearhead his team’s bowling attack.

Defiant half-centuries from Aamer Yamin (first innings 93) and Mohammad Umair (second innings 77) promise support for Salman Ali Agha, who is their team’s top-scorer with 716 runs at just under 60.

 

[MenInG]

 

[Markhor]

It's been an intriguing tournament and it's good to see such a tight race for the final. KP have probably done enough to qualify so it's a three way race between Northern, Southern Punjab and Central Punjab.

Northern ought to beat Balochistan so CP and SP cannot afford to slip up.

KP-CP is the televised match so a chance to take a closer look at Kamran Ghulam, Irfanullah Shah, Ali Zaryab and the comeback of Hasan Ali.

 

[Markhor]

On a side note, is it worth shifting the QEA Trophy to Karachi permanently ?

The pitches have been balanced and not as bowler friendly as the North during winter. They've also been able to get more overs in ensuring results.

 

[ElRaja]

On a side note, is it worth shifting the QEA Trophy to Karachi permanently ?

The pitches have been balanced and not as bowler friendly as the North during winter. They've also been able to get more overs in ensuring results.

not sure about this, home and away is best way to test players in different conditions. lahore and multan tend to be good for batting too.

light and weather is a concern, maybe change playing conditions to ease rules on turning artificial lights to get allocated overs in.

 

[saeed5646]

On a side note, is it worth shifting the QEA Trophy to Karachi permanently ?

The pitches have been balanced and not as bowler friendly as the North during winter. They've also been able to get more overs in ensuring results.

Fatigue is main issue .Playing 10 matches in same city is asking for too much

 

[saeed5646]

We desperately need to prepare a pitch which is pretty fast with alot of bounce .our batsmen are scared kitten when their is bounce

 

[guldozer]

We desperately need to prepare a pitch which is pretty fast with alot of bounce .our batsmen are scared kitten when their is bounce

Completely agree.

 

[shah_1]

We desperately need to prepare a pitch which is pretty fast with alot of bounce .our batsmen are scared kitten when their is bounce

You can't just prepare fast bouncy pitches like that. PCB need to do soil content survey of all posible cricket grounds and plan accordingly. You can't just change the soil and expect it will change the nature of the pitch. UAE tired it and it didn't work. According to players, Quetta pitches had good bounce, we know that diamond cricket ground has decent bounce so PCB has to search for right grounds

 

[GoUgandaCranes]

On a side note, is it worth shifting the QEA Trophy to Karachi permanently ?

The pitches have been balanced and not as bowler friendly as the North during winter. They've also been able to get more overs in ensuring results.

This is the best domestic tournament that I have ever seen and this should be the template of our cricket. There's no denying that Covid has been a terrible thing, but it has resulted in giving us one of the best tournaments in our history and that's a major silver lining.

I principally agree with you that the tournament should be permanently held in Karachi but the only problem would be that it would create issues within the cricketing lobbies of giving preference and business to one and only one city. The ideal scenario could be to have two rounds with each round consisting of 5 matches where each team plays the other once. The first round can be held in October/November in cities that have three test-class cricketing grounds available so the matches can take place concurrently. The second round in December/January could always be held in Karachi because of the favorable conditions while the first-round can alternate between different cities.

We should also have a permanent slot in the calendar for the domestic tournament year on year. September till April would be my preference with a domestic top performer challengers trophy tournament being the crowning glory at the end of the season. The four months off-season would also give players a chance to play any foreign league that falls during that bracket.

Something like this would be good to have (strictly for domestic cricket)

Sep-Oct: Season starts off with 50 overs tournament
Oct-Jan: QEA trophy
Jan-Feb: National T20
Feb-Apr: PSL
Apr-May: Pak A vs. Pak B vs. Pak C tri-series (elite performers from QEA to participate)
May-Sep: Vacant slot

I don't like PSL and overdose of T20 cricket but for the foreseeable future, that's where the money is so we cannot deny its existence.

We should also fix our international schedule by having about 4 test series every year. Something like 10 tests, 20 ODIS, and 20 T20s would be great to have. ICC tournament dates are already fixed for the next cycle so we know when they are taking place anyway.

 

[saeed5646]

You can't just prepare fast bouncy pitches like that. PCB need to do soil content survey of all posible cricket grounds and plan accordingly. You can't just change the soil and expect it will change the nature of the pitch. UAE tired it and it didn't work. According to players, Quetta pitches had good bounce, we know that diamond cricket ground has decent bounce so PCB has to search for right grounds

Ofcourse it is no straight forward but not impossible.

 

[guldozer]

I'm looking forward to see how mubasir Khan can follow up on that amazing debut 100. His bowling also Intrigues me.

