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ISLAMABAD, Nov 25 (APP): The third day of the last Quaid-e-Azam Trophy round saw Karachi Blues, Multan and Lahore Whites register victories, while Bahawalpur lined themselves up for a 310-run chase over final contenders Faisalabad, and Peshawar responded well to Islamabad’s follow-on call on a busy Tuesday across the five venues.
Karachi Blues, who were placed fifth after playing five matches – ended their league stage run in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy at the top with five wins and berth in the final.
Blues got over the line with three wickets in hand against Sialkot in their ninth and last league game of the tournament at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.
Chasing 212 to win, Blues benefited from the second-wicket 133-run stand between Shan Masood (86, 112b, 3x4s, 3x6s) and Saad Baig (68, 96b, 5x4s, 3x6s). Shan then accompanied Haroon Arshad (30, 45b, 4x4s) in a 51-run third-wicket stand as Blues inched closer to victory.
From 192-3, they slipped to 206-7 before crossing the line in 57.2 overs as Mehran Mumtaz took 4-40 and Hamza Nazar picked up two wickets. Earlier in the day, Sialkot 217-7 and managed to 260 all out – stretching thei lead from 168 to 211 – with Hamza Nazar scoring 66 and Afzaal Manzoor 48 not out.
Karachi Blues’s Kashif Bhatti picked up his 28th first-class five-for as he returned figures of 5-72 in 34 overs – finishing with nine wickets in the match, while Mohammad Asghar picked up three wickets.
Faisalabad are faced with the prospect of an outright win against Bahawalpur to pip second-placed Sialkot and qualify for the final. Bahawalpur finished the day three with 124-2 in 28 overs – requiring another 186 runs to win – in pursuit of the 310-run target at the Marghzar Cricket Ground, Islamabad.
Mohammad Alamgir (69, 86b, 8x4s, 4x6s) and Mohammad Sudais (53, 69b, 7x4s, 1×6) strung together a 113-run opening stand before both fell in the dying moments of the day.
Earlier, Faisalabad were dismissed for 185 in 53.2 overs in their second dig after earning a 124-run first innings lead as Bahawalpur’s Mohammad Junaid (21-4-58-7) returned only the third seven-fer and third-best individual bowling performance in an innings of the tournament and his maiden haul of five or more scalps.
Faisalabad slumped from 90-3 to 185 all out as opening batter Hasan Raza top-scored with 48 off 62 balls hitting five fours.
Peshawar were made to follow-on by Islamabad on day three after they folded for 231 all out in 57.4 overs in response to 563 all out at the Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad. In turn, Peshawar closed the day with 183-2 in 41 overs, trailing by another 149 runs.
The 20-year-old Razaullah had a day to remember in just his third first-class game – where he is yet to be dismissed in single figures across six innings – as he struck his maiden first-class century while opening (100, 95b, 10x4s, 5x6s) in the second innings just after striking 57 not out in the first innings batting at no.9.
Resuming the day from 81-4 in the first innings, Peshawar slipped to 102-7, when skipper Sajid Khan (64, 76b, 9x4s, 1×6) and Razaullah (57 not out, 83b, 6x4s, 2x6s) stitched a crucial 101-run stand frustrating the Islamabad bowlers and erasing the deficit.
Peshawar eventually fell for 231 all out – conceding 332-run deficit with Musa Khan taking his eighth first-class five-wicket haul (5-79).
Peshawar’s decision to open with their unbeaten batter Razaullah proved to pay dividends as he put on a 53-run opening stand with Mohammad Shahbaz and then a 105-run stand with Waqar Ahmed (63 not out, 88b, 8x4s) before falling to Musa Khan late in the day.
Lahore Whites bagged their third win of the tournament as Mohammad Abbas’ 53rd five-wicket haul restricted FATA to 141 all out chasing 175 at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, Peshawar.
Lahore Whites’ bowling attack comprising of three Test bowlers Abbas (5-31), Aamir Jamal (1-31) and Noman Ali (1-59) and uncapped Mohammad Rameez Jnr (3-20) pulled off a memorable triumph for their team to close out the tournament.
Fata 42-5, when their top-scorer Rehan Afridi (45, 101b, 4x4s) walked in to bat and with no.9 Hayatullah (24, 27b, 4x4s, 1×6) took their team 114 before White struck again as the last two wickets too added 27 runs but in vain.
Earlier, Asif Afridi completed his 17th first-class five-wicket haul (20-5-67-5) as Fata dismissed Lahore Whites for 208 after they had resumed from 144-4 with a mere 110-run lead. No.9 batter Khawaja Mohammad Abdullah landed some decisive punches for Whites as struck 10 fours in his 28-ball 49. Khushdil Shah and Hayatullah picked up two wickets each.
Multan managed to avoid relegation as they beat Abbottabad by an innings and 201 runs – their second win in the tournament – at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium with player of the match Ali Usman taking 6-65 and 4-92 – his third-consecutive 10-wicket haul in the tournament.
On day three, Abbottabad resumed from eight for no loss further requiring another 375 runs to make Multan bat again in the game.
No Abbottabad batter apart from Shahzaib Khan (61, 147b, 5x4s, 1×6) and Ahmed Khan (51, 46b, 3x4s, 4x6s) could trouble the Multan bowlers as they went from 68-3 to 182 all out in 52.4 overs finished at the bottom of the table with just a solitary win to their name. Ali was aided by Sharoon Siraj and Faisal Akram, who picked up two wickets each.