Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: Rawalpindi, United Bank Limited (UBL) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) all took a day off after sealing three-day victories in the opening round of the Quad-e-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship on Thursday.

Rawalpindi were the first winners on penultimate day of the four-day Group ‘B’ fixture at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi where they humbled Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) by 105 runs to grab nine points. Resuming at 83, KRL’s second innings was swiftly blown away for just 77 by the pace duo of left-armer Nazar Hussain (5-31 in 12 overs) and the lanky right-armer Ataullah (5-46 in 11).

Pakistan’s rising leg-spin star Shadab Khan made a fine debut for former champions SNGPL who crushed Peshawar by 154 runs in the Group ‘A’ encounter at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Peshawar, who were chasing 282, mustered a miserly total of 127 in their second innings as wickets fell at regular intervals. Shadab claimed 4-12 in 8.4 overs to end up with match figures of 7-35. Skipper Mohammad Hafeez had 3-14 in eight overs after veteran left-arm seamer Samiullah Khan Niazi took wickets upfront. Earlier, left-arm paceman Taj Wali picked up 5-81 as SNGPL were dismissed for 277 in their second innings.

UBL were even more clinical in their rout of Karachi Whites by an innings and 73 runs in the Group ‘B’ match here at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi. After adding 42 to their overnight score of 392-7, UBL ended up making a commanding 434 to secure a huge 226-run lead on the first innings. Stand-in captain Hammad Azam was out for 128 (243 balls, 11 fours and three sixes) while Sohail Khan, who put on 160 with Hammad, perished for 63. Ex-Test paceman Mohammad Sami claimed two more wickets to finish with decent analysis of 5-84 in 32 overs. Sohail then made life miserable for the lower half of Karachi batting as the sturdy fast bowler captured his second five-for in the match as he helped himself to 5-54 in 14.5 overs, giving him magnificent match bag of 11-113 on a sterling debut for UBL. Only discarded Pakistan opener Khurram Manzoor offered some fight. The right-hander was bowled by spinner Mohammad Nawaz for 54. Left-arm seamer Rumman Raees Khan lent good to Sohail by taking 3-34 from 14 overs.

Summarised scores:

1: At Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad: SNGPL beat Peshawar by 154 runs.

SNGPL 207 in 60 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 67, Mohammad Hafeez 36, Imran Butt 27; Mohammad Imran Khan 3-44, Shahzaib Ahmed Khan 2-19, Nasir Ahmed 2-47, Taj Wali 2-61) and 277 in 79.3 overs (Imran Butt 60, Shadab Khan 47, Azizullah 33; Taj Wali 5-81, Nasir Ahmed 2-45); PESHAWAR 203 in 59.1 overs (Gohar Ali 66, Sahibzada Farhan 50; Samiullah Khan Niazi 4-50, Shadab Khan 3-23) and 127 in 38.4 overs (Akbar Badshah 36, Jamaluddin 31; Shadab Khan 4-12, Mohammad Hafeez 3-14, Samiullah Khan Niazi 2-32).

2: At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: UBL beat Karachi Whites by an innings and 73 runs.

KARACHI WHITES: 208 in 51.3 overs (Mohammad Hasan 67, Faisal Iqbal 52, Azam Hussain 25 not out; Sohail Khan 6-59, Mohammad Nawaz 2-29) and 153 in 54.5 overs (Khurram Manzoor 54, Mohammad Hasan 26; Sohail Khan 5-54, Rumman Raees Khan 3-34); UBL 434 in 138.5 overs (Hammad Azam 128, Umar Siddique 74, Sohail Khan 63, Umar Akmal 47, Saad Ali 32, Gulraiz Sadaf 26; Mohammad Sami 5-84, Azam Hussain 2-89, Adeel Malik 2-95).

3: At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: Rawalpindi beat KRL by 105 runs.

RAWALPINDI 174 in 70.3 overs (Umair Masood 53, Nazar Hussain 28, Sarmad Hameed 26; Yasir Ali 6-50, Sadaf Hussain 3-48) and 139 in 46 overs (Sarmad Hameed 58, Nazar Hussain 29, Shaharyar Ghani 28; Shahenshah Afridi 8-39); KRL 131 in 45.2 overs (Hasan Sardar 38; Nazar Hussain 4-42, Ataullah 3-35) and 77 in 23 overs (Abdul Rehman Muzammil 23; Nazar Hussain 5-31, Ataullah 5-46).

Published in Daily Times, September 30^th 2017.