Asad-ul-Haq powers Springfield School into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semifinals

All-rounder Asad-ul-Haq powered Springfield School into the semifinals of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), as they knocked down the defending champions, Beaconhouse School System, by 46 runs in the quarter-finals at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium.

The quarter-final round came to an end with this match with Springfield School, Fahad Academy, Qadri Public School and Kamran Public School having advanced to the semifinals, scheduled to be held at the National Stadium, Karachi, next week.

Asad-ul-Haq, declared Man of the Match, produced an impressive all-round effort which enabled Springfield School to overpower the holders, Beaconhouse School System.

Put into bat by the Beaconhouse School System skipper, Ammar Iqbal, Springfield School overcame a shaky start to reach a competitive total of 177, getting bowled out on the final ball of the innings.

The recovery was led by Asad-ul-Haq, whose counter-attacking 40 off 33 balls with the help of eight boundaries shifted the pressure on the bowlers. Mubashir Ahmed (28 off 33 balls), Badar Qureshi (26 off 52 balls) and Syed Ali Nasim (25 off 42 balls) chipped in with useful contributions to keep the scoreboard ticking.

Beaconhouse School System’s left-arm spinner Huzaifa Ali Khan (3-35) and off-spinner Shayan Khan (2-22) prevented the total getting into mammoth proportions while medium-pacer Ahmed Kabir (2-42) had dislodged both the openers cheaply.

Chasing a target of 178 in 40 overs, Beaconhouse School System got a decent start through the opening pair of Haris Bin Tahir and Zeeshan Iqbal, who added 41 for the first wicket in quick time.

Zeeshan Iqbal departed after scoring 24 off 19 balls with the help of one six and four fours but Haris Bin Tahir stayed at the crease much longer, striking one six and six fours in his 60 off 82.

Things, however, started to happen with the introduction of spin, as left-armer Badar Qureshi, after breaking the opening partnership, got another couple of wickets in his eight-over spell, yielding 33 overs. The other left-arm spinner, Asad-ul-Haq, bowled even better, returning the figures of three for 20 off eight overs.

Off-spinner Mubashir Amin and leg-spinner Syed Ali Nasim also chipped in with a wicket each as Beaconhouse School System was bowled out for 131 in 33 overs, losing their last eight wickets for only 28 runs.

Rahman Ghani guides Fahad Academy into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semifinals

All-rounder Rahman Ghani guided Fahad Academy into the semifinals of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), as they edged out Ebrahim Ali Bhai School by four wickets in the quarter-finals at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium.

Fahad Academy has now joined Qadri Public School and Kamran Public School in the semifinal line-up which will be completed by the winners of the last quarter-final tie between Beaconhouse School System and Springfield School.

Rahman Ghani, adjudged Man of the Match, came up with invaluable all-round performance to keep Fahad Academy afloat as they were seriously tested by Ebrahim Ali Bhai School.

Batting first, after winning the toss, Ebrahim Ali Bhai School squandered the brilliant start to their innings by getting bowled out for a paltry 117 in 31 overs. They pulled it back while defending the low total only to be denied by Rahman Ghani’s brilliant knock. 

Openers Asad Amin (42 off 97 balls) and Zia-ur-Rahman (32 off 33 balls) provided Ebrahim Ali Bhai School a solid foundation by adding 61 for the first wicket. None of their teammates could emulate them as the introduction of spinners turned the game.

Leg-spinner Hammad Hasan (4-8) and Rahman Ghani (2-9) rocked their innings and Fahad Academy became the favourites after bringing about a sensational collapse which saw Ebrahim Ali Bhai School lose 10 wickets for only 56 runs.

Fahad Academy, chasing 118 off 40 overs, ran into trouble as the top half of their batting was back in the hut with only 68 runs on the board. It was the left-arm spin of Mohammad Usman, who picked up four wickets for 23 runs, which opened up the contest.

Rahman Ghani, however, stood calm and his unbeaten 46 off 55 balls allowed Fahad Academy to get over the line with four wickets and as many as 11.2 overs in hand. He hit five boundaries in his match-winning knock.

Kamran Public School storm into Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket semifinals

Kamran Public School stormed into the semifinals of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), by whipping Oasis English Secondary School by 89 runs in the quarter-finals at the Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium.


Qadri Public School had already entered semifinals after having knocked out St Patrick High School in the first quarter-final. In the remaining quarter-finals, Fahad Academy will be up against Ebrahim Ali Bhai School and Beaconhouse School System will take on Springfield School.

Choosing to bat, after winning the toss, Kamran Public School amassed an impressive total of 241 for six in the allotted 40 overs. Oasis English Secondary School, in reply, was bowled out for 143 in 30.5 overs.

Kamran Public School got off a flying start as the 101-run opening partnership between Anas Ilyas and Tariq Bakht laid the foundation for a big score.

Tariq Bakht departed after making 35 off 44 balls with the help of four boundaries but Anas Ilyas stayed longer, contributing 87 off 83 balls with the help of one six and four fours.

