KARACHI: Multan clinched the Pepsi-PCB Cricket Stars U-16 title after their two-day final against Karachi ended in a draw in Islamabad on Sunday.

Multan won the winners’ purse of Rs200,000 on the basis of earning an 84-run lead on the first innings after Karachi were dismissed for 125 on the last morning of the two-day title-decider at the Diamond Club Ground.

The highlight of Sunday’s play was a fine century from Ahmed Sultan who made 108 in Multan’s second-innings tally of 246-6 declared.

Mohammad Faizan scored 40 to follow his knock of 36 in the first innings.

Saad Zahid claimed three wickets for 47 runs. He had earlier contributed an unbeaten 22 in Karachi’s measly total after they had resumed at their overnight total of 103-8.

Karachi — who were awarded the runners-up prize of Rs150,000 — batted out 18 overs in reaching 75-2 in their second innings.

Ahmed Sultan was named Man-of-the-Final for his century.

Mohammad Umar, who amassed 411 runs in the competition for Bahawalpur, was declared the best batsman; Faraz Khan of Multan was adjudged the best bowler for his haul of 28 wickets, while his team-mate Munib-ur-Rehman won the best wicket-keeper award for making 12 dismissals.

The best fielder prize was won by Karachi’s Ammad Alam for holding nine catches in the tournament. Each individual award was worth Rs20,000.

Final scores:

MULTAN 209-5 in 70 overs (Umar Sadiq 47, Rao Irfan 42, Sharon Siraj 40, Mohammad Faizan 36, Athar Saeed 13; Ashraf Khan 2-69, Saad Zahid 1-51, Mohammad Hassan Khan 1-52) and 246-6 declared in 68 overs (Ahmed Sultan 108, Mohammad Faizan 40, Rao Irfan 23, Muneeb-ur-Rehman 18 not out, Faraz Khan 17 not out; Saad Zahid 3-47); KARACHI 125 in 43.3 overs (Asad Ali 44, Saad Zahid 22 not out, Ammad Alam 21, Azam Khan 16; Faraz Khan 3-49, Rao Hamza 2-19, Wasim Zafar 2-35) and 78-2 in 18 overs (Ammad Alam 40 not out, Azam Khan 18; Rao Hamza 2-23).

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2014