All posts by h716a5.icu

Steven Finn had his first bowl in a match situation since the end of November as he began to plot his way back towards the international scene

ESPNcricinfo staff20-Mar-2014Steven Finn had his first bowl in a match situation since the end of November as he began to plot his way back towards the international scene after becoming, what Ashley Giles termed, “not selectable” during the Ashes tour.He took 1 for 25 from 11 overs against Surrey in a two-day friendly at Merchant Taylors’ School, significantly without sending down a single no-ball or wide during his spells. His wicket came after lunch when he had Zafar Ansari caught behind for a duck.Finn flew home before the end of the Ashes tour after it was decided that it was not in his best interests to remain around the England squad with no chance of being selected for the one-day or Twenty20 series.The decision made between Finn, the ECB and Middlesex, whose director of cricket Angus Fraser is now an England selector, was that he needed a complete break from the game and he was not considered for the World T20.The last time he bowled in a match was against a Chairman’s XI in Alice Springs when he took none for 61. He had lost his Test place last year after the opening match against Australia, at Trent Bridge, although was part of the one-day side at the end of the season.

Sri Lanka coach Marvan Atapattu has said that he is confident his team can chase down 370 to win the Galle Test

Andrew Fidel Fernando in Galle19-Jul-20144:15

Willing to put up a fight – Atapattu

Marvan Atapattu – “A team hasn’t gone past 300 in the fourth innings here, but we’ve got a team inside the dressing room who are willing to fight”•AFPFormer Sri Lanka coaches have often spoken of the team’s thrill for a fight, particularly from poor positions. As the man currently in that job, Marvan Atapattu delivered a fighting talk of his own, after the fourth day in Galle.Sri Lanka remain 260 runs adrift on a wearing surface, and although the hosts would have to score the highest-ever fourth innings total at the venue as well as break their own record for the highest fourth-innings chase, Atapattu has not ruled out victory yet.”It’s a challenging total,” he said. “A team hasn’t gone past 300 in the fourth innings at this venue, but we’ve got a team inside the dressing room who’re willing to fight. That I can guarantee you. We’re aiming to get the amount of runs but we’ll fight to get through the first session tomorrow and see where we’ll be placed at.”Sri Lanka faced a first-innings deficit of 163, and the only time a side has overturned a deficit of that size at the venue, was when Australia defeated Sri Lanka in 2004, after the hosts had scored 161 more runs in the first innings. The highest successful fourth innings chase in Galle is 96, but Sri Lanka will take heart that their highest chase of 352 also came against South Africa.”I haven’t seen that stat, but that is something I’ll look into and probably have in the dressing room for all of us to be motivated,” Atapattu said. “It’s good to know that people have done it, but even if someone hasn’t done it – it doesn’t mean that you can’t do it.”It’s all in the mind and how you think and the confidence levels. In a situation when you have the whole day to get the runs – don’t get me wrong, it’s not easy or guaranteed with the attack they have – but there is a chance. It’s a bold declaration from Amla, encouraging us to go for our shots.”Their bowlers might have a few more chances from our batsmen, going for shots. After the first innings when South Africa got to 255 on the first day, for the game to be poised at this position, is a credit to both teams and how they’ve played.”Atapattu also suggested the Galle surface remained a good one for batting, despite its history of taking extravagant turn. South Africa scored 206 at over four runs an over on Saturday – though they did lose six wickets – and Sri Lanka reached 110 for 1 by stumps, going at well over three runs an over.”This wicket has turned square when Muttiah Muralitharan bowled here and he would have turned it square on any wicket. Some of us had been misled. Yes the wicket is good and the batsmen have adapted, used their feet, swept, reserve swept, handled situations, and handled bowlers differently, because there’s no bowler called Murali. He would have been in a different proposition had he been here.”Despite the optimism, Atapattu was also sober in his assessment of the challenges his team would face on the final day, particularly in the form of reverse swing and spin. Imran Tahir, South Africa’s No.l spinner, would appear one of their primary hopes for victory.”It could be anybody from that attack tomorrow that poses a major threat. They’re all quality bowlers. For a legspinner, I believe that he [Tahir] can come into the game at any time on a track like that, when somebody has the variety that he has. We will play with respect and look to put the bad ball away.”

