Central Punjab, title defenders, record first win of the season

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Central Punjab, the title defenders, recorded their first win of the season as they inflicted a heavy 227-run defeat on Sindh at the National Stadium in a contest which was broadcast on PTV Sports in Pakistan and beamed across the globe through PCB’s YouTube Channel.

Sindh were bowled out for 204 in an extended morning session with Shehzar Mohammad being the only batsman to put a notable resistance. The wicketkeeper-batsman scored 50 off 97, hitting seven boundaries, to register his first-class career’s eight half-century.

Sindh began the morning on 152-4 with Shehzar and Mohammad Saad at the crease on 26 and 24, respectively. Saad could add only seven more runs to his overnight score before pacer Waqas Masqood, who followed up his brilliant 6-25 in the first innings with 3-49, dismissed him.

The pick of the bowlers for Central Punjab in the second innings however was their captain Hasan Ali, who added three more wickets on Saturday morning.

The right-arm pacer took four wickets for 66 runs and his match returns were 5-114 from across 32.5 overs.

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Central Punjab bagged 24 crucial points – 16 for outright win, two for batting and six for bowling – from the match, while Sindh, captained by Asad Shafiq, pocketed only three bowling bonus points.

Central Punjab remain at the bottom of the points table with 54 points. However, their difference from the next best side, Sindh, is squeezed to nine points.

Sindh will now move to State Bank Stadium to play Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the seventh round, which begins on 8 December. Central Punjab will play Northern at the UBL Sports Complex

At the State Bank Stadium, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bagged 25 points as they defeated Balochistan by 175 runs.

The Khalid Usman-captained side completed the victory in the morning session as Balochistan were bowled out for 224 after resuming the day on 164-6.

Balochistan’s remaining four wickets lasted only 15.1 overs as Sameen Gul took two more wickets and Mohammad Wasim Jnr added another scalp to his tally. Both pacers finished the innings with three wickets each.

With 34 off 30 balls, which included four fours and two sixes, Jalat Khan, who was run out, was the only player from the batting side to resist Khyber Pakhtunkhwa bowlers.

Balochistan, who were placed fourth before the start of this round, could gain only three points (all bonus points for bowling) from the match.

They move to National Stadium to face Southern Punjab in the next round, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will play Sindh at the State Bank Stadium.

Scores in brief:

Central Punjab beat Sindh by 227 runs at National Stadium

Central Punjab 276 all out, 103.2 overs (Usman Salahuddin 80, Ali Zaryab 56, Saad Nasim 44, Mohammad Saad 41, Hasan Ali 26 not out; Tabish Khan 3-37, Mir Hamza 3-58) and 247 all out, 61 overs (Ahmed Safi Abdullah 83 not out, Mohammad Akhlaq 56, Waqas Maqsood 32, Saad Nasim 21; Abrar Ahmed 4-40, Shahnawaz Dhani 3-59, Mohammad Umar 2-56)

Sindh 92 all out, 29.3 overs (Saad Ali 17; Waqas Maqsood 6-25, Bilawal Iqbal 2-17) and 204 all out, 76.5 overs (Sharjeel Khan 89, Shehzar Mohammad 50, Saad Ali 31; Hasan Ali 4-66, Waqas Maqsood 3-49)

Match points: Central Punjab 24 (16 outright win, two batting, six bowling), Sindh 3 (all bowling)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Balochistan by 175 runs at State Bank Stadium

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 320 all out, 89.5 overs (Kamran Ghulam 153, Rehan Afridi 58, Khalid Usman 27; Khurram Shahzad 4-80, Umaid Asif 3-88, Taj Wali 2-77) and 199 all out (Israrullah 86, Adil Amin 32; Taj Wali 5-57, Jalat Khan 2-36, Khurram Shahzad 2-47)

Balochistan 120 all out, 33 overs (Bismillah Khan 50 not out, Awais Zia 28; Irfanullah Shah 4-41, Mohammad Wasim Jr 3-24, Sameen Gul 3-54) and 224 all out, 76.1 overs (Ali Waqas 44, Awais Zia 43, Jalat Khan 34; Sameen Gul 3-45, Mohammad Wasim Jnr 3-63, Sajid Khan 2-64)

Match points: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 25 (16 outright win, three batting, six bowling), Balochistan 3 (all bowling)