KARACHI: Foundation Public School (FPS) and Rangers Public School (RPS) registered victories in the league matches of the HBL Inter-School Cricket Tournament 2014 the other day.

Osama Khan’s brilliant all-round performance helped FPS overcome Ladybird Grammar School (LGS) by 11 runs in a keenly contested Group ‘A’ tie at the SKBZ Ground while Abu Huraira’s five-wicket haul allowed RPS to overwhelm Happy Home Secondary School (HHSC) by seven wickets in their Group ‘F’ encounter at the Hussain Lawai Naya Nazimabnad Stadium.

The tournament is being organized by the Pakistan Veterans Cricket Association (PVCA) and a total of 32 teams are participating in it.

Number three Osama Khan (51 off 58 balls) and opener Saif Ali (34 off 55 balls) put FPS on course of a mammoth total but fine bowling by the spin trio of S M Ashar (3-22), Salman Ahmed (2-13) and Bilal Hussain (2-28) bowled them out for 169 in 36.2 overs.

Set to score in 170 in 40 overs, LGS lost the top-order cheaply but Abdullah’s 67 off 55 balls opened up the contest. They fell 12 runs short of their target losing their final wicket with 5.3 overs going unutilized. The innings was wrecked by left-arm spinner Osama Khan (4-38) and medium-pacer Bilal Khurram (3-32).

Left-arm spinner Abu Huraira (5-16) and leg-spinner Shah Munib (3-27) sent HHSS crashing to 87 all out in 24.5 overs with opener Osama Rasheed (15 off 25 balls) being their topscorer.

RPS knocked off the modest target of 88 in only 14.5 overs with openers Mansoor Butt (21 of 11 balls) and Raza Qamar (19 off 31 balls) getting them off to a flying start.

Published in Dawn, October 1st, 2014