I'm also hoping hasan Ali can continue his fine form with the ball and get extra bowling in before his potential recall against South Africa at home.

 

[Dark_Horse]

You can't just prepare fast bouncy pitches like that. PCB need to do soil content survey of all posible cricket grounds and plan accordingly. You can't just change the soil and expect it will change the nature of the pitch. UAE tired it and it didn't work. According to players, Quetta pitches had good bounce, we know that diamond cricket ground has decent bounce so PCB has to search for right grounds

Abid Ali played a lot in diamond cricket ground let’s wait how he performs in nz

 

[Rayyman]

We desperately need to prepare a pitch which is pretty fast with alot of bounce .our batsmen are scared kitten when their is bounce

You can't just prepare fast bouncy pitches like that. PCB need to do soil content survey of all posible cricket grounds and plan accordingly. You can't just change the soil and expect it will change the nature of the pitch. UAE tired it and it didn't work. According to players, Quetta pitches had good bounce, we know that diamond cricket ground has decent bounce so PCB has to search for right grounds

I agree.

Pakistan and even India among other countries need to do better in preparing their home pitches. New Zealand and Australia have both troubled the batsmen with their short pitch bowling.

The batsman cannot handle the pace of the wickets in AUS/NZ/SA. Because the pitches in the subcontinent are slower.
[MENTION=130419]shah_1[/MENTION] is correct in that the groundsman have to survey the soil content in order to determine what type of pitch to prepare.

The key to a fast pitch is the clay content in the ground. The higher the clay content, the harder the pitch. A hard pitch will push back at a cricket ball with more force than a softer pitch. This is why in a Test match, the pitch will generally have more bounce on the first three days as opposed to the last two where it will be slower. But a second or third day pitch can be faster than a first day pitch. The moisture in a pitch will determine the strength of the soil. A damp pitch will have low bounce because the water permeates and breaks through the soil. A dry pitch will have plenty of bounce in the first innings of a match. As it is exposed more and more, it will start to crack up due to numerous factors.

Elevation is also a huge factor in to how high the ball bounces. For example in South Africa, the Wanderers is at 1000+ feet as opposed to Port Elizabeth which is at ~60' above sea level. An international standard pitch in Quetta would be fast as the city's elevation is ~5000'. It would surpass Dharamsala which is also very quick. Balochistan pitches would be similar to Australia as their is not much rainfall. So the pitches would be dry and bouncy and start cracking a lot on the last couple of days. Islamabad/Rawalpindi are more similar to NZ as they are medium paced and grassy.

I feel for Bangladesh though as they have the worst geographical location out of all of cricket playing nations.

 

[aloo paratha]

Excited to see Hasan Ali in action again.

 

[MenInG]

Central Punjab win toss elect to bat first against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in Round 9 of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

 

[aloo paratha]

Get to see Sameen in action. Should've already had a wicket Imo, looked plumb to me.

 

[MenInG]

No toss with Southern Punjab bowling first against Sindh in Round 9 of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

 

[MenInG]

Northern win toss elect to bat first against Balochistan in Round 9 of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

 

[Thunderbolt14]

I agree.

Pakistan and even India among other countries need to do better in preparing their home pitches. New Zealand and Australia have both troubled the batsmen with their short pitch bowling.

The batsman cannot handle the pace of the wickets in AUS/NZ/SA. Because the pitches in the subcontinent are slower.
[MENTION=130419]shah_1[/MENTION] is correct in that the groundsman have to survey the soil content in order to determine what type of pitch to prepare.

The key to a fast pitch is the clay content in the ground. The higher the clay content, the harder the pitch. A hard pitch will push back at a cricket ball with more force than a softer pitch. This is why in a Test match, the pitch will generally have more bounce on the first three days as opposed to the last two where it will be slower. But a second or third day pitch can be faster than a first day pitch. The moisture in a pitch will determine the strength of the soil. A damp pitch will have low bounce because the water permeates and breaks through the soil. A dry pitch will have plenty of bounce in the first innings of a match. As it is exposed more and more, it will start to crack up due to numerous factors.

Elevation is also a huge factor in to how high the ball bounces. For example in South Africa, the Wanderers is at 1000+ feet as opposed to Port Elizabeth which is at ~60' above sea level. An international standard pitch in Quetta would be fast as the city's elevation is ~5000'. It would surpass Dharamsala which is also very quick. Balochistan pitches would be similar to Australia as their is not much rainfall. So the pitches would be dry and bouncy and start cracking a lot on the last couple of days. Islamabad/Rawalpindi are more similar to NZ as they are medium paced and grassy.

I feel for Bangladesh though as they have the worst geographical location out of all of cricket playing nations.

