KARACHI: Sialkot and Islamabad both secured crucial victories on Wednesday to maintain their semi-final aspirations for PCB Inter-region Under-19 One-day Cricket Championship alive.

In the seventh-round round action Karachi Whites and Karachi Blues continued their winning spree as both won for the sixth time in seven games with the latter now certain to qualify for the last-four phase of the competition.

But the interest was in the two Group ‘A’ upcountry fixtures in which both Sialkot and Islamabad secured contrasting results in their favour.

Sialkot held off a spirited challenge from Faisalabad to seal an exciting seven-run win at the Marghazar Cricket Ground in Islamabad while Islamabad condemned Hyderabad to their fifth defeat by cantering to a clinical nine-wicket win at the Diamond Club Ground.

After deciding to bat first, Sialkot posted 279-8 in their 50 overs with all-rounder Ghulam Mohiuddin hitting an unbeaten 76 off 70 balls and wicket-keeper Ahmed Bilal a 50-ball 51. The duo came to their team’s rescue at 139-6 by putting on 93.

Faisalabad were well placed in the run chase at 172-4 in 34 overs but slow left-armer Asad Ali pegged back them with a tidy spell of 4-26 in 10 overs. The batting side eventually finished at 272-9. Opener Mohammad Zeeshan scored 72.

Hyderabad, opting to bat first, succumbed to the spin of left-armer Abu Hurraira (4-14) and pace duo of Haris Hasan (3-27) and Sardar Khan (3-24) as they nosedived from 36-0 in eighth over to a miserly 80 all out in 21.5 overs.

Islamabad then knocked off the runs in 12.4 overs to remain third in the standings with 10 points from six outings with Sialkot retaining their second spot on net run-rate.

Group ‘A’ Karachi Whites coasted to their sixth success as they decimated Bahawalpur by eight wickets at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. Batting first option derailed Bahawalpur’s innings as they mustered a meagre 139 in 43.1 overs with paceman Mohammad Ali Khan claiming three for 22 in 10 overs.

Karachi Whites needed only 26.4 overs to get home with opener Umair Yousuf hitting 51 as he and Mohammad Usman (47) shared a second-wicket partnership of 80 runs.

Azad Jammu Kashmir finally celebrated their first victory in six games as they handed Dera Murad Jamali their sixth straight drubbing by three wickets at the National Ground.

In Group ‘B’ action here in the city, Karachi Blues eased to an eight-wicket defeat of Larkana at the NBP Sports Complex.

After dismissing Larkana, who had chosen to bat first, for 125 inside 42 overs, Karachi Blues raced to 129-2 in only 19.5 overs with opener Imran Shah contributing an unconquered 68 off 58 balls.

In a notable result Abbottabad shocked Rawalpindi by a massive 10-wicket margin at the UBL Sports Complex.

Chasing 223, Abbottabad romped to 224 without loss in 36.4 overs with Anees Azam plundering 22 boundaries and one six in his knock of 129 from 113 balls. Skipper Mohammad Arif made a sedate 75 with his 107-ball effort laced by seven fours and three sixes.

Quetta dent Peshawar’s semi-final hopes with a 39-run win at the Landhi Gymkhana Ground, while Multan capitulated to their fifth loss in six games when Fata grabbed a 53-run victory at the National Stadium.

Wednesday’s results:

Seventh round:

Group ‘A’:

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: Karachi Whites beat Bahawalpur by eight wickets.

BAHAWALPUR 139 in 43.1 overs (Ali-ul-Hasan 33, Shehran Ali 32; Mohammad Ali Khan 3-22, Arish Ali Khan 2-23, Adil Ijaz 2-29); KARACHI WHITES 140-2 in 26.4 overs (Umair Yousuf 51, Mohammad Usman 47, Jahanzeb Sultan 24).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: Islamabad beat Hyderabad by nine wickets.

HYDERABAD 80 in 21.5 overs (Uzair Jafri 17; Abu Hurraira 4-14, Sardar Khan 3-24, Haris Khan 3-27); ISLAMABAD 81-1 in 12.4 overs (Rohail Nazir 27 not out, Hammad Khan 24 not out).

At Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad: Sialkot beat Faisalabad by seven runs.

SIALKOT 279-8 in 50 overs (Ghulam Mohiuddin 76 not out, Ahmed Bilal 51, Momin Waqar 37, Usman Sajjad 29, Umar Shafiq 25; Salman Shafqat 3-39); FAISALABAD 272-9 in 50 overs (Mohammad Zeeshan 72, Ali Qasim 48, Mustafa Abbas 21, Mohammad Ibtisam 21; Asad Ali 4-26, Ghulam Mohiuddin 2-65).

At National Ground, Islamabad: Azad Jammu Kashmir beat Dera Murad Jamali by three wickets.

DERA MURAD JAMALI 157 in 41.3 overs (Fida Hussain 39, Shahzada Khan 35; Zohaib Bukhari 3-20, Mohsin Iqbal 2-25, Hammad Islam 2-33, Najam Naseer 2-48); AZAD JAMMU KASHMIR 161-7 in 40 overs (Nauman Ijaz 59, Hammad Islam 47, Moin Pervez 20).

Group ‘B’:

At National Stadium, Karachi: Fata beat Multan by 53 runs.

FATA 140 in 35.5 overs (Hamza Khan 51, Mohammad Umar 22; Mohammad Jahangir 4-35, Zaheer Islam 3-24, Asjar Ashfaq 2-14); MULTAN 87 in 36.3 overs (Ali Nawaz Bhatti 19; Inamullah 4-22, Shahenshah Afridi 3-21, Umar Khan 2-15).

At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: Abbottabad beat Rawalpindi by 10 wickets.

RAWALPINDI 222-8 in 50 overs (Mohammad Sagheer 51 not out, Haider Ali 33, Wahidullah Khan 32, Hasnain Ahmed 28, Nasir Nawaz 27; Aftab Afzal 2-30, Mansoor Ali 2-39, Hamza Khan 2-43); ABBOTTABAD 224-0 in 36.4 overs (Anees Azam 129 not out, Mohammad Arif 75 not out).

At NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: Karachi Blues beat Larkana by eight wickets.

LARKANA 125 in 41.5 overs (Javed Ali Khoso 44, Javed Ali Lashari 22; Arsalan Wasim 2-9, Ashar Qureshi 2-29); KARACHI BLUES 129-2 in 19.5 overs (Imran Shah 68 not out, Haider Ali 26 not out).

At Landhi Gymkhana Ground, Karachi: Quetta beat Peshawar by 39 runs.

QUETTA 203 in 49.4 overs (Latifullah 62, Rasheed Ahmed 24, Hidayatullah 23; Azam Khan 4-33, Zaidullah 3-42); PESHAWAR 164 in 41.3 overs (Zaidullah 34, Mohammad Mohsin 26, Azam Khan 21; Mohammad Ajmal 3-29, Abdul Nasir 3-32, Hussain 3-43).

Published in Dawn, May 11th, 2017