Zone VI Stays Unbeaten, Ayan Saleem Shines with 6-Wicket Haul in U-19 Cricket Tournament

Zone V fought hard but were bowled out for 131 in 41.5 overs, despite a fighting 62 from Majid Ali*.

By DTD- On May 25, 2025

Karachi – Zone VI continued their dominant run in the PCB Inter District U-19 One Day Cricket Tournament (Karachi Region) by registering their fourth consecutive victory, defeating Zone I by a massive margin of 194 runs at Young Fighter Ground.

Organized by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), the tournament saw three exciting matches played across different venues in the city. The day was highlighted by a stellar bowling performance from Zone VII’s left-arm pacer Ayan Saleem, who bagged 6 wickets for just 44 runs, and a fine half-century by Zone IV’s Ahmer Riaz Gaziani.

Match Summaries:

Zone VI vs Zone I – Young Fighter Ground
Zone VI posted a commanding total of 270/8 in 50 overs, thanks to solid contributions from Hammad Alam (60), Sajjad Ahmed (58*), Muhammad Azan (28), Hamza Qureshi (28), and Huzaifa Ahsan (27). Zone I bowlers Muhammad Farman (2/39) and Raffay Ahmed (2/62) shared the spoils.

In reply, Zone I were bowled out for 76 in 31.1 overs, unable to cope with the disciplined bowling of Niqab Shafiq (3/19), Saad Sakhawat (3/21), and Huzaifa Ahsan (2/8), handing Zone VI a thumping 194-run victory.

Zone VII vs Zone IV – KCCA Stadium
Zone IV were dismissed for 178 in 49.3 overs, led by Ahmer Riaz Gaziani’s impressive 82 off 10 fours, with support from Daniyal Khan (34) and Sheraz Ali (21*). Ayan Saleem ran through the batting with a lethal spell of 6/44, while Rohail Nisar chipped in with 3/25.

Zone VII chased down the target in 33.2 overs, scoring 179/7. Ali Sher top-scored with 54, followed by Talah Irfan (36) and Fahad Hussain Khan (22). Despite a spirited effort by Zulfiqar Ali (3/24) and Huzaifa Bin Sajjad (2/36), Zone VII sealed the match by 3 wickets.

Zone II vs Zone V – Landhi Gymkhana Ground
In a closely contested match, Zone II posted 140 all out in 37.5 overs, powered by Muhammad Noman’s 53, with Abdullah Waheed and Muhammad Ahmed Aleem contributing 29 runs each. Hafiz Musfir was the pick of the bowlers for Zone V with 4/44, supported by Rizwan Ullah (3/23) and Haziq Qureshi (2/37).

Zone V fought hard but were bowled out for 131 in 41.5 overs, despite a fighting 62 from Majid Ali*. Syed Muhammad Sameer (3/36), Muhammad Ahmed Aleem (2/18), and Abdul Rauf (2/37) ensured a narrow 9-run win for Zone II.

Officials:

Umpires: Asim Alvi, Asghar Shah, Imtia, Iqbal, Muhammad Nasir, Imran Jawed, and S.M. Babar.
Scorers: Salman Hussain Kazmi, Junaid Afzal, Khayyam Mustafa.

Upcoming Fixtures – Monday, 26th May:

Zone III vs Zone V – Agha Khan Gymkhana Ground
Zone I vs Zone VII – Gulberg Gymkhana Ground
Zone IV vs Zone VI – KCCA Stadium