[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] bhai can the above thread of posts about soil content and references to Quetta and the Diamond cricket ground be forwarded to Wasim Khan? This is an excellent well-thought out discussion and PCB would love for this to be on the radar. Excellent post by [MENTION=133726]GoUgandaCranes[/MENTION] too.

 

[Arsal_AK]

Irfan is getting lovely shape on the outswinger. Sameen on the other end is getting the ball to come back in appreciably. Wayward line and length from him though.

 

[Xoib]

Irfanullah pace?

 

[MenInG]

Northern VS Balochistan
1st Inning Northern
Day. 1
Break Drink's
Total: 47
Wickets: 0
Overs: 16

Batsmen N.o
Nasir nawaz 23
Sarmad bharti 24


==

Central Punjab Vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
1st Inning: Central Punjab
Day: 1
Break: Drinks
Total: 27
Wickets: 2
Overs:. 12

Batsmen N.o:
Usman Salahuddin 14
Muhammad Saad 11

Batsman Out:
Ali Zaryab 00
Muhammad Akhlaq 00

Bowling:
Irfanullah Shah 1/17
Sameen Gul 1/9

Sindh VS Southern Punjab
1st Inning Sindh

Total: 35
Wickets: 4
Overs: 12

Batsmen N.o
Saud Shakeel 07*
Saad Ali 22*

Batsmen out
Khurram Manzoor 00
Sharjeel Khan 04
Omair Bin Yousuf 00
Asad Shafiq 00

Bowling
Aamir Yamin 3/12
Muhammad Ilyas 1/14

 

[MenInG]

Lunch

 

[shah_1]

Saud Shakeel is another lost cause

No consistency

 

[guldozer]

Lunch

View attachment 105455View attachment 105456View attachment 105457

Odd scorecard from Central Punjab. Looks incomplete.

 

[guldozer]

Great partnership between Muhammad hasan and Saad Ali for sindh

 

[MenInG]

Northern first innings

 

[Xoib]

Looking forward how mubasher will bowl pitch seems to be turning

 

[Omer2002]

VERY Very strange Northern not playing sadaf hussain and other seamer who did well

 

[MenInG]

Northern VS Balochistan
Toss Northern
1st Inning Balochistan
Day. 1
Break Drink's
Total: 51
Wickets: 0
Overs: 11

Batsmen N.o
Imran farhat 29
Ali Rafiq 18

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

Close of play, Day 1

 

[b.lesner]

Mohammad Hassan 111 proves that Basit Ali selects team on nepotism, how the heck did Shehzar Mohammad play when M hassan scored 100 against England lions in 2016 and showed he is international quality how did shehzar play so many games.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Mohammad Hassan 111 proves that Basit Ali selects team on nepotism, how the heck did Shehzar Mohammad play when M hassan scored 100 against England lions in 2016 and showed he is international quality how did shehzar play so many games.

Well, we know how. For me, Basit has been the least inspiring coach in this entire season (T20 and first class). I expect him to get the sack.

Everyone else, from Faisal Iqbal to Abdul Razzaq, has done reasonably well.

 

[angrypathan]

Sindh scorecard is so strange. Saad Ali and Hassan getting big scores, and everyone else seemingly inspired by the Indian cricket team.

 

[Firebat]

Kashif Bhatti’s 21st first-class five-wicket haul helped bottom-placed Balochistan bagged crucial five bowling points on the opening day of their ninth round first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture against second-ranked Northern at the UBL Sports Complex on Sunday.

The left-arm orthodox returned five for 75 in 28 overs, which included seven maidens, as Northern were bowled out for 203 in 62.1 overs.

The 34-year-old accounted for opener Sarmad Bhatti (25), Umar Amin (tw0), Mohammad Nawaz (26), Hammad Azam (one) and wicketkeeper-batsman Jamal Anwar (12).

Off-spinner Raza-ul-Hasan was the other notable wicket-taker in the innings with three for 67. Pacers Taj Wali and Gohar Faiz shared the other two wickets.

Northern were provided a 60-run opening stand by Nasir Nawaz (31) and Sarmad, after which their middle and lower-order faltered.

Ali Sarfraz, who batted at seven, posted the top-score of the innings with 38 off 62 balls.

Balochistan captain Imran Farhat scored his 72nd half-century, in reply, which had his team on 92 for no loss when stumps were drawn. The 38-year-old was unbeaten on 53 from 93 balls and had crunched nine boundaries.

He will be joined by his opening partner Ali Rafiq (29 not out) when Balochistan resume their innings on Monday. They are 111 runs behind Northern.

