Irfan Rahmat, Saim Ayub shine in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Irfan Rahmat’s fine all-round performance guided Aga Khan Secondary School to a thrilling three-wicket victory over B M Grammar School while Saim Ayub’s century helped Springfield Academy overwhelm Hira Foundation School by 227 runs in the Group E matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Batting first, after winning the toss at the KCCA Stadium, B M Grammar School was bowled out for 131 in 34.2 overs by Aga Khan Secondary School, who reached the target of 132 in 20.3 overs after losing seven wickets.

Irfan Rahmat, declared Man of the Match, played the lead role in Aga Khan Secondary School’s win in the low-scoring fixture. Alongwith fellow off-spinner Safiullah, who returned the impressive figures of 4 for 12, he demolished B M Grammar School’s batting with his medium pace, claiming three wickets for 20 runs.

Despite the contribution of 37 extras, which included 35 wides, B M Grammar School was all out for 131. Opener Umar Siddiqui, who was run out for 32 off 80 balls, was the only batsman to offer resistance to the deadly spin-cum-pace bowling attack.

B M Grammar School, however, fought back through the spin duo of Asfandyar Ghani (4-20) and Bilal Kamran (2-37) to keep the contest alive while defending a low score. It was Irfan Rahmat’s unbeaten 32 off 47 balls which saw Aga Khan Secondary School through after they had lost seven wickets with 27 runs still needed for victory.

It was a different story to relate in the other game of the day in which Springfield Academy hammered Hira Foundation School by 227runs at the TMC Ground.

Opener Saim Ayub’s magnificent knock of 130 off 95 balls, containing 16 boundaries, allowed Springfield Academy, having been put into bat, post a mammoth total of 328 in the allotted 40 overs. He added 90 for the second wicket with Ali Nasim, who contributed 58 off 42 balls with the help of five boundaries.

Mubashir Amin (24 off 31 balls) and Ehtisham Elahi (27 off 17 balls) kept the scoreboard moving and Springfield Academy was able to compile a huge score despite the loss of quick wickets near the end of its innings. There were two wickets each for the quartet of Asad Ali, Rahmanullah, Murtaza Ahmed and Zohaib Khan.

Set a stiff target of 329 in 40 overs, Hira Foundation School wilted under the scoreboard pressure to be routed for 102 in 20.1 overs despite opener Zain carrying his bat through the innings, scoring an unbeaten 45 off 69 balls.

Medium-pacer Mohammad Bilal (3-9) and left-arm spinner Badar Qureshi (3-15) were the standout bowlers for Springfield Academy whose opener Saim Ayub was adjudged Man of the Match.

Zaheer Public School, Springfield Academy triumph in Omar Trophy Inter-School Cricket

Zaheer Public School and Springfield Academy overcame their respective rivals in the latest matches of the Omar Trophy Inter-Schools Cricket Tournament 2016, being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA).

Zaheer Public School, despite conceding as many as 50 wides, outsmarted Fatimiyah Boys School by four wickets in a Group B fixture at the TMC Ground while Springfield Academy hammered BM Grammar School by a staggering margin of 194 runs in the Group E encounter at the KCCA Stadium.

Put into bat, Fatimiyah Boys School collapsed dramatically from 42 for no wicket to 111 all out in 29.5 overs. They could have been bundled out for a lower total without the contribution of 57 extras which included 50 wides sent down by the Zaheer Public School bowlers.

S M Abbas (20 off 59 balls) and opener Ali Abbas (14 off 22 balls) were the only batsmen to reach double figures as the innings was wrecked by left-arm spinner Talha Baig (4-18), off-spinner Ibad-ul-Haq (3-14) and medium-pacer Syed Essa (2-14).

Chasing a modest target of 112 in 40 overs, Zaheer Public School lost both their openers cheaply but the innings was given momentum by Saad Shaikh (33 off 24 balls) and Adil Baig (21 off 48 balls).

Off-spinner Ali Faraz (2-10) and medium-pacer Hasan Raza (2-30) could only delay the inevitable as the winning runs came in the 20th over. Zaheer Public School’s left-arm spinner Talha Baig was declared Man of the Match for his four-wicket haul.

In the day’s other match Springfield Academy, batting first after winning the toss, installed an impressive total of 243 against BM Grammar School.

Opener Saim Ayub set the ball rolling with a fluent 52-ball 67 containing eight boundaries while Mubashir Amin struck a couple of fours in his 41 off 54 balls. Springfield Academy, looking set for a score in the excess of 250, was bowled out for 243 on the penultimate ball of the innings, losing the last six wickets for only 44 runs.

Medium-pacers Asim Raza and Arbaz Khan returned the identical figures of two for 34 while left-arm spinner Asfandyar Ghani (2-35) and leg-spinner Suhaib-ul-Hasan (2-58) also bowled well.

Needing 244 for victory in 40 overs BM Grammar School struggled from the outset to be routed for 49 in 22 overs. Opener Omar Siddiqui (11 off 44 balls) was the only batsman to enter double figures as the wickets were shared between off-spinner Nazar Siddiqui (3-9), left-arm spinner Badar Qureshi (3-14) and medium-pacer Taimur Mustafa (2-9).

Badar Qureshi, who also scored 26 off 37 balls in the Springfield Academy innings besides capturing three wickets, was presented Man of the Match award for his fine all-round performance.