The final two matches of the Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan Provincial Grade II Tournament were played today. In the first match, Kabul A defeated Nimroz by 26 runs, while in the second match, Herat overcame Khost B by 5 wickets. With the conclusion of these matches, the top eight teams of the tournament have qualified for the Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan Provincial Grade I Tournament.
The Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan
Provincial Grade II Tournament, which began on 23 November across four
provinces; Kandahar, Nangarhar, Khost, and Kunar, officially concluded today. A
total of 40 teams participated in the tournament, competing across eight
groups. As a result of their strong performances, Nangarhar, Nangarhar B, Kabul
A, Khost, Logar, Paktika, Kandahar A, and Khost B successfully qualified for
the Provincial Grade I Tournament.
In today’s match between Nimroz
and Kabul A, Kabul A batted first and posted a target of 245 runs. Their
innings was led by a superb century from Nauman Salarzai 100 runs, supported by
Hukamran Khan with 47 and Abdul Khaliq with 41 runs. For Nimroz, Zalmai Khan
took 2 wickets in the bowling department.
In reply, Nimroz managed 218 runs
for the loss of 3 wickets within the allotted 42 overs, falling short by 26
runs. Their batting highlights included Noorullah Noori with 101 runs, Younus
Khan Arman with 49, and Mahmood Mukhlis with 34 runs. For Kabul A, Maseehullah
was the most successful bowler, claiming 2 wickets.
The Player of the Match award was
presented to Nauman Salarzai of Kabul A for his outstanding century.
The second match of the day was
played at the Quraishi Cricket Ground in Kandahar, where Herat defeated Khost B
by 5 wickets. Batting first, Khost B set a target of 226 runs, with Haseebullah
scoring 58 runs and Mohammad Hashim contributing 31. For Herat, Sayed Ahmad
Quraishi took 3 wickets, while Mohammad Ali claimed 2 wickets.
Herat successfully chased the
target in the 29th over, losing 5 wickets in the process. Their innings was
anchored by an excellent 104-run knock from Fazal Ahmad, while Karim Khan added
44 runs. For Khost B, Asghar Atal took 2 wickets.
Herat’s batsman Fazal Ahmad was
named Player of the Match.
It is worth noting that the Wazir
Mohammad Akbar Khan Provincial Grade II Tournament is held annually among
provincial teams from across the country. The primary objective of the
competition is to identify top-performing teams and outstanding players and
provide them with the opportunity to advance to the Provincial Grade I Tournament.