At the State Bank Stadium, Southern Punjab captain Umar Siddiq’s decision to elect to bowl without contesting the toss produced the desired results as Sindh were bowled out 217 in 64.4 overs.

Southern Punjab, as such, bagged five bowling points.

Six of the Sindh batsmen – Khurram Manzoor, Omair Bin Yousuf, Asad Shafiq, Tabish Khan, Mohammad Asghar and Shahnawaz Dhani – were dismissed for ducks as Aamer Yamin, Zia-ul-Haq and Zahid Mahmood took three wickets each.

Century from wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Hasan and a half-century from Saad Ali were the only notable resistance in the innings as the pair stitched 173 runs for the sixth wicket.

Hasan made 111 runs from 140 balls and smashed 17 fours, while Saad’s 174-ball 79 included 10 fours.

Southern Punjab were 176 runs behind after they had managed 41 for one in 17.4 overs before the close of play. Their captain Umar (14) paired with Zain Abbas (25 not out) before he was dismissed by Shahnawaz.

Half-centuries from Usman Salahuddin, Mohammad Saad and Saad Nasim had Central Punjab placed at a comfortable 267 for five against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the National Stadium.

Following Hasan Ali’s decision to elect to bat after winning the toss, Central Punjab found themselves in a spot of bother as both their openers were sent back to the pavilion without being allowed to open their accounts.

A gutsy 106-run alliance for the third wicket between Usman (53 off 128, four fours) and Mohammad Saad (78 off 176, seven fours and a six) pushed Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s bowlers on the backfoot.

This was Usman’s 48th and Saad’s 27th half-century.

Saad Nasim’s fighting 81 not out further consolidated Central Punjab’s position in the match. The middle-order batsman had smashed seven fours and three sixes from the 132 balls he had faced.

Defending champions Central Punjab are positioned fourth on the points table, which is led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Scores in brief (day one of four):

At UBL Sports Complex, Northern elected to bat against Balochistan

Northern 203 all out, 62.1 overs (Ali Sarfraz 38, Nasir Nawaz 31, Mohammad Nawaz 26, Waqas Ahmed 26, Sarmad Bhatti 25, Mubasir Khan 25; Kashif Bhatti 5-75, Raza-ul-Hasan 3-67)

Balochistan 92-0, 27 overs (Imran Farhat 53 not out, Ali Rafiq 29 not out)

Points to date: Northern 1, Balochistan 5

At State Bank Stadium, Southern Punjab elected to bowl (toss uncontested) against Sindh

Sindh 217 all out, 64.4 overs (Mohammad Hasan 111, Saad Ali 79; Aamer Yamin 3-31, Zahid Mahmood 3-49, Zia-ul-Haq 3-63)

Southern Punjab 41-1, 17.4 overs (Zain Abbas 25 not out; Shahnawaz Dhani 1-6)

Points to date: Sindh 1, Southern Punjab 5

At National Stadium, Central Punjab elected to bat against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Central Punjab 267-5, 90 overs (Saad Nasim 81 not out, Mohammad Saad 78, Usman Salahuddin 53, Qasim Akram 25, Ali Shan 24 not out)

Points to date: Central Punjab 2, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1

 

[Markhor]

KP pace attack is the Junaids dream team. Sameen, Arshad and Irfanullah are all well above 6ft.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

KP pace attack is the Junaids dream team. Sameen, Arshad and Irfanullah are all well above 6ft.

I wonder if Razzaq subscribes to that bowling philosophy?

 

[Saj]

[MENTION=9]Saj[/MENTION] bhai can the above thread of posts about soil content and references to Quetta and the Diamond cricket ground be forwarded to Wasim Khan? This is an excellent well-thought out discussion and PCB would love for this to be on the radar. Excellent post by [MENTION=133726]GoUgandaCranes[/MENTION] too.

Ok will do.

 

[Markhor]

I wonder if Razzaq subscribes to that bowling philosophy?

I don't know but they all looked miltary medium with Arshad probably the quickest. Sameen bowls a good Test match length while Irfanullah is almost a taller version of Abbas. All looked fairly accurate today.

[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] what do you make of the trio ?

 

[Kaddy]

Where is Ahmed Shehzad. His name is not even in the squad of CP.

He looked disinterested even when he was playing in the first few rounds.

 

[Artaxerxes]

Karachi pitches are batting friendly.There is no bounce plus the ball does not swing.The only way to get a wicket is if the batsman makes a mistake.It will be interesting to see these bowlers on SENA pitches.I saw Sameen and Arshad.They didn't look quick.However speed is not everything.Hazelwood bowls at 133-137kmh but his line and length is excellent.He took 5 for 8 in the recent test against Endia.

