President’s Trophy Grade-II Gold final to begin on 29th

LAHORE: Kingsmen Academy and MIT Solutions are set to lock horns in the final of the President’s Trophy Grade-II Gold final from 29th June to 2nd July at the Abbottabad Cricket Ground. The four-day non-first-class final will be live-streamed on Tapmad in Pakistan and on PCB official YouTube channel for the overseas fans. The winner of the President’s Trophy Grade-II Gold will secure a berth in the President’s Trophy Grade-I first-class tournament in the 2026-27 domestic season. A prize pot of PKR 7. 8 million will also be up for grabs with the winner getting PKR five million and the runners up taking home PKR 2. 5 million. MIT Solutions thumped Vital Tea by 325 runs in their semi-final at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad from 18th to 20th June as Test batter Abdullah Shafique produced a magnificent knock of 193 off 201 balls in the second innings, a PCB spokesman said. MIT Solutions managed 293-9 in the allotted 70 overs in their first dig with Vital Tea’s left-arm pace bowler Muhammad Basit picked up 6-82. In turn, Vital Tea were condemned to 164 all out in 46. 1 overs with left-arm spinner Mohammad Irfan bagging figures of 11-1-28-5. It was in the second innings that Shafique went berserk and also shared a 97-run fifth-wicket stand with promising batter Riazullah (58, 69b, 11x4s). With 507-run target set in front, Vital Tea were bundled out for 181 in 45. 2 overs and their decimation was led by right-arm pace of Khubaib Khalil, who wreaked havoc with seven for 65 in 11 overs. In the second semi-final, which was played on the same dates at the Abbottabad Cricket Ground, Kingsmen Academy were termed victorious based on their 131-run first innings lead after the game ended in stalemate against their peers Kingsmen. Kingsmen Academy, who are eager to feature as a first-class outfit in the upcoming domestic season, rode on opening batter Muhammad Arshad’s 130-ball 121, Najab Khan’s 85 and Muhammad Shayan’s 63 to post 359 all out in 68. 3 overs. Kingsmen’s Azan Tariq picked up 5-70 with bowling right-arm medium pace. In turn, Kingsmen Academy’s fast bowler Hamid Ali produce five for 62 to dismiss Kingsmen for 228 in 47. 2 overs. In their second dig, Kingsmen Academy lost half their side for 87 runs when Ahmed Hussain conjured a gusty knock of 150 not out off 260 balls hitting 16 fours and two sixes batting at 0. 7. Kingsmen were dismissed for 349 in 107. 5 overs setting a target of 481 runs. Kingsmen were 94-3 in 10 overs when the time ran out and both the teams shook hands. Copyright Business Recorder, 2026

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