KARACHI: Opener Saim Ayub and skipper Mohammad Talha both struck excellent centuries while sharing a double-century stand as Zone-VI trounced Zone-VII by 150 runs to chalk up their third straight win in the PCB Regional Inter-district Under-19 (Karachi Region) One-day Cricket Tournament here on Monday.

In the fourth-round fixture at the UBL Sports Complex, Zone-VII captain Saad Bin Yousuf and his team-mates watched helplessly after opting to bowl first and saw Zone-VI amass 335-6 in the stipulated 50 overs.

Saim and Taha — both members of Pakistan Under-19 side — put on a magnificent partnership of 204 after off-spinner Basit Khan dismissed Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (46 off 32 balls, six fours and one six) and Mohammad Junaid (0) in consecutive deliveries with the total on 74.

Saim remained undefeated with 155 as the talented batsman slammed 16 boundaries and three sixes during his 138-ball knock. Taha — on the other hand carried on his brilliant form with two previous half-centuries — also fell to Basit after having made 105 from 107 balls with the aid of 13 boundaries.

Saad grabbed three late wickets to finish with 3-60 in his 10 overs of leg-spin, while Basit took 3-76 from his 10 overs.
Zone-VII then crashed to their fourth defeat on the trot when they only managed a disappointing tally of 185-6. The solitary shining light for them was the fourth fourth-wicket stand of 90 between Huzaifa Munir (63 off 97 balls, nine fours) and wicket-keeper Ghazi Ghauri (32 off 53, three fours).

Seamer Sajid-ur-Rehman claimed 2-42 in nine overs while slow left-armer Fareed Ahmed was deadly accurate in taking 2-17 in 10 overs.

Zone-I also clinched their third triumph in as many fixtures by cruising to an 88-run defeat of Zone-IV at the Landhi Gymkhana Ground.

After being asked to bat first by Zone-IV skipper Ameer Sultan, Zone-I made a great recovery after being 64-5 to collect 239-9, thanks largely to the 99-run stand between Abdullah F. Rehman (64 off 61 ball, nine fours and one six) and Mohammad Raza (51 off 82, two sixes and two fours).

Paceman Farjad Yar Khan was the main wicket0taker with 4-43 in nine overs with Ameer (2-46 in eight) and slow left-armer Afnan Khan (2-42 in nine) giving good support.

But Zone-IV frittered a solid foundation provided by Ameer (50 off 62 balls, seven fours and one six) and Hashir Ansari (29) — who together added 45 for the first wicket — as they capitulated for 151 all out at the start of the 38th over.

Zone-IV’s tormentor was leg-spinner Umair Shaikh, who snared five wickets for 22 runs in 10 overs after making an unbeaten 23 earlier on. Slow left-armer Adeel Meo picked up two for 16.

Zone-II, meanwhile, continued their resurgence after starting the competition with back-to-back losses in their opening two matches as they cruised to their second success when they beat Zone-III by 112 runs at the TMC Ground.

Put into bat by Syed Ali Nasim, Zone-II rode on contrasting half-centuries from opener Hamza Ali Khan (50 off 34 balls, nine fours and one six) and all-rounder Hasan Jafri (57 off 90, seven boundaries) to post 237 all out in 49.4 overs.

Leg-spinner Rumman Ali (4-35 in 10 overs) and slow let-armer Uzair Akbar (3-33 in 7.4) shared the bowling honours before Zone-III crashed to 125 all out in 44 overs.

Leg-spinner Talha Ahsan bowled exceedingly well to grab 2-11 in 10 overs with captain Haider Razzaq (2-18) and Hasan (2-11) also chipping in with a brace apiece.

Monday results:

Fourth round:

At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: Zone-VI beat Zone-VII by 150 runs.

ZONE-VI 335-6 in 50 overs (Saim Ayub 155 not out, Mohammad Taha 105, Khawaja Mohammad Nafay 46; Saad Bin Yousuf 3-60, Basit Khan 3-76); ZONE-VII 185-6 in 50 overs (Huzaifa Munir 63, Ghazi Ghauri 32, Kashif Khan 27, Aoun Abbas 23; Fareed Ahmed 2-17, Sajid-ur-Rehman 2-42).

At TMC Ground, Karachi: Zone-II beat Zone-III by 112 runs.

ZONE-II 237 in 49.4 overs (Hasan Jafri 57, Hama Ali Khan 50, Syed Aryan Ali 35; Rumman Ali 4-35, Uzair Akbar 3-33); ZONE-III 125 in 44 overs (Umar Zeeshan Lohya 31, Haris Bin Tahir 24; Talha Ahsan 2-11, Hasan Jafri 2-11, Haider Razzaq 2-18).

At Landhi Gymkhana Ground, Karachi: Zone-I beat Zone-IV by 88 runs.

ZONE-I 239-9 in 50 overs (Abdullah F. Rehman 64, Mohammad Raza 51, Umair Shaikh 23 not out, Amjad Aslam 23; Farjad Yar Khan 4-43, Afnan Khan 2-42, Ameer Sultan 2-46); ZONE-IV 151 in 37.1 overs (Ameer Sultan 50, Hashir Ansari 29, Saifullah 22 not out; Umair Shaikh 5-22, Adeel Meo 2-16).

Wednesday fixtures: Zone-I vs Zone-VI (UBL Sports Complex, Karachi); Zone-IV vs Zone-VII (TMC Ground, Karachi); Zone-II vs Zone-V (Landhi Gymkhana Ground, Karachi).

Published in Dawn, January 8th, 2019