LAHORE, Aug 31: The 2002-03 domestic cricket season gets under way from Sunday with 19 matches with the National Junior (Under-19) Grade-I and Grade-II tournaments.

Six three-day matches are scheduled in the Grade-I section, in which 12 teams are taking part in two groups.

Karachi Whites, Lahore Whites, Bahawalpur, Quetta, Rawalpindi and Peshawar are placed in Group A while Lahore Blues, Karachi Blues, Sheikhupura, Fata, Islamabad and Kohat form Group B.

In the Grade-II tournament, 13 three-day matches will be played in the opening round. The 29 competing teams have been divided into four pools.

The competing teams from Sindh are Karachi Greens, Larkana, Shikarpur, Mirpurkhas, Hyderabad, Badin and Sukkur.

Azad Jammu Kashmir together with NWFP outfits Mardan, Haripur, Bannu and Dera Ismail Khan are in the second pool.

Chaghi, Turbat, Sibi and Pishin represent Balochistan while Punjab are fielding 13 teams. They are Lahore Greens, Multan, Rahim Yar Khan, Mianwali, Okara, Kasur, Sargodha, Attock, Jehlum, Sialkot, Gujrat, Faisalabad and Gujranwala.

First round schedule (Sept 1-3):

Grade-I:

Group A: Karachi Whites v Lahore Whites at National Stadium,  Karachi; Bahawalpur v Quetta at NBP Sports Complex, Karachi; Rawalpindi v Peshawar at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar.

Group B: Lahore Blues v Sheikhupura at Sheikhupura Stadium; Karachi Blues v Fata at KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi; Islamabad v Kohat at Shalimar Ground, Islamabad.

Grade-II:

Pool A: Sukkur v Larkana at Police Ground, Larkana;  Mirpurkhas v Shikarpur at Nawabshah Stadium, Nawabshah; Hyderabad v Badin at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad.

Pool B: Azad Jammu Kashmir v Mardan at Kohat Stadium, Kohat; Haripur v Bannu at Dera Ismail Khan Stadium.

Pool C: Sibi v Chagi at Iftikhar Stadium, Quetta; Pishin v Turbat at Shola Ground, Quetta.

Pool D: Mianwali v Gujrat at Zahoor Elahi Stadium, Gujrat; Lahore  Greens v Attock at Saga Ground, Sialkot; Gujranwala v Sialkot at  Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala; Multan v Okara at Gymkhana Ground, Okara; Rahim Yar Khan v Faisalabad at Mahmood Stadium, Rahim Yar Khan; Sargodha v Kasur, Sports Stadium, Sargodha.

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