Manoj Tiwary became Abahani Limited’s third Indian recruit in the Dhaka Premier League in 2016

Mohammad Isam16-May-2016Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary became Abahani Limited’s third Indian recruit in the Dhaka Premier League in 2016. The 30-year old batsman replaced wicketkeeper Manvinder Bisla; before Bisla, Abahani had acquired the services of wicketkeeper Uday Kaul.Tiwary began his DPL career with 40 off 50 balls against Kalabagan Cricket Academy in Fatullah on Monday.Indian players are not strangers to the DPL, but this season there has been a significant number of signings. Brothers Union recruited Milind Kumar, the Saxena brothers Jatin and Jalaj are playing for Kalabagan and Legends of Rupganj respectively, and Prime Bank Cricket Club signed Sachin Rana, who was making his debut along with Tiwary in the current round of matches.Each team is allowed only one overseas player in the XI, but they can register as many as they want to be part of the squad.Some of the other Indians who have played in the Dhaka League are Raman Lamba, Yuvraj Singh, Ajay Jadeja, Arun Lal, Ashok Malhotra, Iqbal Abdulla, Rajat Bhatia, Chetan Sharma, Sanjeev Sharma, Rohan Gavaskar, Amol Muzumdar and Aakash Chopra.

South Africa have called up allrounders Ryan McLaren and Wayne Parnell for the Test series against Australia, which begins next month. Legspinner Imran Tahir has been dropped

Firdose Moonda29-Jan-20140:00

Russell Domingo: A horses-for-courses policy

Wayne Parnell is expected to make it into South Africa’s XI after Jacques Kallis’ retirement•Getty ImagesSA squad for Australia Tests

Graeme Smith (capt), Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers, JP Duminy, Faf du Plessis, Dean Elgar, Rory Kleinveldt, Ryan McLaren, Morne Morkel, Wayne Parnell, Alviro Petersen, Robin Peterson, Vernon Philander, Dale Steyn, Thami Tsolekile
In: Ryan McLaren, Wayne Parnell
Out: Imran Tahir, Jacques Kallis

