KARACHI: Mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed led Sindh to a sensational victory over defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa as the fourth round of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy ended on Tuesday.

In response to Sindh’s 106-run lead, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa fell from being 38-1 to getting bowled out for just 108 as leg-spinner Abrar ran through them before Sindh openers covered the three-run deficit to give their team a 10-wicket win.

After bagging four wickets in the first innings, Abrar registered figures of 5-29 in the second — dismissing Sahibzada Farhan, Kamran Ghulam, Nabi Gul, Arshadullah and Imran Khan Sr — and taking his Trophy wickets tally to 20 in just two matches. The bespectacled 24-year-old took 11 wickets against Southern Punjab in his previous outing.

Abrar was well supported by Mohammad Umar, who claimed 3-17 to finish the match with 7-104.

At Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium, Central Punjab’s Ahmad Safi Abdullah returned figures of 6-132 only to see his side draw against Northern. The latter piled up 651-9 in response to Central Punjab’s 509-9.

Northern’s Sarmad Bhatti, who had started the day at 102, was dismissed after scoring 140, while all-rounder Mubasir Khan scored 79.

On Tuesday, Aamir Jamal scored 80 not out and Nauman Ali contributed 69 as the two batters added 120 runs for the eighth wicket.

At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, the match between Balochistan and Southern Punjab also ended in a draw.

After securing a 16-run first-innings lead and resuming the day at 36-1, Balochistan were 295-6 by the close of the day’s play.

Summarised scores:

Sindh beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by 10 wickets

KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA 384 in 115.2 overs (Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 148, Kamran Ghulam 93; Mohammad Umar 4-87, Abrar Ahmed 4-130) and 108 (Ashfaq Ahmed 37, Rehan Afridi 28; Abrar Ahmed 5-29, Mohammad Umar 3-17); SINDH 490 in 138 overs (Khurram Manzoor 116, Saud Shakeel 105; Ihsanullah 3-109, Sajid Khan 3-127) and 4-0

Central Punjab draw against Northern

CENTRAL PUNJAB 509-9 (decl.) in 140 overs (Azhar Ali 219, Tayyab Tahir 114; Mehran Mumtaz 3-111, Nauman Ali 3-173); NORTHERN 651-9 (decl.) in 197.1 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 140, Aamir Jamal 80 not out; Ahmed Safi Abdullah 6-132)

Southern Punjab draw against Balochistan

BALOCHISTAN 346 in 127 overs (Asad Shafiq 106, Ali Waqas 45; Sameen Gul 5-84, Mohammad Imran Randhawa 3-75) and 295-6 (Haris Sohail 133 not out, Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 65); SOUTHERN PUNJAB 330 in 96.5 overs (Usman Salahuddin 88, Sharoon Siraj 73; Najeebullah Achakzai 5-90, Kashif Bhatti 2-78)

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2022