 

[Xoib]

Dhani and Munir Riaz look the best among all new pacers this season. Ha e ot seen Mohammad Umer and wasim so can't comment.khurram Shahzad and Arshad are also decent.

 

[MenInG]

Central Punjab Vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

1st Inning: Central Punjab

Day: 2
Break: Drinks
Total: 320
Wickets: 6
Overs:. 101.1

Batsmen N.o:
Saad Nasim 110

Batsman Out:
Ali Zaryab 00
Muhammad Akhlaq 00
Usman Salahuddin 53(Runout)
Muhammad Saad 78
Qasim Akram 25
Ali Shan 43

Bowling:
Irfanullah Shah 2/47
Sameen Gul 1/74
Arshad Iqbal 1/68
Sajid Khan 1/69

==

Sindh VS Southern Punjab

1st Inning Southern Punjab
Day. 2
Break Drink's
Total: 72
Wickets: 2
Overs: 30

Batsmen N.o
Muhammad Ilyas 17*
Imran Rafique 00*

Batsmen out
Zain Abbas 39
Umer Siddique 14

Bowling
Shahnawaz Dhani 2/17

 

[MenInG]

Lunch

 

[Greenstorm]

Loving this battle between Kamran and Hassan !

Both should be playing tests vs SA.

 

[Third Man]

Man, it's good to watch Hasan bowl with such rhythm. Bowling so well on this extremely placid pitch with a very good pace. Classic Pakistani fast bowling.

Should come into the test team straight away after this.

 

[MenInG]

Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Round 9, Day 2 Tea scores

 

[Firebat]

Southern Punjab 1st Innings scorecard:

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

Half-centuries by Akbar-ur-Rehman and Ayaz Tasawar gave Balochistan a 169-run first innings lead over Northern on day two of their ninth round first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture at the UBL Sports Complex on Monday.

Balochistan were bowled out for 372 as Northern captain Nauman Ali recorded his season’s sixth five-wicket haul when he returned six for 107 from 46.1 overs. The 34-year-old left-arm orthodox now has 61 scalps at an average of 21.79.

Balochistan were provided a solid start as their captain Imran Farhat and Ali Rafiq put a 101-run stand for the opening wicket. Imran added 24 runs to his overnight score before he became one of Nauman’s victims on 77.

A firm 139-run alliance for the fourth wicket between Akbar (82 off 155, four fours and five sixes) and Ayaz (69 off 105, nine fours and two sixes) set Balochistan, who are at the bottom of the points table, to post an imposing total and helped them achieve three batting points for being 330 for six at the completion of 100 overs.

They have now gathered as many as eight bonus points from the contest after they pocketed five bowling points for dismissing Northern for 203 in 62.1 overs yesterday.

Northern pacer Waqas Ahmed took three wickets for 63 runs, while the remaining wicket was taken by all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz.

Second-ranked Northern will begin their second innings on Tuesday, the penultimate morning of the match.

At the State Bank Stadium, a consolidated bowling performance from Sindh allowed Southern Punjab a slender 30-run lead and bagged them five bowling points that took their bonus points tally from the match to six.

Left-arm orthodox Mohammad Asghar was the pick of the bowlers with four for 81, while young pacer Shahnawaz Dhani continued to impress as he returned three for 67.

Veteran fast bowler Tabish Khan took two wickets for 39 runs, while Test bowler Mir Hamza took one wicket for 55 runs.

Overnight batsman and Southern Punjab opener Zain Abbas converted his overnight 25 into 39 before Imran Rafiq made 67 from 152 balls, which included five fours and two sixes.

All-rounder Aamer Yamin and Saif Badar scored 35 and 33, respectively.

An 80-run unfinished partnership for the first wicket between Khurram Manzoor (28) and Sharjeel Khan (45) had put Sindh 50 runs ahead before the close of play.

Central Punjab’s Saad Nasim became the second batsman from his side to register a century this season as he turned his overnight score of 81 into an undefeated 136 not out against table-toppers Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in front of broadcast cameras at the National Stadium.

Saad smashed 12 fours and six sixes from the 189 balls he faced in his 275-minute-long stay at the crease, which helped Central Punjab post 351 for seven before Hasan Ali made a brave declaration. The title defenders in the process gathered three batting bonus points.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Ali Shan contributed 43 (seven fours). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s pacer Irfanullah Shah dismissed three batsmen for 53 runs.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in reply, were 171 runs behind as they had scored 180 for three from 67 overs.

Adil Amin posted his fourth half-century of the season as he was not out on 50 after Fakhar Zaman (42) and Israrullah (40) contributed 79 for the first wicket.

All three wickets were taken by off-spinner Qasim Akram.