Allrounders Wayne Parnell and Ryan McLaren were both recalled to South Africa’s Test squad ahead of the upcoming series against Australia. The pair will be in direct competition to fill the allrounders’ spot in the XI, left empty by Jacques Kallis’ recent retirement.For the first time in 18 years South Africa have compiled a squad without Kallis and coach Russell Domingo admitted it will require a slight rethink of South Africa’s strategies. “The mental shift is going to be just as important as the statistical shift,” Domingo said. “We’re not looking for another Jacques Kallis, we’re looking for someone to step up to the plate.”With that in mind, South Africa’s selectors left their options open by naming a squad that includes the pair of allrounders, an extra batsman in Dean Elgar, a bowler with batting ability, Rory Kleinveldt, and reserve wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile. The only choice they did not leave themselves was that of the attacking spinner. Legspinner Imran Tahir was left out of the group, with Robin Peterson the sole specialist tweaker.”We’ve got guys in the squad that are replacement batsmen and replacement seamers,” Andrew Hudson, South Africa’s convener of selectors said. “Our formula has worked so we don’t need to make any left-field selections. We felt Robbie P is our spin option for the series. It fits in with the style of cricket that we want to play. We haven’t gone past Imran. As an attacking legspinner he is a huge option for us when we play in the subcontinent.”That has also meant no room for any new faces. The likes of left-arm seamer Beuran Hendricks and offspinner Simon Harmer were in the mix and the pair will bowl in the nets ahead of the first Test. Their presence in the setup is a sign they are earmarked for bigger things in future, and a plan to provide South Africa with extra practice ahead of their dates with Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Lyon.Meticulous preparation is a must for South Africa because they have had no first-class cricket since the Boxing Day Test against India and five injury concerns in the lead-up to this series. All the walking wounded are expected to be fully fit with AB de Villiers, Graeme Smith, Dale Steyn, Faf du Plessis and Vernon Philander on the mend from hand, ankle, rib, shoulder and lower-back niggles respectively.They will have an opportunity to test their fitness in what Domingo called a “shadow Test side” against a Rest of South Africa XI – which will be made up of the next best players in the three franchises who do not qualify for the domestic 20-over playoffs. That will also be the game in which a final decision is made over the exact make up of South Africa’s XI.Domingo all but confirmed du Plessis will move up to bat in Kallis’ No. 4 spot, so the change will be made lower down. “Faf is the guy we are earmarking to bat at No. 4,” Domingo said. “He got a big hundred batting there against India to save a Test and he has scored runs for the Titans batting there.”Parnell seems the likeliest option to slot into the XI, because of the extra pace he offers. “He has done really well for the Warriors. He has improved his consistency and the big plus is that he is a guy who can bowl 140,” Domingo said. “He is also more than capable with the bat. He is still young and there are going to be inconsistencies in his performance but he can become a major player for SA in all formats.”But Domingo indicated South Africa may tinker with the balance of the side. “It’s not going to be a set strategy like we had in the past. Something got to give. Either we will have four seamers, no spinner or only six batters,” he said, although he indicated an all-pace attack is not his preferred choice and he would not like to burden JP Duminy with the spinning role. “I like going into matches with a spin bowler. If we are expecting JP to pick up five wickets that’s going to be a big ask for him. He is still a long way away from being a frontline spinner in Test cricket.”Another player whose workload has come under scrutiny is de Villiers and with his hand still healing from surgery, there was talk he may not keep wickets in this series. Public opinion has called for Quinton de Kock’s inclusion but Domingo explained that could only happen against a lesser opposition.”Quinny is a massively talented player but a series against Australia is such a tough environment to come into for your first Test series,” Domingo said. “We play lower profile Test series later in the year and maybe then we can look to blood someone like Quinton. He has got a lot of development to do as a person and a cricketer and I don’t want to do him a disservice by rushing him in.”The Australia Test series will be South Africa’s last until at least July, when they are scheduled to play Zimbabwe, and has been spoken of as the highlight of 2014. Later in the year, South Africa host West Indies in what is a barren Test year for the No. 1 ranked team. That’s why they are hoping to be at their best for this contest and are putting every effort into making sure they are well prepared.Unusually, they have 10 days worth of lead-up time, starting on Monday. “That will be a big plus for us,” Domingo said. “When we went to Dubai there was no cricket but now everybody has been playing. We will be doing analysis in a less rushed environment, which will also be good. Australia will always be a formidable outfit and we want to focus hard on our strategies.”The first Test gets underway on February 12 in Centurion.

After Sri Lanka won their second close match of the Asia Cup, their captain Angelo Mathews said they had grabbed the important moments

ESPNcricinfo staff28-Feb-20140:00

Mathews hails match-winner Sangakkara

Sri Lanka have won their first two matches of the Asia Cup, beating their two strongest opponents, Pakistan and India. Both were close matches, and Angelo Mathews, Sri Lanka’s captain, said they had won because they had grabbed the important moments.”We’ve been winning those close games,” Mathews said. “Once again it was a nervous game but we do those little things right. But we need to play better cricket against stronger teams. Today also I think we could have won it a bit easier than what it was in the end because the middle order collapsed.”Angelo Mathews said Ajantha Mendis and the rest of Sri Lanka’s spinners would have posed a threat even if they had bowled second•AFPMathews said Kumar Sangakkara’s 84-ball 103, the fastest century of his career, which came on a slow pitch that other batsmen from both sides had struggled to score quickly on, was one of the best innings he had seen.”He’s a true champion,” Mathews said. “Has done it for the past so many years. Once again when the team needed, he delivered. It was a treat to watch him bat and it was one of the best innings I have seen in the recent past and most importantly he got us through. I am really happy with the way he batted.”Sri Lanka had picked three spinners for this match, and it helped the team that they won the toss and avoided bowling when the dew came into play. Asked about this, Mathews said Sri Lanka had the resources to win even if they had batted first.”We were geared up for both batting or bowling first,” he said. “But we wanted to chase as the dew comes in to play. Wicket was slow so we played [Ajantha] Mendis in place of [Suranga] Lakmal. Had we lost the toss India would have bowled first as well. Bowling second is not tricky because it turned with Jadeja and Ashwin as well. So it was tricky for our batsmen as well. We have the allrounders too with Sachithra at eight and Mendis at nine. We have the batting depth so we were up for the challenge if we had to bat first as well.”

