KARACHI: Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) sealed a 102-run success against Quetta Bears inside three days to consolidate their top Group-I spot in the Silver League event of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship on Saturday.

Set an achievable target of 216 with Sunday’s fourth and final day still to come, the Bears suffered an inexplicable batting collapse to be shot out for 113 in 45.5 overs. Left-arm seamer Najaf Shah wreaked havoc with figures of six for 21 in 15 overs.

Earlier, PIA added 62 runs to their overnight second-innings tally of 160-6 with Tahir Khan remaining unbeaten for the second time in the match. He made 40 to follow his 51 in the first innings.

Second-placed Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) were closing in on victory after Hyderabad Hawks stuttered to 136-6 in their second innings at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad. Left-arm fast bowler Sadaf Hussain continued his rehabilitation from injury that laid him low last season with three wickets.

Earlier, KRL extended their Friday’s total of 322-5 to 496 all out to secure a commanding lead of 283 on the first innings. Luqman Butt struck 111 off 166 balls with 14 fours and two sixes while putting on 99 for the sixth wicket with Ali Khan (48).

Habib Bank also were on verge of victory

against Bahawalpur Stags after the regional outfit struggled to 265-9 in their second innings at the Dring Stadium in Bahawalpur after going behind 221 runs on the first innings.

Discarded Pakistan spinner Abdur Rehman has so far claimed six wickets for 82 runs in 82 overs.

State Bank earned a one-run lead after Kashif Bhatti — better known on domestic circuit as a slow left-armer — scored 158 (203 balls, 28 boundaries) to help his side recover from 97-6 to 343 against Sialkot Stallions at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot.

Kashif, whose previous first-class score was 91, was the dominant partner in the seven-wicket stand of 193 with Mohtashim Ali (82 off 231 balls, seven fours). Paceman Hasan Ali, who had overnight figures of 5-50, finished with his best-ever haul of eight for 107 in 33.1 overs.

The Stallions then went to stumps at 131-4 in their second innings.

Lahore Eagles need to bat out Sunday’s final day to prevent Pakistan Television (PTV) from chalking up another win. Chasing 374 at the LCCA Ground, the Eagles reached 21-0.

Abbottabad Falcons were 244-6 to thwart SSGC’s victory hopes at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Waqar Orakzai led the way with an undefeated 84 as the Falcons lead by 170.

Close of play scores and result on Saturday (day three of four):

Published in Dawn, November 2nd , 2014

At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: HYDERABAD HAWKS 213 in 44.4 overs (Faisal Athar 56, Lal Kumar 47, Shabih Haider 35; Nauman Ali 3-44, Irfan Ali 3-85, Ali Khan 2-20, Sadaf Hussain 2-51) and 136-6 in 41 overs (Shoaib Leghari 64 not out; Sadaf Hussain 3-29, Nauman Ali 2-38); KRL 496 in 126.3 overs (Saeed Anwar 113, Luqman Butt 111, Usman Arshad 65, Ali Khan 48, Nauman Ali 30; Nasir Awais 4-104, Babar Khan 3-131).

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: PTV 294 in 88.3 overs (Rehan Afridi 69, Hasan Raza Jr 47, Rizwan Haider 47, Usman Ashraf 39; Bilawal Iqbal 5-60, Asif Raza 2-70, Mohammad Waheed 2-82) and 292-6 declared in 74.5 overs (Hasan Raza Jr 109, Mohammad Naeem 79, Rizwan Ahmed 42 not out; Haris Naseer 2-39, Asif Raza 2-46); LAHORE EAGLES 213 in 67 overs (Mohammad Hamza 57; Mohammad Abbas 5-66) and 21-0 in 6.5 overs.

At National Cricket Ground, Islamabad: PIA beat Quetta Bears by 102 runs.

PIA 179 in 48.4 overs (Tahir Khan 51 not out, Shaharyar Ghani 39; Nazar Hussain 3-58, Ziaullah 2-6, Sher Ali 2-22, Gohar Faiz 2-44) and 222 in 66.4 overs (Faisal Iqbal 44, Fahad Iqbal 43, Tahir Khan 40 not out, Najaf Shah 34; Sher Ali 3-53, Nazar Hussain 3-55, Gohar Faiz 3-65); QUETTA BEARS 186 in 61.5 overs (Shahzad Tareen 72; Hazrat Shah 5-61, Ali Imran 2-22, Najaf Shah 2-49) and 113 in 45.5 overs (Shahzad Tareen 31; Najaf Shah 6-21, Ali Imran 2-19).

Group II:

At Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur: BAHAWALPUR STAGS 221 in 65.3 overs (Mazhar Bashir 66, Faisal Mubashir 32; Waqas Khan 30; Fahad Masood 4-31, Aftab Khan 2-21, Kamran Hussain 2-24, Aslam Qureshi 2-37) and 265-9 in 75 overs (Moinuddin 85, Rehan Rafiq 63 not out, Imranullah Aslam 45; Abdur Rehman 6-82, Sarmad Anwar 2-37); HABIB BANK 442 in 109 overs (Bilal Shafayat 145, Aftab Khan 61, Abdur Rehman 57, Kamran Hussain 53, Fakhar Zaman 38; Imranullah Aslam 3-81, Faisal Mubashir 2-17, Abdul Rehman 2-117).

At Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot: SIALKOT STALLIONS 342 in 101.3 overs (Faisal Khan 121, Bilal Asif 111; Mohammad Naved 4-70, Mohammad Naeem 3-36, Aamir Yamin 3-58) and 131-4 in 34 overs (Bilal Hussain 38 not out, Atiq-ur-Rehan 35 not out, Nauman Anwar 32; Mohammad Naeem 2-30, Aamir Yamin 2-36); STATE BANK 343 in 102.1 overs (Kashif Bhatti 158, Mohtashim Ali 82; Hasan Ali 8-107).

At Abbottabad Stadium, Abbottabad: ABBOTTABAD FALCONS 223 in 82.3 overs (Sohail Akhtar 77, Rameez Ahmed 42; Tabish Khan 5-43, Tariq Haroon 3-57, Adnan Ghaus 2-47) and 24-0 in 12 overs; SSGC 297 in 67.3 overs (Saifullah Bangash 148 not out, Awais Zia 32; Ikramullah 3-63, Umair Khan 3-72, Shakeel Ahmed 3-75).

Published in Dawn, November 2nd , 2014