Oasis English Secondary School stemmed the flow of runs through leg-spinner Talha Ahsan (3-43) but Kamran Public School succeeded in raising the total past 225, thanks to the fighting unbroken 49-run seventh wicket stand between Abdul Moiz (42 off 38 balls) and Osama Adnan (24 off 32 balls).

Chasing a target of 229 in 40 overs, Oasis English Secondary School also started their innings on a positive note with openers Mohammad Saeed (43 off 43 balls) and Mohammad Kashan (21 off 19 balls) adding 63 for the first wicket in rapid time.

The complexion of the game changed dramatically when both the openers were run out in quick succession. Kamran Public School regained control through the spin trio of Obaidullah (3-26), Osama Adnan (3-33) and Mohammad Ovais (2-21) as Oasis English Secondary School lost their last seven wickets for only 63 to be all out for 152.

Kamran Public School’s opening batsman Anas Ilyas was adjudged Man of the Match for his 87, edging out skipper Osama Adnan, who claimed three wickets besides scoring an unbeaten 24.

Knockout phase of Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament underway

The Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA), has reached the knockout stage upon the conclusion of 48 league matches.

The tournament, contested by 32 teams, which got underway at the Karachi Gymkhana Cricket Ground on September 1, will be concluding, as per the original schedule, with the final and the prize distribution ceremony at the National Stadium, Karachi, on November 13.

Both the semifinals, also to be staged at the National Stadium on November 11 and 12, alongwith the final, will be televised live.

All the four quarter-finals will be played at Naya Nazimabad Lawai Stadium. In the first quarter-final, Qadri Model School has beaten St Patrick High School by six wickets while in the remaining quarter-finals, to be held during the current week, Kamran Public School will be taking on Oasis English Secondary School, Fahad Academy will lock horns with Ebrahim Ali Bhai School and Beaconhouse School System will combat Springfield School.

At the end of the league matches, Beaconhouse School System, Fahad Academy, Qadri Model School, Oasis English Secondary School, Springfield School, Ebrahim Ali Bhai School, St Patrick High School and Kamran Public School had emerged champions in Groups A, B, C, D, E, F, G and H respectively to advance to the quarter-finals.

Like the league matches, the knockout fixtures will also be limited to 40 overs per innings and no bowler will be permitted to bowl more than eight overs in a match whereas in order to encourage fast bowlers, the teams will not be allowed to use spinners during the first six overs.

This is for the eighth time when the PVCA has successfully organized the Inter-Schools tournament in Karachi, having launched it with great fanfare in 1999. The event is being sponsored by Omar Associates (Pvt) Ltd with Bank Alfalah Ltd being the co-sponsors.

Beaconhouse School System, Fahim School System excel in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Beaconhouse School System and Fahim School System registered comprehensive victories over their respective rivals in the Group A matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Beaconhouse School System, also the defending champions, won their second successive game by trouncing CAA Model School by 198 runs at the Eastern Ground while Fahim School System overwhelmed Ladybird Grammar School by 60 runs at the KCCA Stadium.

Batting first, after winning the toss, Beaconhouse School System recovered after an uncertain start to post a healthy total of 254 for nine off 40 overs.

Half centuries from Man of the Match Fawad Faisal (68 off 61 balls) and Hamza Rizvi (56 off 85 balls) put them in the driving seat after they had slumped to 98 for six despite Muaz Bin Salman’s hurricane 23 off 16 balls.

Medium-pacer Daniyal Nadeem (2-29) and leg-spinner Umar Shah (2-35) were the pick of the bowlers for CAA Model School.

Beaconhouse School System dismissed CAA Model School for only 56 in 18 overs to win the match by a staggering margin. Medium-pacers Hamza Tahir (3-21) and Ammar Iqbal (2-15) rocked the top-order and the clean-up job was completed by leg-spinner Muaz Bin Salman (3-12) and left-arm spinner Abdullah Masood (2-10).

Hasan Masood’s brilliant all-round performance, which earned him Man of the Match award, powered Fahim School System to a convincing victory over Ladybird Grammar School in the other fixture of the day.

Opening the Fahim School System innings he topscored for with 50 off 57 balls which included five hits to the fence. He dominated the 67-run first wicket stand with Asad Ehsan who made 20 off 41 balls.

The momentum was sustained by Saadi Ahmed (28 off 31 balls) which took the score to 91 for the loss of only one wicket near the halfway stage of their innings. But they lost their last seven wickets for only 26 runs to be bowled out for 158 in 35.4 overs.

Ladybird Grammar School fought back through some disciplined bowling from left-arm seamer Abdul Rafay (3-25), who was supported by left-arm spinner Amanullah (3-41) and medium-pacer Subhan Ahmed (2-11).

Chasing a target of 159 in 40 overs, Ladybird Grammar School was in with a great chance of winning the match when were 76 for two. But the complexion of the game changed with the dismissal of Amanullah who struck nine boundaries in his 36-ball 48.

Fahim School System’s spin duo of Hasan Masood (4-14) and Ahsan Ali (3-19) demolished the lower order as the last eight wickets crashed for only 23 runs and Ladybird Grammar School was all out for 99 in 21.1 overs.