A 61 from opener Nic Maddinson, followed by handy contributions from their middle order, helped Sydney Sixers to a six-wicket win over Sydney Thunder

The Report by Daniel Brettig21-Dec-2013
Scorecard and ball-by-ball detailsApart from Australia winning the Ashes, there have been few other projects more worried over in the administrative corridors of the game in the country than the effort to build a more competitive Sydney Thunder. Bottom of the table in each of the first two instalments of the tournament and winless last season, the team based in the western melting pot of Australia’s largest city has much to live up to after an off-season of regeneration.Now boasting Michael Hussey as captain, David Warner and Michael Clarke on their books, and a pair of sturdy English internationals in Chris Woakes and Eoin Morgan in place of the expensive Chris Gayle, the Thunder are a notably improved squad. They duly pushed on to their highest BBL score batting first against the blue blood Sydney Sixers at the Sydney Cricket Ground, but were unable to restrict their more fancied opponents in the chase.Warner and Usman Khawaja, who tweaked a hamstring while batting and is a doubt for the Thunder’s second game on December 27, gave their team an ideal start but the problems of previous seasons – lack of even contributions – returned to haunt the middle order. By contrast, the Sixers had a decent start from Nic Maddinson, before handy innings down the order took them home in front of 18,180 spectators.Nic Maddinson struck six fours and four sixes during his 40-ball 61•Getty ImagesThe pitch at the SCG was mottled and arguably a poor surface for Twenty20 combat, offering some spiteful bounce and sideways movement for seamers in addition to variable pace. Maddinson was struck more than once by Dirk Nannes but hammered enough clean blows in between to pass 50, with a languidly pulled six into the Members Stand the best hit of the lot.His dismissal gave the Thunder some chance, but the captain Steve Smith, Moises Henriques and the England allrounder Ravi Bopara held their nerve. The Thunder’s major shortfall in defending their total was the fact that while their pacemen are all of a high standard, the spin duo of Carl Sandri and Blake Dean lack the incisiveness.That pair had sat nervously on the boundary’s edge as Khawaja and Warner took little time getting into stride. Winded by one short ball from Brett Lee in the opening over, Khawaja soon improved his timing, while Warner maintained the momentum of impressive Ashes form with a series of percussive blows.They were helped by some indifferent fielding from the Sixers. Khawaja was turfed low by Daniel Smith behind the stumps, while Steve O’Keefe missed a one-handed return catch offered by Warner. The runs flowed rapidly, and at 0 for 116 in the 11th over, a tally beyond 200 looked probable.But the unlikely intervention of Mark Cosgrove, who tempted Warner to sky a catch, swung the momentum. In dramatic fashion , after Khawaja’s 66 and Warner’s 50, no other Thunder batsman reached double figures as the innings petered out. None of Hussey, Morgan or Woakes could make an impact, and the total only passed 160 in the end through a bold blow by Sandri, who swatted his first ball from Lee for six down the ground.That strike took the visitors up to a total that looked reasonable enough in the prevailing conditions, but the clean striking of Maddinson, the composure of Henriques and Bopara, and a Thunder bowling attack little short of the required depth, made it another night of disappointment for the losing team.

Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq is banking on his spinners to deliver at a venue that he said has assisted turn significantly in the past

Umar Farooq in Dubai07-Jan-2014Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq is banking on his spinners to deliver at a venue that he said has assisted turn significantly in the past. Misbah felt the pitch in Dubai would be conducive for a result, but weather was poor on the eve of the second Test.”If you look at the history of this ground, this pitch I think it really slows down and it really gives something to the spinners,” Misbah said. “Both of our spinners had success here. Usually go with two spinners on this [surface] because on the third, fourth and fifth days spin plays a big role here. Let’s see tomorrow how the pitch is, and then we decide.”Saeed Ajmal and Abdur Rehman, the spinners Pakistan are likely to play in the second Test, are the top two wicket-takers in Dubai. Ajmal has 34 wickets at 20.11 apiece and Rehman has 19 at 28.26.”Both teams realise this is the pitch where we can really have a result,” Misbah said. “We really want to put a big effort here. I think Sri Lanka also know that this is the chance where they can get a lead.”Pakistan lost their most recent game in Dubai – against South Africa – but they beat Sri Lanka there in 2011, by nine wickets. It’s their only win against Sri Lanka in the last 12 Tests between the countries. “Yes of course, if you look at the last two years’ success we depend more on our spin and Sri Lankans play our spinners very well,” Misbah said. “It isn’t easy to get through their batting line-up. We are just discussing different plans how to go about that and how we can get 20 wickets against them.”The teams had practiced under overcast conditions on Monday but had to cancel their sessions on the eve of the match because of rain. With temperatures as low as 10-12C, the forecast for the first day is not good. Misbah, however, was optimistic.”Hopefully it will be better and we can have a proper game of five days,” he said. “I haven’t seen the wicket and the rain may play a role. It’s different weather, let’s see tomorrow how the pitch is, and hopefully it’s definitely going to help the spinners at some stage.”Pakistan failed to grab their chance in the first Test in Abu Dhabi, after Sri Lanka had been dismissed for 204. Pakistan achieved a lead because of hundreds from Misbah and Younis Khan, but the advantage was not as big as it could have been because the lower-middle order fell away. Misbah had wanted his batsmen to shut Sri Lanka out of the game.”I think the areas we really lacked is batting for big runs,” Misbah said. “We need to work on our batting more. We should have got 450-odd to have a big lead and put pressure on the opposition.”In the second innings we could not really penetrate their batting line-up so we need to set different plans for different players. We could not take wickets with the new ball, that’s the area we need to improve. I think we need to study other players also, we did very well against their main players, their two senior players, but we need to focus on others also.”

Perth is the major casualty of Australia’s truncated 2014-15 Test summer, stripped of its annual match for the first time since 1976-77

Daniel Brettig11-Sep-2013Perth is the major casualty of Australia’s truncated 2014-15 Test summer, stripped of its annual match for the first time since 1976-77. Only four Tests are scheduled for a season in which India will visit, due mainly to the fixturing squeeze created by the 2015 World Cup, and the nation’s two smallest and youngest major grounds in Perth and Hobart have been left off the Test calendar.The decision has provoked an outraged response from the Western Australia Cricket Association, while the host broadcaster Channel Nine is also likely to be nonplussed about losing the one Test match of the summer it can screen in prime time to the populous eastern states, due to Perth’s more westerly time zone. However it was always likely that Perth would miss out on the match due to concerns about the ground’s facilities and size relative to its main rivals Brisbane and Adelaide.While Bellerive Oval has never been a nailed-on venue, the WACA ground has invariably provided blood and thunder Test cricket, due to its uniquely fast and bouncy pitch. India were rounded up by an innings and 37 runs well inside three days in Perth in January 2012. Other considerations outlined by the CA chief executive James Sutherland included the strong claims of other grounds. Adelaide Oval’s $535 million redevelopment will be complete in time for the series, while the Gabba has traditionally been host to the first Test of the summer and has consistently drawn larger crowds to its matches than Perth.The WACA’s size, a history of spotty attendances and facilities lagging behind other grounds have detracted from its standing among international venues, despite its lively pitch and a time zone more favourable to television audiences both in India and on the east coast of Australia. CA’s verdict also maintains a longstanding tradition of “last in, first out” among venues – Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Brisbane all boasting of longer Test traditions than Perth.”Though a traditional Test match venue with a proud history, the WACA ground has the smallest capacity of the five mainland Test venues and has historically attracted lower attendances,” Sutherland said. “The WACA has been working hard to improve the facilities for its fans but it still requires significant improvements.”Although the WACA has missed out on a Test match, they will play host to up to four limited-overs matches in the 2014-15 season that will see South Africa tour in a limited-overs series in November, as well as India and England competing in a tri-series in January prior to the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup.”Christina Matthews, the WACA chief executive, expressed her deep disappointment at the WACA’s reduced allocation for 2014-15. “Whilst CA will provide additional limited-overs matches to replace the Test match, there is no compensation for losing a Test,” she said. “The on-going effect this loss will have on the WACA and cricket in Western Australia will be devastating. We will continue talks with CA and will be seeking an understanding from them of all the elements behind the decision.”Apart from Adelaide and Brisbane, the other party most likely to be pleased by the decision are India’s cricketers. Save for a victory on an uncharacteristic WACA ground surface in 2008, India have struggled in Perth, and the green-tinged 2012 pitch is known to have been chief among the motivators for the retaliatory dustbowls prepared for Australia’s visit to India earlier this year.”One goes back to the Perth Test where the wicket was green and we played to our strengths and won the Test in two and a half days,” Australia’s former coach Mickey Arthur said last month. “They clearly wanted retribution for that and produced some of the toughest conditions I’d ever seen. They went out of their way to prepare those conditions and I can’t argue with that.”

