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ISLAMABAD, Oct 14 (APP): The third day of the second round of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2025-26 saw Karachi Blues get over the line against Multan, while Mehran Mumtaz and Saad Khan registered their maiden first-class century and double ton, respectively.
Karachi Blues beat Multan by seven wickets as they chased the 100-run target in 16.3 overs with player of the Saad Baig backing up his first innings century with an unbeaten half-century (65 not out, 56b, 11x4s, 1×6).
Earlier, Karachi Blues’ Saqib Khan returned impressive figures of 17.4-2-62-6 to bundle out Multan for 272 in their second innings despite half-centuries from Sharoon Siraj (96, 148b, 13x4s, 1×6) and Waqar Hussain (52, 86b, 4x4s, 1×6).
Multan – who incurred a 173-run first innings deficit – began the day from overnight score of 12-0 and then slid from 212-4 to 272 all out.
Bahawalpur’s Saad Khan struck a magnificent unbeaten double century – his maiden in first-class cricket – to lead his team from 124-3 overnight to 463-6 in 126 overs in reply to Islamabad’s 541-6 dec at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi.
Saad stitched a 136-run stand with Mohammad Alamgir (58, 117b, 8x4s, 1×6), 142-run fifth-wicket stand with Mubasir Khan (72, 120b, 9x4s) and an unbeaten 106-run stand for the seventh wicket with Muhammad Imran (51 not out, 89b, 5x4s, 2x6s) to help his team bat out the day and erase the mammoth deficit.
Sialkot’s Mehran Mumtaz stunned Faisalabad as he registered his maiden first-class century (125, 156b, 18x4s, 2x6s) batting at no.9 as they went from overnight score of 189-5 to 416 all out – getting a 161-run first innings lead at the Imran Khan Stadium, Peshawar.
Mehran shared a 124-run stand for the ninth wicket with Mohammad Ali – who faced 105 balls to score 18 runs including three fours. He fell to Faisalabad’s concussion substitute Jahandad Khan – who had come in place of fast bowler Asad Raza.
In turn, Faisalabad were 38-2 at stumps with Faham-ul-Haq’s injury replacement Sameer Saqib unbeaten on 20.
Abbottabad found themselves trailing by 100 runs in the second innings with eight wickets in hand against Lahore Whites as they finished the day three with 35-2 in nine overs at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad.
Earlier, Lahore Whites added 268 runs to their overnight score of 232-2 to rack up a 135-run first innings lead. Lahore Whites’ opening batter Ali Zaryab (199, 335b, 23x4s, 1×6) fell one run short of his double century against Abbottabad’s Shahnawaz Dahani, while Khalid Usman picked up five wickets in 47.1 overs giving away 172 runs.
At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Fata required 205 more runs to win against Peshawar as they finished the day three with 51-2 in 17.2 overs.
Earlier, Peshawar resumed from their overnight score of 59-1 and managed a 295 all out with the help of half-centuries from Iftikhar Ahmed (75, 117b, 9x4s, 1×6), Mohammad Haris (59, 110b, 5x4s, 2x6s) and Israrullah (51, 97b, 8x4s), setting Fata a 256-run target. For Fata, Zahid Mehmood returned figures of 24-1-85-6 – his 10th first-class five-for.