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The surprise packet in Habib Bank’s win, which took their tally of points to 33, turned out to be batsman Aftab Khan whose occasional off-spin bowling fetched him career-best figures of four for 39. AFP – (File Photo)

KARACHI: Habib Bank consolidated their position at the top of the President’s Trophy Grade-I National Cricket Championship standings after recording fourth successive victory when they whipped State Bank by 129 runs at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Wednesday.

After a sporting declaration by skipper Younis Khan, Habib Bank needed 58.4 overs to dismiss State Bank, who were chasing 278, for 148 in the second innings. Ehsan Adil, the young paceman, continued his dream run with the ball by claiming his second four-for in the match – 4-40 to finish with match analysis of 8-79.

The 19-year-old from Sheikhupura, who made his first-class debut just three weeks ago, has so far taken 30 wickets from four championship matches, including four four-for and two five-for, to emerge as a serious contender for a spot in the senior Pakistan squad for the Test tour of South Africa early next year.

But the surprise packet in Habib Bank’s win, which took their tally of points to 33, turned out to be batsman Aftab Khan whose occasional off-spin bowling fetched him career-best figures of four for 39.

Earlier, Younis, who made 101 in the first innings, again top-scored by making exactly 50 (71 balls, four balls) while opener Shan Masood made 42 as Habib Bank declared their second innings at 148-5.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) chalked up their third win to go second in the standings six points behind Habib Bank. They defeated Port Qasim Authority (PQA) by 32 runs at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot.

PQA, who had even chance of clinching an elusive first victory when they resumed on the fourth and final day at 64-2 while requiring another 184, were all out for 215 to suffer their third defeat. Pakistan Twenty20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez (4-37 in 22.1 overs) and left-arm seamer Samiullah Khan Niazi (4-65 in 22 overs) shared the wickets.

Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) were the other side to taste victory in the fourth round when they clinched a four-wicket success against United Bank at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi.

After United Bank added a further 40 to their Tuesday’s second-innings total of 103-7, KRL lost six wickets in reaching the 174-run they were chasing. Former Test batsman Bazid Khan led the way with a run-a-ball 76 that was embedded with 11 boundaries and one six.

Ali Khan, who remained unbeaten wit 37, helped Bazid put on 86 for the fourth wicket after KRL had lost the first three wickets for 63 runs.

Pakistan’s ace off-spinner Saeed Ajmal triggered a sensational Wapda collapse but despite his heroics Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) had to settle for a draw with Wapda earning their first points at the Sports Stadium in Sargodha.

Wapda, who had posted 205-2 in the their second innings at draw of stumps on day three, lost their last eight wickets for mere 51 runs with Saeed finishing with splendid figures of six for 56 in 28 overs. The third-wicket partnership between opener Kaleem Ahmed (70) and Aamir Sajjad (90) yielded 126.

ZTBL made no attempt to go after a tough target of 271 and opted to play safe by reaching 158-5 with Haris Sohail scoring an undefeated 58 to follow his 115 not out in the first innings.

Wicket-keeper/batsman Amin-ur-Rehman, who seldom get opportunities to play when Kamran Akmal is available, stole the limelight with a career-best innings of 137 from only 163 balls as National Bank drew against PIA at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The 29-year-old from Karachi laced his third century in 46 first-class games with 17 fours and four sixes as National Bank amassed 428 in their second innings. Skipper Fawad Alam carried on his good form this season by striking 12 boundaries in his 82-ball knock of 76.

Amin and Fawad were involved in a sixth-wicket partnership of 155 — the second three-figure stand of the innings following 117-run association between Bilal Munir (69) and Umair Khan (55) for the third wicket.

Paceman Anwar Ali put in a lion-hearted effort to grab five for 115 in 26.2 overs.

PIA, who secured three first-innings points to take third spot, reached 10-1 when the match ended.

The competition will now take an extended break because of Hajj and Eid-ul-Azha period before the fifth round of fixtures commences from Nov 2 with probably the Australian-made Kookaburra balls in use as decided by the Pakistan Cricket Board hierarchy in a recent meeting in Lahore.