Bengal middle-order batsman Manoj Tiwary will captain East Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, which starts on October 15 in Lahli, Haryana

ESPNcricinfo staff29-Sep-2014Bengal middle-order batsman Manoj Tiwary will captain East Zone in the upcoming Duleep Trophy, which starts on October 15 in Lahli, Haryana. Rajesh Verma, the secretary of the Jharkhand Cricket Association and a convener of the East Zone, confirmed that Manoj will lead a 15-member squad which includes experienced players like Laxmi Shukla, Wriddhiman Saha, Ashok Dinda and Saurabh Tiwary, who will serve as the vice-captain. The team will be coached by former India opener Shiv Sunder Das.Manoj was recently also named as the captain of the India A squad that will host West Indians in two practice games, on October 3 and 5 in Mumbai.East Zone squad: Natraj Behera, Basant Mohanty, Govinda Podder, Rameez Nemat, Saurabh Tiwary, Shahbaz Nadeem, Samar Quadri, Sudip Chatterjee, Manoj Tiwary (capt), Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Laxmi Shukla, Ashok Dinda, Gokul Sharma, Abu Nechim, Rana Dutta

A round-up of the President’s Trophy matches on November 3, 2013

ESPNcricinfo staff03-Nov-2013Khan Research Laboratories were propelled to the top of the table with 12 points after securing a draw against State Bank of Pakistan. KRL put SBP in, with the decision seemingly vindicated after Yasir Arafat bowled opener Raheel Majeed for just 1. A 53-run stand for the second wicket between Kashif Siddiq and Umair Khan saved early blushes, before an imperious 202 from Usman Arshad wrested the match in SBP’s favour. SBP finished their innings on 420, with Sadaf Hussain and Umaid Asif taking three wickets a piece.KRL’s effort proved even between, led by Ali Khan’s 187 at No. 6, with a pair of seventies from Shoaib Ahmed and Nayyer Abbas book-ending the innings. KRL finished on 481 despite Mohammad Naved taking 5 for 129. Facing a deficit of 61 runs, SBP did well to get past the mark with just a wicket lost. Majeed scored 50 while Umair Khan just missed out on an eight first-class ton when he was out for 97. SBP were 199 for 5 when stumps was called and the match was declared a draw.Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited beat Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited by 93 runs in Islamabad to register their first win of the tournament. ZTBL batted first, but found themselves in a jam when they were placed at 42 for 3. Haris Sohail and Haseeb-ur-Rehman steadied the innings with a 75-run stand. However, once both batsmen departed, the rest of the order failed to put up a fight as ZTBL were dismissed for 210. Imran Ali led the bowlers with 5 for 31 while Hussain Talat chipped in with 3 for 24. SNGPL’s innings was marked with the inability of their batsmen to push past double figures, with only Naeemuddin and Azhar Ali the exceptions. ZTBL needed just three bowlers to dismiss SNGPL for 80, giving them a lead of 130 runs. Usman Khan took four wickets, while Imran Khan and Mohammad Khalil chipping in with three a piece.ZTBL posted a strong second innings when Sharjeel Khan and Babar Azam put on 166 runs for the second wicket, with Azam having to retire hurt on 80. Sohail remained unbeaten on 50 as ZTBL declared on 236 for 2. SNGPL were given a target of 367 to chase, with things started abjectly when SNGPL were 35 for 3. Things got even worse when they were placed at 103 for 7, but a stunning counter-attacking 106 from Bilawal Bhatti scored 106 at No. 9, but despie