On third morning of the match, Adil will be joined by Zohaib Khan (23 not out) when the play resumes.

Scores in brief (day two of four):

At UBL Sports Complex, Northern elected to bat against Balochistan

Northern 203 all out, 62.1 overs (Ali Sarfraz 38, Nasir Nawaz 31, Mohammad Nawaz 26, Waqas Ahmed 26, Sarmad Bhatti 25, Mubasir Khan 25; Kashif Bhatti 5-75, Raza-ul-Hasan 3-67)

Balochistan 372 all out, 116.1 overs (Akbar-ur-Rehman 82, Imran Farhat 77, Ayaz Tasawar 69, Ali Rafiq 36, Kashif Bhatti 35; Nauman Ali 6-107, Waqas Ahmed 3-63)

First innings points: Northern 3 (one batting, two bowling), Balochistan 8 (three batting, five bowling)

At State Bank Stadium, Southern Punjab elected to bowl (toss uncontested) against Sindh

Sindh 217 all out, 64.4 overs (Mohammad Hasan 111, Saad Ali 79; Aamer Yamin 3-31, Zahid Mahmood 3-49, Zia-ul-Haq 3-63) and 80-0, 17 overs (Sharjeel Khan 45 not out, Khurram Manzoor 28 not out

Southern Punjab 247 all out, 81.1 overs (Imran Rafiq 67, Zain Abbas 39, Aamer Yamin 35, Saif Badar 33; Mohammad Asghar 4-81, Shahnawaz Dhani 3-67, Tabish Khan 2-39)

Points to date: Sindh 6 (one batting, five bowling), Southern Punjab 6 (one batting, five bowling)


At National Stadium, Central Punjab elected to bat against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Central Punjab 351-7, 107.5 overs (Saad Nasim 136 not out, Mohammad Saad 78, Usman Salahuddin 53, Ali Shan 43, Qasim Akram 25; Irfanullah Shah 3-53)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 180-3, 67 overs (Adil Amin 50 not out, Fakhar Zaman 42, Israrullah 40, Zohaib Khan 23 not out, Kamran Ghulam 20; Qasim Akram 3-26)

Points to date: Central Punjab 4 (three batting, one bowling), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1 (all bowling)

 

[MenInG]

Central Punjab Vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

1st Inning: Central Punjab 351/7 Dec
1st Inning: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Day: 3
Break: Drinks
Total: 224
Wickets: 03
Overs: 82

Batsmen N.o:
Adil Amin 62*
Zohaib Khan 54*

Batsman Out:
Fakhar Zaman 42
Israrullah 40
Kamran Ghulam 20

Bowling:
Qasim Akram 3/26

 

[MenInG]

Sindh VS Southern Punjab

1st Inning Sindh
Day. 3
Break Drink's
Total: 143
Wickets: 2
Overs: 30

Batsmen N.o
Omair Bin Yousuf 19*
Saud Shakeel 10*
Saad Ali 22*

Batsmen out
Khurram Manzoor 29
Sharjeel Khan 74

Bowling
Aamir Yamin 2/56

 

[MenInG]

Northern VS Balochistan

Toss Northern
2nd Inning Northern
Day. 3
Break Drink's
Total: 53
Wickets: 2
Overs: 13

Batsmen N.o
Mubasir Khan 18

Batsmen out
Nasir nawaz 4
Umer amin 29

Bowling
Taj wali 1/31
Raza Ul Hasan 1/0

 

[MenInG]

Central Punjab Vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
1st Inning: Central Punjab 351/7 Dec
1st Inning: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa
Day: 3
Break: Lunch
Total: 248
Wickets: 03
Overs: 93

Batsmen N.o:
Adil Amin 66*
Zohaib Khan 70*

Batsman Out:
Fakhar Zaman 42
Israrullah 40
Kamran Ghulam 20

Bowling:
Qasim Akram 3/26

 

[MenInG]

 

[MenInG]

Sindh VS Southern Punjab

Toss Uncontested
1st Inning Sindh
Day. 3
Break Drink's
Total: 250
Wickets: 3
Overs: 58

Batsmen N.o
Saud Shakeel 53*
Asad Shafiq 54*

Batsmen out
Khurram Manzoor 29
Sharjeel Khan 74
Omair Bin Yousuf 27

Bowling
Aamir Yamin 2/68
Zia Ul Haq 1/34

 

[MenInG]

Balochistan beat Northern by an innings and five runs

 

[BigShak]

Hope Saud doesn’t blow another chance to get a big ton. 84* currently.

 

[Xoib]

Shock loss for Northern.

Mubasher ba k on earth after dream start good good will build charecter hopefully plays 20 odd fc games before we think on promoting him.

