Faisalabad beat Karachi to lift U19 crown

ISLAMABAD: Faisalabad inflicted a crushing innings and 66-run defeat on Karachi Blues to win the Inter-Region Under-19 Three-Day Tournament at the Mirpur Stadium.

Asim Iqbal played havoc with the ball, running through Karachi’s first innings with figures of 7-35. Karachi were bowled out for just 104.

Irfan Khan then hammered 114 to guide Faisalabad to 308-8 in reply. Karachi Blues were bundled out for 138 in the second innings. Asim and Ali Mustafa picked up four wickets each for 36 runs apiece.

Faisalabad were awarded a trophy and Rs600,000 while Karachi Blues got Rs300,000.

Asim was adjudged man of the match and pocketed a cash prize of Rs25,000.

Other prizes of Rs25,000 each went to Abbottabad’s Afaq Ahmed (tournament’s best batsman, 563 runs) and Faisalabad’s Suleman Shafqat (best bowler, 46 wickets).

Scores in brief: Karachi Blues 104 all out in 27.1 overs (Saif Ali 33, Anas Ilyas 25; Asim Iqbal 7-39) and 138 all out in 35.4 overs (Haris Bin Tahir 31, Saif Ali 28; Ali Mustafa 4-36, Asim Iqbal 4-36). Faisalabad 308-8 in 83 overs (Irfan Khan 114, Zohaib Amanat 58, Ahmed Butt 43; Nadir Shah 6-93).