Lahore Whites, Peshawar, Sialkot qualify for triangular stage of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

ISLAMABAD, Nov 22 (APP):Lahore Whites, Peshawar and Sialkot have qualified for the triangular stage of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2024-25, after the completion of the five rounds and 45 matches of the 18-team first-class tournament.

Lahore Whites, Peshawar and Sialkot have qualified from Group A, B and C, respectively for the triangular stage.

The single-league triangular stage of the Trophy is set to begin on November 25 with Peshawar and Sialkot taking on each other followed by Lahore Whites facing Peshawar from December 1 at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium.

The third and last fixture of the triangular stage will be played between Lahore Whites and Sialkot from December 27 to 30, while the final is set to be staged from January 2 to 6 2025. The venue for the last triangular fixture and the final will be announced in due course.

Peshawar qualified for the triangular stage on the back of heroic bowling effort on day four against Rawalpindi to win by only 26 runs at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.

Requiring 241 runs to win the game and qualify for next stage, Rawalpindi began their day from overnight score of 19-2 and were bundled out for 214 in 64.3 overs as Umar Amin’s 129-ball 65-run effort went in vain. He partnered with Taimur Khan (42, 70b, 5x4s, 1×6) to take Rawalpindi from 97-5 to 172-6 before they slipped to 196-9. Peshawar’s Maaz Sadaqat and Niaz Khan picked up three wickets each in six and 13.3 overs, respectively. Skipper Sajid Khan snapped two scalps.

Sialkot, who topped the Group C, beat Karachi Blues by eight wickets at Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Mirpur. Sialkot chased the 99-run target in 18.5 overs. Earlier, Sialkot wrapped up the Karachi Blues innings for 224 after they bagan from overnight score of 220-9. Test fast bowler Mohammad Ali completed his ninth first-class five-fer taking his tally of match wickets to nine.

Elsewhere, Faisalabad beat Islamabad by 247 runs at National Ground Islamabad. Faisalabad took only 2.5 overs to snap the remaining three Islamabad wickets, who had resumed from overnight score of 136-7, bundling them out for 148 in 40.5 overs. Faisalabad’s Asad Raza and Shehzad Gul picked up four wickets each taking their match tally to eight and seven wickets, respectively. At Diamond Cricket Ground, Abbottabad beat Hyderabad by 249 runs. Hyderabad were bundled out for 95 in 27.4 overs chasing 345 as Aftab Ahmed picked 5-34 in 6.4 overs. Bahawalpur romped to a 198-run win over Karachi Whites who were dismissed for a mere 102 in pursuit of 301 runs. Bahawalpur’s Mehran Sanwal snapped 5-22 in 6.3 overs.