that performance, SNGPL still ended up falling short by 93 runs.A nerveless unbeaten 49 by Naeem Anjum in the second innings saw out a tricky 178-run chase for Pakistan Television as they held on to a four-wicket victory over Port Qasim Authority in Lahore. PQA batted first, with the openers putting on 64 for the first wicket. Innings from Faraz Ali (69) and Mohammad Waqas (88), pushed them to 316. Mohammad Ali’s took best figures of 5 for 75. Despite losing their openers with the score on just 11, and then suffering further set backs to be reduced to 51 for 4, Pakistan Television looked under the cosh, but Zeeshan Mushtaq (105) and Yasim Murtaza (70) rallied the team, helping them secure a slim 43-run lead. Mohammad Sami and Sohail Khan chipped in with three wickets a piece.PQA’s second innings didn’t go to plan as they kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Despite a stirring effort from Shahzaib Hasan, with 105 off 110 balls which included seven fours and four sixes, none of the other batsmen, aside from Sami’s 30, were able to contribute significant scores as PQA were rolled for 220. Waqar Ahmed and Wasim Murtaza did chief damage, taking three wickets each. With 178 runs for victory, Pakistan Television lost opener Haroon Ahmed with the score on just 17. Imran Ali and Nawar Ahmed also went out in quicktime, before a double-strike of consecutive balls from Mohammad Sami left them at a precarius 102, with 76 still required. A calm 59-run partnership between Fahad-ul-Haq and Naeem Anjum ensured they got to the mark, with Anjum finishing off the chase with consecutive boundaries.United Bank Limited beat Water and Power Development Authority by 176 runs to post their first win of the tournament. UBL batted first, with Abid Ali leading the way with his 76. Each of the UBL batsmen chipped in, but failed to go on to post a meaningful total. A couple of forties from Asif Raza and Tariq Haroon were the only notable performances other than Abid Ali as UBL reached 319. WAPDA started promisingly with some good stands up front, but lost their way after reaching 218 for 6, losing the remaining four wickets for the addition of just 42 runs. Aamer Sajjad, the captain, top-scored with 84 while Mohammad Ayub chipped in with 50. Both Mohammad Irshad and Tariq Haroon picked up four wickets each to lead the UBL bowlers’ efforts.UBL’s second innings was anchored by Abid again as he bettered his 76 in the first innings with an unbeaten 101. Khaqan Arsal scored 70 at No. 5, as UBL declared their innings at 242 for 6 with a lead of 302. WAPDA were never really in the chase, as they succumbed to 68 for 7. Only their captain, Sajjad, fought valiantly with his 64 as WAPDA were bundled out for 125, giving UBL a 176-run victory.Some imposing first-innings totals resulted in the match between Pakistan International Airlines and Habib Bank Limited finishing as a stalemate. Both sides were seeking their first win after losing their respective tournament openers. It was PIA who batted first, where innings from Fahad Iqbal (52), Anop Santosh (51) and Anwar Ali (61) helped PIA to 343. Sarmad Anwar and Ehsan Adil took seven wickets between them.Habib Bank’s innings started well, with opener Shan Masood and captain Imran Farhat adding 114 for the second wicket. Masood and No. 6 Rameez Aziz then put on 169 runs together, with Masood finally falling for 140. After Rameez was out on 78, Mohammad Aslam and Abdul Ameer were left not out as the match petered to a draw, with Habib Bank on 411 for 8.