LAHORE, March 8: Punjab needed 15 deliveries on the fourth and final day of the Pentangular Cup fixture at Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot to complete a crushing innings and 128-run victory over Balochistan on Saturday.

Balochistan’s last two wickets fell for the addition of only 13 runs after resuming play at 207 for eight. Both wickets were claimed by former international Junaid Zia, who dismissed Imranullah Aslam for 51 and Azharullah off successive deliveries. Punjab’s first victory in the tournament earned them nine points.

Scoreboard

BALOCHISTAN (1st Innings) 375 (Rameez Alam 84, Yasir Arafat Jr 62, Gulraiz Sadaf 55).

PUNJAB (1st Innings) 723-4 declared (Misbah-ul-Haq 208 not out, Salman Butt 160, Nasir Jamshed 140 retired hurt, Ammar Mahmood 94, Shoaib Malik 60).

BALOCHISTAN (2nd Innings, overnight 207-8):

Yasir Arafat Jr lbw b Aizaz 3

Usman Tariq b Wahab 2

Rameez Alam c Kamran b Wahab 48

Saeed bin Nasir lbw b Rehman 16

Naseem Khan lbw b Hafeez 1

Gulraiz Sadaf c Ammar b Hafeez 0

Imranullah Aslam c Kamran b Junaid 51

Abdur Rauf b Rehman 24

Jalat Khan c Kamran b Rehman 11

Tanvir Ahmed not out 47

Azharullah c Kamran b Junaid 0

EXTRAS (B-4, NB-13) 17

TOTAL (all out, 48.4 overs) 220

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-19, 3-66, 4-67, 5-67, 6-98, 7-129, 8-149, 9-220.

BOWLING: Wahab Riaz 10-1-45-2 (7nb); Aizaz Cheema 6-0-34-1; Mohammad Hafeez 15-0-47-2; Junaid Zia 3.4-0-25-2 (6nb); Abdul Rehman 14-1-65-3.

RESULT: Punjab won by an innings and 128 runs.

UMPIRES: Salim Badar and Riazuddin.

MATCH REFEREE: Abdul Sami Khan.

OFFICIAL SCORER: Farrukh Ilyas.

Opinion

Editorial

Unstable outlook
Updated 28 Jan, 2025

Unstable outlook

Improving indicators can be tempting enough to act boldly to accelerate economic growth. But must the SBP do so and repeat past blunders?
‘Poor’ lawmakers
28 Jan, 2025

‘Poor’ lawmakers

WHILE the average Pakistani is expected to carry the burden of austerity as he struggles to put food on the table,...
Digital security
28 Jan, 2025

Digital security

A RECENT advisory issued by the National Telecommunication and Information Technology Security Board has caused a ...
Trumpian purge
Updated 27 Jan, 2025

Trumpian purge

For Trump and his MAGA support base, these moves are necessary to preserve what they view as the American way of life.
World Bank’s view
27 Jan, 2025

World Bank’s view

PAKISTAN is at a critical point. Inconsistent and poor economic policies of the past have had an adverse impact on...
Learning losses
27 Jan, 2025

Learning losses

WHEN thermometers in Lahore hit 48°C last May, it led to closures across the region. From Dhaka to Manila, some ...