 

[KoyoAli]

 

[ARK Rafay]

Imran Farhat is still playing domestic cricket! Wow

 

[Zakirktk]

KP skipper gets angry after being run out by his partner and then declared the inns

 

[shah_1]

Big chance for Saud

 

[Markhor]

Big upset with Northern losing by an innings. Central Punjab have a big opportunity to close the gap now.

 

[Omer2002]

Shock loss for Northern.

Mubasher ba k on earth after dream start good good will build charecter hopefully plays 20 odd fc games before we think on promoting him.

He didnt do badly considering other scores

 

[BigShak]

100 for Saud. Keep going and stay not out. Need him to top the charts this season.

 

[Titan24]

Imran Farhat is still playing domestic cricket! Wow

His last season.

 

[Titan24]

Shock loss for Northern.

Mubasher ba k on earth after dream start good good will build charecter hopefully plays 20 odd fc games before we think on promoting him.

Thats why I always believe domestic cricket is crucial for any youngster as it allows them to go through ups and downs, different state of minds and learning to overcome any disappointments along with understanding their game better.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Full credit to Faisal Iqbal, Balochistan rounded out Northern by an innings defeat. Incredibly impressed with his coaching in the tournament so far. I’ll do a recalculation of the positive points index at the end of the tournament after 10 rounds.

Good to see Saud score 123*.

 

[shahidafridi123]

Man, it's good to watch Hasan bowl with such rhythm. Bowling so well on this extremely placid pitch with a very good pace. Classic Pakistani fast bowling.

Should come into the test team straight away after this.

Any video of his spell?

 

[MenInG]

First-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy - Day 3, Close of Play

 

[ARK Rafay]

Who is the oldest playing Cricketer currently?

 

[Firebat]

Salman Ali Agha fined 70 per cent match-fee for showing dissent

Karachi, 22 December 2020:

Southern Punjab’s Salman Ali Agha has been fined 70 per cent of his match-fee for breaching the PCB Code of Conduct for Players and Players Support Personnel during his side’s ongoing match against Sindh in the first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy at the State Bank Stadium.

Salman was found to have violated Article 2.8 of the PCB Code of Conduct, which reads as: “Showing dissent at an Umpire’s decision during a Match”.

The incident happened in the 57th over of Southern Punjab’s first innings on the third day of the match on Tuesday, when Salman, after being adjudged LBW, showed his hand and then his bat to the umpire to establish that he had played the ball.

This is his second offence of the Article in the season.

Salman pleaded guilty to the charge and accepted the sanction proposed by match referee Prof. Mohammad Javed. The charge was levelled by on-field umpires Aftab Gillani and Rashid Riaz.

All second offences in Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of 70 per cent fine up to two-match suspension.

 

[Firebat]

Spinners Kashif Bhatti and Raza-ul-Hasan led Balochistan to a commanding an innings and five runs victory over Northern in the afternoon session of the penultimate day of their four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy ninth round match at the UBL Sports Complex.

Northern faced a 169-run deficit when they began their second innings on Tuesday and were bowled out for 164 in 45 overs as Kashif and Raza equally shared eight wickets between them.

Kashif, the left-arm orthodox, took four wickets for 67 as he finished the match with match figures of nine for 142. He had recorded a five-wicket haul in the first innings.

Raza, who had taken three wickets for 67 in the first innings, returned four for 50.

Sarmad Bhatti registered 31 off 52, the top-score of the innings. With 29 and 27, Umar Amin and Mohammad Nawaz were the next best scorers.

Balochistan, placed at the bottom of the six-team points table before the start of the ongoing round, pocketed 25 points from the contest, which has taken their tally to 102. They stay at the UBL Sports Complex to play Sindh in the last round, which begins from 26 December.

Northern, who entered the match ranked-second, added only three points to their account. In their last group match, they will face Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the National Stadium in a broadcast fixture.

Sindh’s Saud Shakeel’s third century of the ongoing season set a 370-run target for Southern Punjab at the State Bank Stadium. The 25-year-old left-handed batsman smashed a 123 not out.

Over the course of his 157-ball innings, Saud crunched 16 fours.

Captain Asad Shafiq and Saad Ali made notable contributions with 55 and 62, respectively, before Sindh declared their innings on 399 for five.

Earlier in the day, Sharjeel Khan registered his 25th half-century as he converted his overnight 45 into 74 before he was dismissed by Aamer Yamin, who took two wickets for 85 from 18 overs.

This was Sharjeel’s fourth 50-plus score – which includes a century against Northern – in the last five innings.

Southern Punjab were 61 for one in 19 overs at the close of play with Zain Abbas (28) and Imran Rafiq (26) at the crease. Mir Hamza picked up the only Southern Punjab wicket – Umar Siddiq, who made seven.