Scores and results on Wednesday (final day of four):
At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: Match drawn.

NATIONAL BANK 323 in 83 overs (Qaiser Abbas 106, Wahab Riaz 52, Nasir Jamshed 35; Aizaz Cheema 4-81, Tahir Khan 3-83, Anwar Ali 2-46) and 428 in 120.2 overs (Amin-ur-Rehman 137, Fawad Alam 76, Bilal Munir 69, Umair Khan 55; Anwar Ali 5-115, Agha Sabir 2-30, Tahir Khan 2-129); PIA 341 in 101.3 overs (Shoaib Khan 121 not out, Shahzar Mohammad 61, Tahir Khan 37, Najaf Shah 31; Qaiser Abbas 3-45, Wahab Riaz 3-102, Mohammad Imran Khan 2-78) and 10-1 in 2 overs.

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: Habib Bank beat State Bank by 129 runs.

HABIB BANK 327 in 104.1 overs (Younis Khan 101, Rameez Aziz 91, Hasan Raza 41, Shan Masood 30; Kashif Siddique 4-39, Mohammad Ali 3-62, Saad Altaf 2-100) and 148-5 in 35 overs (Younis Khan 50, Shan Masood 42; Saad Altaf 3-64); STATE BANK 198 in 59 overs (Usman Saeed 50, Mohtashim Ali 43; Ahmed Shehzad 4-7, Ehsan Adil 4-39) and 148 in 58.4 overs (Mohtashim Ali 46, Hasan Mahmood 30; Aftab Khan 4-39, Ehsan Adil 4-40).

At Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot: SNGPL beat Port Qasim Authority by 32 runs.

SNGPL 266 in 69.2 overs (Mohammad Rizwan 91, Ali Waqas 56; Azam Hussain 4-41, Abdur Rauf 2-49, Mohammad Sami 2-75) and 225 in 67.1 overs (Taufiq Umar 82, Misbah-ul-Haq 49; Azam Hussain 6-50, Abdur Rauf 2-38); PORT QASIM AUTHORITY 244 in 76.3 overs (Daniyal Ahsan 61, Khurram Manzoor 38; Imran Ali 4-52, Samiullah Khan Niazi 3-47, Bilawal Bhatti 2-60) and 215 in 73.1 overs (Umar Amin 45, Usman Tariq 39, Mohammad Sami 30; Mohammad Hafeez 4-30, Samiullah Khan Niazi 4-65).

At Sports Stadium, Sargodha: Match drawn.

WAPDA 294 in 84.4 overs (Sohaib Maqsood 110, Bilal Khilji 53, Aamir Sajjad 39; Abdul Razzaq 5-58, Mohammad Khalil 3-89) and 259 in 89 overs (Aamir Sajjad 90, Kaleem Ahmed 70, Mohammad Ibrahim 38; Saeed Ajmal 6-56, Mohammad Khalil 3-61); ZTBL 283 in 87.3 overs (Haris Sohail 115 not out, Babar Azam 52; Nawaz Sardar 4-38, Zulfiqar Babar 4-71) and 158-5 in 57 overs (Haris Sohail 58 not out, Yasir Hameed 38, Atif Ashraf 30; Zulfiqar Babar 2-67).

At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi: KRL beat United Bank by four wickets.

UNITED BANK 319 in 111.5 overs (Abid Ali 130, Mohammad Sami 58; Mohammad Irfan 4-82, Yasir Ali 3-47, Rahat Ali 2-78) and 143 in 64 overs (Kashif Bhatti 33, Mohammad Sami 30; Mohammad Irfan 3-32, Yasir Ali 3-37, Saeed Anwar Jr 2-19, Rahat Ali 2-38); KRL 290 in 86 overs (Saeed Anwar Jr 86, Naved Ahmed Yasin 58, Zain Abbas 57, Zulfiqar Jan 32; Mohammad Irshad 5-94, Kashif Bhatti 4-70) and 176-6 in 39.4 overs (Bazid Khan 76, Ali Khan 37 not out; Mohammad Irshad 3-61, Kashif Bhatti 2-66).