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KARACHI: Karachi Blues pulled off a much-needed second victory in the Faysal Bank Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship Division I when they overpowered Sialkot by 214 runs at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot on Monday.
After being outplayed for the better part of the first two days, Karachi Blues staged a magnificent comeback on Sunday’s penultimate day to amass 432-9 in their second innings before making an overnight declaration before play resumed on the last day.
Sialkot, who had earned a first-innings lead of 83 runs, were then blown away for 135 in just 26.5 overs in pursuit of a 351-run target. The wickets were shared by the four-pronged Karachi Blues attack of skipper Mohammad Sami (2-30), Tanvir Ahmed (3-45), Sohail Khan (2-38) and spinner Azam Hussain (3-26).
Habib Bank crashed to their third defeat when Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) crushed the champions by 133 runs at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Habib Bank, who were 101-3 while chasing 376 at stumps on day three, were dismissed for 242 with Bilal Shafayat (66) and captain Hasan Raza (45) the only batsmen to make some contributions.
ZTBL’s bowling hero was the 34-year-old Hyderabad paceman Rehan Riaz who finished with 5-48 in 14.4 overs and a match bag of 8-71.
National Bank, meanwhile, just failed to beat State Bank at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad with no point awarded to either side because of tied first-innings totals. State Bank, needing 314, hung on to draw the game at 183-9 in 69.2 overs with wicket-keeper Gulraiz Sadaf playing a sterling role.
Gulraiz defied the National Bank bowlers for 122 minutes to score an undefeated 46 from 94 balls after opener Mohtashim Ali had made a 135-ball 55 in 207 minutes.
Earlier, National Bank closed their second innings at 313-5 with Qaiser Abbas remaining 79 not out. Scores and results on Monday (final day of four):
At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: Match drawn.
NATIONAL BANK 282 in 75.5 overs (Kamran Akmal 71, Aqeel Anjum 68, Nasir Jamshed 38, Khurram Manzoor 33; Rizwan Haider 3-42, Saad Altaf 3-96, Kashif Siddique 2-20) and 313-5 declared in 68 overs (Qaiser Abbas 79 not out, Kamran Akmal 74, Nasir Jamshed 67, Fawad Alam 31; Mohammad Ali 2-36, Adnan Rasool 2-69); STATE BANK 282 in 93.5 overs (Rameez Aziz 80, Rameez Raja 79, Gulraiz Sadaf 34; Uzair-ul-Haq 3-31, Mohammad Talha 5-78, Uzair-ul-Haq 3-38) and 183-9 in 69.2 overs (S. Mohtashim Ali 55, Gulraiz Sadaf 46 not out; Qaiser Abbas 3-30, Wahab Riaz 3-69, Umaid Asif 2-29).
At Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot: Karachi Blues beat Sialkot by 214 runs.
KARACHI BLUES 166 in 43.5 overs (Mohammad Sami 48, Mohammad Wajihuddin 31; Mohammad Imran 5-40, Prince Abbas 4-68) and 432-9 declared in 100 overs (Shahzaib Hasan 91, Hafiz Asad Baig 64, Mohammad Wajihuddin 61, Mohammad Sami 61; Mohammad Imran 3-111, Mohammad Asghar 2-87, Prince Abbas 2-102); SIALKOT 249 in 73.4 overs (Mohammad Yasin 81, M. Ayub Dogar 67, Naved Sarwar 36; Mohammad Sami 4-66, Tanvir Ahmed 4-104, Azam Hussain 2-27) and 135 in 26.5 overs (Rizwan Sultan 27; Azam Hussain 3-26, Tanvir Ahmed 3-45, Sohail Khan 2-28, Mohammad Sami 2-30).
At Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: ZTBL beat Habib Bank by 133 runs.
ZTBL 201 in 56.1 overs (Yasir Hameed 40; Sarmad Anwar 6-52, Sajid Shah 2-20) and 330 in 72.5 overs (Sharjeel Khan 88, Yasir Hameed 53, Zulqarnain Haider 38; Danish Kaneria 5-60, Fahad Masood 2-77); HABIB BANK 156 in 49.5 overs (Ahmed Shahzad 42, Aftab Khan 33; Rehan Riaz 3-23, Junaid Nadir 3-46, Rao Iftikhar 2-37, Mohammad Khalil 2-42) and 242 in 63.4 overs (Bilal Shafayat 66, Hasan Raza 45; Rehan Riaz 5-48, Mohammad Khalil 2-90).
