KARACHI, Jan 4: Habib Bank opened their account in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship’s points table after crushing Pakistan Customs by an innings and 98 runs at the UBL Sports Complex here on Sunday.

Customs, who were reeling at 61 for five after being forced to bat again, were dismissed for 129 in the second innings despite a fighting 81 from former Test batsman Zahoor Elahi.

Customs made 87 in the first innings in reply to the bankers’ 314.

National Bank put themselves in a winning position against PIA at the NBP Sports Complex after young left-handers Nasir Jamshed hit a splendid 115 (185 balls, 19 fours) and Fawad Alam an unbeaten 86 (six fours).

National Bank eventually made 322 in their second innings. PIA, who earned a slender two-run lead on the first innings, then found themselves reeling at 42-3 in pursuit of a target of 321 runs. Left-arm paceman Wahab Riaz claimed all three wickets.

Karachi Whites were 155-4 after conceding a first-innings lead of 39 runs to SSGC who made 311 at the Quaid-i-Azam Park in Steel Township. Pacer Tanvir Ahmed (5-61) and spinner Azam Hussain (4-92) excelled for Karachi Whites.

There was no play for second successive day of the match between KRL and Wapda at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi because of rain.

Meanwhile, in Group ‘B’, Sialkot were on verge of victory after reaching 132-3 in the second innings while chasing 208.

Our Sports Reporter adds from Lahore: Only 47.4 overs were bowled as intermittent rain and poor light continued to play havoc with the match between Lahore Shalimar and ZTBL at the LCCA Ground.

Lahore Shalimar reached 331-7 in 137.3 overs after resuming their first innings at 215-2.

Zeeshan Asif emulated his opening partner Imran Ali, who made 103 on Saturday, by hitting an unbeaten 133 to help Faisalabad closed their first innings at 354-3 against Hyderabad at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

The visitors, who made 179 in the first innings, were 19-2 in the second innings.

Multan skipper Abdul Rauf claimed 5-50 as Quetta were dismissed for 210. By close of play, Multan were 80 for four with all wickets taken by left-arm pacer Nazar Hussain

Scores on Sunday (day three of four):

Pool ‘A’:

At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: Habib Bank beat Pakistan Customs by an innings and 98 runs.

HABIB BANK 314 in 117.4 overs (Kamran Hussain 86, Younis Khan 71; Murtaza Hussain 4-83); PAKISTAN CUSTOMS 87 in 30 overs and 129 in 36 overs (Zahoor Elahi 81).

At NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: NATIONAL BANK 213 in 65.1 overs (Nasir Jamshed 83; Anwar Ali 4-81) and 322 in 93.1 overs (Nasir Jamshed 115, Fawad Alam 86 not out; Tahir Khan 5-62); PIA 215 in 64 overs (Khurram Manzoor 86 not out; Mohammad Aamir 6-48) and 42-3 in 11.4 overs (Wahab Riaz 3-6).

At Quaid-i-Azam Park, Karachi:

KARACHI WHITES 278 in 94.5 overs (Asim Kamal 71, Javed Mansoor 51; Mohammad Kashif Rana 4-96) and 155-4 (Asim Kamal 62 not out, Afsar Nawaz 62); SSGC 311 in 104.2 overs (Saeed bin Nasir 94, Wajid Ali 81; Tanvir Ahmed 5-61, Azam Hussain 4-92).

At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi (no play since Friday): WAPDA 217-5 in 71.5 overs (Aamir Sajjad 78, Bilal Khilji 59 not out, Atiq-ur-Rehman 51) v KRL.

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: LAHORE SHALIMAR 331-7 in 137.3 overs (Junaid Malik 85, Suleman Khan 83) v ZTBL.

Pool ‘B’:

At National Stadium, Karachi: KARACHI BLUES 226 in 67 overs Mohammad Hasan 62, Shadab Kabir 52; Nayyar Abbas 4-41) and 219 in 56.4 overs (Babar Rehman 59, Shahzaib Hasan 51); SIALKOT 238 in 81.5 overs (Haris Sohail 74 not out; Babar Rehman 5-73) and 132-3 in 37 overs (Kamran Younis 55).

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: HYDERABAD 179 in 50.2 overs (Zulqarnain 4-66) and 19-2 in 9.2 overs; FAISALABAD 354-3 declared in 87 overs (Zeeshan Asif 133 not out, Imran Ali 103, Usman Arshad 52 not out).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad (no play on Sunday): RAWALPINDI 325 in 93 overs (Awais Zia 81, Rashid Latif 62, Jamal Anwar 52; Noor-ul-Amin 4-71) v ABBOTTABAD.

At Marghazar Ground, Islamabad (no play on day two): ISLAMABAD 47-2 in 13 overs v PESHAWAR. At Multan Cricket Stadium (day two): QUETTA 210 in 79 overs (Naseem Khan 54; Abdur Rauf 5-50); MULTAN 80-4 in 33 overs (Nazar Hussain 4-24).

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