- Advertisement -
ISLAMABAD, Oct 31 (APP):The day two of the fifth round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26 saw Sialkot and Pakistan pacer Mohammad Hasnain and Faisalabad opening batter Faham-ul-Haq register memorable career milestones in first-class cricket as exciting action unfolded across the five venues in four cities.
Abbottabad were made to follow-on by Sialkot as they faltered in their first innings getting bowled out for 92 in 34.5 overs from being 51-2, incurring a 293-run first innings deficit at the Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad. In their second dig, Abbottabad were 37-1 in 10.2 overs when stumps were drawn – trailing by 256 runs.
Sialkot’s pacer Mohammad Hasnain bagged his maiden first-class five-for returning figures of 8-3-22-5 – besting his previous haul of 4-42 – while he was supported in Abbottabad’s annihilation by Test pacers Hasan Ali (8.5-3-14-3) and Mohammad Ali (11-1-27-2).
Earlier, Shahnawaz Dahani’s fourth first-class five-wicket haul (27-6-86-5) and Israr Hussain’s 4-117 helped Abbottabad wrap up Sialkot’s first innings for 385 all out in 107.1 overs after they resumed from overnight score of 322-4 in 83.2 overs.
Faham-ul-Haq registered his maiden first-class century (137 not out, 264b, 17x4s) to bring his team closer to parity with Peshawar’s 320-run first innings total as they finished the day with 309-7 in 94 overs at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.
Beginning their first innings at the start of day two, Faisalabad’s opening batters Faham and Hasan Raza (40, 66b, 8x4s) put on a 66-run opening stand.
Faham also shared a 55-run second-wicket stand with Asim Ali Nasir (38, 70b, 5x4s, 1×6), a 66-run fourth-wicket stand with Muhammad Awais Zafar (20, 56b, 1×4) and another 55-run sixth-wicket stand with Taimur Khan (24, 40b, 4x4s) to keep Faisalabad’s innings intact.
At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, FATA finished the day with 213-7 in 38.2 overs – with another 219 runs in arrears – in reply to Islamabad’s 432 all out in the first innings. For Islamabad, pacers Hunain Shah (4-69) and Musa Khan (2-44) combined to take six wickets and reduced FATA to 107-5 at one stage.
Fata’s wicketkeeper-batter Rehan Afridi arrested the slump with a brisk 71 not out off 57 balls hitting 11 fours and two sixes. Opening batters Mohammad Naeem (41, 30b, 5x4s, 2x6s) and Mohammad Farooq (36, 26b, 8x4s) provided their team a blazing start with a 68-run opening stand.
Earlier in the day, Islamabad’s Sarmad Bhatti remained unbeaten on 150 off 253 balls striking 28 fours, while Rohail Nazir fell after adding five runs to his overnight score of 96 – bringing up his sixth first-class century.
Islamabad, who were 326-4 at stumps on opening day – were dismissed for 432 in 103 overs as Fata’s pace trio of Akif Javed (4-121), Arshadullah (3-109) and Sameen Gul (2-83) bagged nine wickets combined.
A total of 16 wickets fell at the Imran Khan Stadium, Peshawar in the fixture between Karachi Blues and Bahawalpur as the latter ended day two with 35-1 in pursuit of a 213-run target.
Bahawalpur resumed their first innings from overnight score of 55-5 in 18 overs before being skittled for 115 in 33 overs as Saqib Khan (4-42), Muhammad Umar (3-34) and Mohammad Hamza (2-28) shared nine wickets among giving Karachi a 102-run lead.
In the second innings, no Karachi Blues batter entered the double figures except Omair Bin Yousuf (76, 113b, 11x4s) as they slumped to 30-5, 49-7 before being bowled out for 110 in 37.5 overs. Gulfam Aziz picked up three wickets, while Mohammad Azab and Muhammad Imran dismissed two batters each.
Multan had gained a mere three-run second innings lead after they ended the day two with 122-3 in 34.5 overs against Lahore Whites at the Marghzar Cricket Ground, Islamabad.
Facing a 119-run first innings deficit, Multan’s Waqar Hussain (49, 84b, 8x4s) and Imran Butt (38 not out, 68b, 4x4s) stitched a 69-run second-wicket stand before Mohammad Abbas removed the former.
Earlier, Lahore Whites were bowled out for 283 in 74 overs as they resumed from their overnight score of 121-4 in 32 overs. For Multan, Mohammad Ismail picked up three wickets, while Arafat Minhas, Kashif Ali and Mohammad Shan dismissed two batters each.
Lahore Whites’ lower order contributed to help their team gain a substantial first innings lead as no.6 Qasim Akram struck his eighth first-class half-century (61, 69b, 11x4s), while Aamir Jamal (45, 68b, 7x4s, 1×6), Nisar Ahmed (33, 45b, 5x4s, 1×6) and Mohammad Abbas (22, 38b, 5x4s) frustrated the Multan bowlers after their team slipped to 172-7.