At the National Stadium, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s decision to declare at 312 for seven in reply of Central Punjab’s 351 for seven set the match for an exciting final day.

Title defenders Central Punjab were 89 for three and had a second innings lead of 128 following an opening burst by pacers Irfanullah Shah, Sameen Gul and Arshad Iqbal. All three bowlers picked up a wicket each.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Adil Amin and Zohaib Khan scored half-centuries and took their overnight fourth-wicket stand to 130.

Adil added 46 more runs before he missed out a century by four runs. The 30-year-old struck 14 fours in his 276-ball 415-minute-long stay.

Zohaib recorded his 33rd half-century as he made 75 off 188, which included eight fours.

Table-toppers Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were 255 for three at the completion of 100 over. As such, they gained two batting points, while fourth-ranked Central Punjab bagged one bowling point for dismissing three batsmen.

Seventeen-year-old Pakistan U19 spinner Qasim Akram recorded his maiden five-wicket haul with five for 51 from 19 overs.

On the final morning of the match, Mohammad Saad (46 not out), who had made 78 in the first innings, and Qasim (12 not out) will resume Central Punjab’s innings.

Scores in brief (Day three of four):

At UBL Sports Complex, Balochistan beat Northern by an innings and five runs

Northern 203 all out, 62.1 overs (Ali Sarfraz 38, Nasir Nawaz 31, Mohammad Nawaz 26, Waqas Ahmed 26, Sarmad Bhatti 25, Mubasir Khan 25; Kashif Bhatti 5-75, Raza-ul-Hasan 3-67) and 164 all out, 45 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 31, Umar Amin 29, Mohammad Nawaz 27, Hammad Azam 20; Raza-ul-Hasan 4-50, Kashif Bhatti 4-67)

Balochistan 372 all out, 116.1 overs (Akbar-ur-Rehman 82, Imran Farhat 77, Ayaz Tasawar 69, Ali Rafiq 36, Kashif Bhatti 35; Nauman Ali 6-107, Waqas Ahmed 3-63)

Match points: Northern 3 (one batting, two bowling), Balochistan 25 (16 outright win, one bonus for innings win, three batting, five bowling)

At State Bank Stadium, Southern Punjab elected to bowl (toss uncontested) against Sindh

Sindh 217 all out, 64.4 overs (Mohammad Hasan 111, Saad Ali 79; Aamer Yamin 3-31, Zahid Mahmood 3-49, Zia-ul-Haq 3-63) and 399-5 dec, 85 overs (Saud Shakeel 123 not out, Sharjeel Khan 74, Saad Ali 62, Asad Shafiq 55, Khurram Manzoor 29, Omair Bin Yousuf 28; Aamer Yamin 2-85)

Southern Punjab 247 all out, 81.1 overs (Imran Rafiq 67, Zain Abbas 39, Aamer Yamin 35, Saif Badar 33; Mohammad Asghar 4-81, Shahnawaz Dhani 3-67, Tabish Khan 2-39) and 61-1, 19 overs (Zain Abbas 28 not out, Imran Rafiq 26 not out)

First innings points: Sindh 6 (one batting, five bowling), Southern Punjab 6 (one batting, five bowling)

At National Stadium, Central Punjab elected to bat against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Central Punjab 351-7 dec, 107.5 overs (Saad Nasim 136 not out, Mohammad Saad 78, Usman Salahuddin 53, Ali Shan 43, Qasim Akram 25; Irfanullah Shah 3-53) and 89-3, 27 overs (Mohammad Saad 46 not out, Muhammad Akhlaq 26)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 312-7 dec, 121.4 overs (Adil Amin 96, Zohaib Khan 75, Fakhar Zaman 42, Israrullah 40, Kamran Ghulam 20; Qasim Akram 5-51)

First innings points: Central Punjab 4 (three batting, one bowling), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 3 (two batting, one bowling)

 

[JibranAnsari]

saud shakil 123.

871 runs @ 57 this season.

looks like he will cross 1000 runs mark. Another match to go.

 

[waheed_sofi]

Sindh's coaching staff has to be the most ignorant staff.
Why did they declare at 399? If they had scored 1 more run, it would have given them 1 extra point.

 

[Thunderbolt14]

Sindh's coaching staff has to be the most ignorant staff.
Why did they declare at 399? If they had scored 1 more run, it would have given them 1 extra point.

I believe extra points are only awarded for first innings totals.

That being said, these guys are generally absolute duffers, I agree.

 

[Pacy with wisdom]

Saud Shakeel hasn't impressed me too much. He squares up very easily and doesn't have the grit from what I have seen.