KARACHI: Lahore Blues completed the Super Eight line-up from Pool ‘B’ in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship by grabbing the last available spot with a clinical 172-run rout of Karachi Whites on the penultimate day of the last-round fixture in Lahore on Sunday.

Peshawar, in the meantime surged to the top of Pool ‘A’ standings after steamrolling the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) by a huge margin of 484 runs in Abbottabad, while Rawalpindi rounded off their first-class season with a consolation five-wicket success against Multan in Rawalpindi.

Karachi Whites, resuming 27-2 in pursuit of an achievable target of 285 at start of play on day three at the LCCA Ground, suffered a dramatic collapse as they lost eight wickets for 60 runs after progressing to 52-2 before being bundled out for 112.

Peshawar annihilate Fata by 484 runs

Paceman Shahid Nawaz — who claimed 6-32 in 11.3 overs — was the architect of Lahore Blues’ third win in the championship that cemented their fourth place with 27 points behind Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Karachi Whites.

The result also meant the Karachi Whites — the only team in the competition who had not lost this season — lose their unbeaten run that had previous secured three wins while three games were drawn.

Fata were in no mood to take the match into Monday’s fourth and final day at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium when they crashed to 183 all out in the space of just 27.4 overs after Peshawar had set them a massive 668-run chase.

Earlier, Peshawar extended their overnight second-innings score from 309-5 to 603 all out. The highlight being a dazzling career-best knock of 186 from Musadiq Ahmed who banged 23 fours and six sixes while facing 204 deliveries.

Rawalpindi claimed six points after coming from behind to outsmart Multan at the Pindi Cricket Stadium. Having picked Multan’s remaining wickets in the second innings for the addition of 38 runs after the visitors began the day at 110-5 — with pace-bowling all-rounder Haseeb Azam taking 5-49 — Rawalpindi reached 183-5 without much fuss.

With Lahore Blues progressing to Super Eight, Habib Bank Limited (HBL) are on their way to the next phase as well after continuing their dominance of National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) in the crucial Pool ‘A’ cash in Faisalabad.

Seamer Khurram Shahzad added one more wicket to his Saturday’s haul of five as NBP folded up for a paltry 176 after resuming at 161-6 to finish with career-best return of 6-37 in 21 overs.

Plagued by fitness issues to their bowlers, HBL skipper Imran Farhat decided against enforcing the follow on despite his team enjoying a commanding lead of 228 runs.

Taking advantage of bating again, wicket-keeper Jamal Anwar justified his promotion to open by striking only his second first-class hundred as HBL collected 277-5 to hold an overall advantage of 505 with overnight declaration imminent. Jamal made 121 off 186 balls with 16 boundaries.

Saad Khan, the talented 18-year-old left-hander from Hyderabad, marked his third-class appearance with a maiden century as the youngster struck 19 boundaries in making 112 only 146 balls while sharing a second-wicket partnership of 221.

Umar Akmal, meanwhile, departed without opening account when he was bowled second-ball by leg-spinner Ali Manzoor. The Pakistan discard had scored 129 in the first innings of this fixture.

Pakistan Television (PTV) face an uphill task on Monday as they reached 136-5 while chasing 225 against Wapda at the Marghazar Cricket Ground in Islamabad.

Earlier, Azharullah ended up match bag of 10-175 after capturing 5-79 as Wapda were all out for 180 in their second innings with former Pakistan stumper Kamran Akmal contributing 71.

Adil Amin, the 27-year-old right-hander from Peshawar, completed a maiden double century to put Pool ‘B’ leaders SSGCL in driving seat against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) at the Diamond Club Ground in the federal capital.

Starting day three at 255-4 in reply to ZTBL’s 269, SSGCL amassed 510-8 declared with their overnight pair of Adil and Asif Zakir putting on 221 in 261 minutes.

Asif was out for 88 (181 balls, seven boundaries) but Adil — who has only one previous first-class ton under belt — went on to make an unconquered 211 from 345 balls with 22 fours in a stay of 426 minutes.

ZTBL, starting their second innings with a deficit of 251, nosedived to 85-3 by stumps with Mohammad Amir taking 1-19 in seven overs and SSGCL skipper Umar Amin 2-20.

Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) built a first-innings lead of 127 by totalling 343 against defending champions Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi. Shoaib Ahmed Minhas remained unbeaten on 102 (194 balls, 13 fours).

SNGPL went to stumps at 152-3 in their second innings. Retired Pakistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq is the holding the fort with 45 in the unbroken stand of 70 with Raees Ahmed (28).

On the batting paradise at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, hosts Lahore Whites advanced to 381-5 in response to Islamabad’s 425 after having began the day at 127-1.

Close of play scores and results on Sunday (day three of four):

Seventh round:

Pool ‘A’:

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: HBL 404 in 111 overs (Umar Akmal 129, Ramiz Aziz 69, Mohammad Waqas 57, Imran Farhat 54, Zohaib Khan 36 not out; Atif Jabbar 5-100, Ataullah 3-60, Hammad Azam 2-12) and 277-5 in 66.3 overs (Jamal Anwar 121, Saad Khan 112, Imran Farhat 27 not out; Ataullah 3-46, Ali Manzoor 2-97); NBP 176 in 62.2 overs (Ali Asad 69, Hammad Azam 41, Qaiser Abbas 38; Khurram Shahzad 6-37, Umar Gul 3-47).

