KARACHI: Karachi, Abbottabad, Quetta and Multan teams beat their respective rivals on Monday in the opening matches of the NBP T-20 Blind Cricket Trophy (Grade-2) competition that commenced here.

Syed Sultan Shah, Chairman Pakistan Blind Cricket Council inaugurated the event and was accompanied by Imran Ahmed Sheikh, Director Information and Coordination PBCC, Syed Salman Bokhari, Director Cricket Operations PBCC and Asif Azeem, Media Advisor POA.

Addressing on the occasion, Chairman PBCC said: “This event will be helpful for us in finding the new talent for Pakistan blind cricket and the performers will be considered for the new Central Contracts.”

In the first match, Quetta beat Sargodha by 15 runs at the Afza Cricket Ground, Nagan Chowrangi. Put into bat by Sargodha, Quetta scored 219 in allotted 20 overs for the loss of 5 wickets with Naimatullah slamming a fine 97 off just 52 balls with with 9 fours and 1 six to be declared Man of the Match. Naseebullah also scored 42 off 27 balls. In reply, Sargodha chasing 220, were all out for 204 runs in 19 overs. Ehsanullah was their top scorer with 48 runs and Zain made 36 runs. Talib Hussain was the pick of the bowlers with 3 for 34

In the second match, played at Dr. Muhammad Ali Shah Sports Complex, Multan beat Hyderabad by a huge margin of 159 runs. Multan’s Muhammad Safdar played a master class innings of 181 runs off 85 balls, featuring 20 boundaries and was the architect of his team’s victory. Multan scored a mammoth total of 315 runs for 5 wickets in 20 overs. In reply, Hyderabad managed just 156 for 5 wickets in their 20 overs with only Amjad Hussain scoring 61. Ghulam Akbar took 2 for 28 Multan for 28.

Karachi outclassed Sheikupura at Afza Cricket Ground by ten wickets. Batting first Sheikupura scored 184 all out in 19.5 overs with veteran player Ashraf Bhatti making 34 and Muhammad Ahmad scoring 22. Tahir Ali took 3 for 25. Karachi in reply chased down the target in just 10.4 overs without any loss. Tahir smashed a fine, unbeaten 135 runs off just 64 balls featuring thirty one boundaries and was named Man of the Match.

In the fourth match of the day, Faisalabad lost to Abbottabad by 86 runs. Batting first, Abbottabad scored 288 for 2, thanks to brilliant knocks from openers Riasat Khan (132 off 60 balls) and Naeemullah (103 runs off 60 balls). In reply, Faisalabad made 202 for 7 in the stipulated 20 overs. Bilal Ali was the top scorer with 72 runs. Riasat was named Man of the Match.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2021