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: ISLAMABAD 425 in 82 overs (Ali Sarfraz 102, Faizan Riaz 81, Rohail Nazir 75, Rizwan Ali 56, Arsal Sheikh 21; Nauman Anwar 5-30, Waqas Ahmed 4-143); LAHORE WHITES 381-5 in 114 overs (Ali Zaryab 81 not out, Ali Rafiq 76, Usman Salahuddin 72, Ameer Hamza 50 not out, Nauman Anwar 48l Shehzad Azam Rana 3-80).

At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi: SNGPL 216 in 65.2 overs (Misbah-ul-Haq 66, Naeemuddin 40, Samiullah Khan Niazi 29, Bilawal Bhatti 25, Imran Khalid 20; Haris Asif 4-66, Sadaf Hussain 3-48, Ahmed Bashir 2-61) and 152-3 in 56 overs (Misbah-ul-Haq 45 not out, Imran Butt 36, Raees Ahmed 28 not out, Khurram Shehzad 28); KRL 343 in 120.5 overs (Shoaib Ahmed Minhas 102 not out, Nauman Ali 53, Jaahid Ali 49, Usman Arshad 32, Sardar Hasan Raza 26; Azizullah 4-49, Samiullah Khan Niazi 3-65, Bilawal Bhatti 2-80).

At Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad: Peshawar beat Fata by 484 runs.

PESHAWAR 235 in 62 overs (Israrullah 133, Sajid Khan 30; Asif Afridi 3-32, Mohammad Talha 3-83, Abdul Rauf 2-49) and 603 in 122.2 overs (Musadiq Ahmed 186, Nabi Gul 103, Israrullah 83, Ashfaq Ahmed 64, Gohar Ali 46, Mohammad Ilyas 30, Jibran Khan 20; Abdul Rauf 3-140, Mohammad Talha 2-83, Asad Afridi 2-121, Asif Afridi 2-139); FATA 171 in 43.2 overs (Basit Afridi 47, Asad Afridi 35, Mohammad Arif 21, Samiullah 20; Mohammad Ilyas 4-63, Sajid Khan 3-26, Taj Wali 2-28) and 183 in 27.4 overs (Mohammad Talha 55, Rehan Afridi 35, Mohammad Sarwar 28, Asif Afridi 21; Israrullah 2-7, Taj Wali 2-31, Mohammad Ilyas 2-34, Sajid Khan 2-40).

Pool ‘B’:

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: Lahore Blues beat Karachi Whites by 172 runs.

LAHORE BLUES 128 in 39 overs (Saad Nasim 31; Waqar Anwar 3-35, Adeel Malik 2-18, Mohammad Sami 2-24, Abdullah Mukaddam 2-32) and 267 in 79 overs (Irfan Haider 74, Rizwan Hussain 32, Bilawal Iqbal 28, Fahad-ul-Haq 26, Saad Nasim 24; Abdullah Mukaddam 5-70, Waqar Anwar 2-60); KARACHI WHITES 111 in 23.4 overs (Mohammad Hasan 32, Saad Ali 28, Mohammad Sami 23; Aizaz Cheema 6-40, Bilawal Iqbal 4-32) and 112 in 37.3 overs (Saad Ali 30 retired hurt 30, Khurram Manzoor 26; Shahid Nawaz 6-32, Aizaz Cheema 2-45).

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: Rawalpindi beat Multan by five wickets.

MULTAN 212 in 57.1 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 101, Yousuf Babar 41, Hasnain Bukhari 29, Usman Liaquat 27; Syed Tauseeq Shah 5-75, Saad Altaf 4-70) and 148 in 52.2 overs (Imran Rafiq 43, Ali Usman 24, Usman Liaquat 21; Haseeb Azam 5-49, Saad Altaf 2-64); RAWALPINDI 178 in 50.5 overs (Zeeshan Malik 39, Tayyab Riaz 29, Naved Malik 20; Sajjad Hussain 5-58, Mohammad Ali Khan 4-79) and 183-5 in 45.2 overs (Naved Malik 46, Haseeb Azam 27 not out, Mukhtar Ahmed 26, Usman Saeed 20 not out; Saddam Afridi 2-54, Mohammad Ali 2-57).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: ZTBL 269 in 98.3 overs (Anas Mustafa 75, Munir-ur-Rehman Tanzil 46, Aaqib Shah 36, Saadullah Ghauri 30, Haseeb-ur-Rehman 21; Azhar Attari 3-41, Zia-ul-Haq 3-58, Umar Amin 2-49, Mohammad Amir 2-62) and 85-3 in 31 overs (Raza Ali Dar 36 not out, Munir-ur-Rehman Tanzil 26; Umar Amin 2-20); SSGCL 510-8 declared in 126 overs (Adil Amin 211 not out, Asif Zakir 88, Umar Amin 78, Sami Aslam 41, Mohammad Amir 22; Haseeb-ur-Rehman 6-101).

At Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad: WAPDA 289 in 65.4 overs (Bismillah Khan 75, Ayaz Tasawwar 58, Kamran Akmal 50, Ehsan Adil 29; Azharullah 5-96, Aamir Jamal 3-50) and 180 in 43.5 overs (Kamran Akmal 71, Salman Butt 30, Ayaz Tasawwar 24; Azharullah 5-79, Tabish Khan 4-64); PTV 245 in 76.3 overs (Mohammad Irfan Jr 73, Ali Khan 52, Faisal Khan 32, Adnan Mahmood 31, Umair Khan 30; Waqar Malik 4-62, Arshad Iqbal 3-60, Zulfiqar Babar 3-70) and 136-5 in 37 overs (Nihal Mansoor 48, Hasan Mohsin 31 not out, Umair Khan 22 not out; Ehsan Adil 3-22).

Published in Dawn, October 22nd, 2018