SIALKOT, inspired by a brilliant captain’s innings from Shoaib Malik, made their intentions clear by amassing over 400 runs on the second day of their must-win Group ‘A’ Super Eight fixture against Rawalpindi in the Faysal Bank Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship on Tuesday.

After the hosts had been dismissed for 294 in their first innings on Monday’s opening day, the action at the Pindi Cricket Stadium entirely belonged to Sialkot who scored at the extraordinary rate of 4.81 per over to plunder 433-4 in the 90 overs to considerably enhance their prospects of winning the last-round match and qualifying for the top tier event final. At the halfway point of the four-day game, the visitors are already in front by 139 runs.

The star performer was Malik, the ex-Pakistan skipper, who blasted 152 off just 160 deliveries while bringing up his 15th first-class century. His swashbuckling display included 18 boundaries and a brace of sixes. Mohammad Ayub Dogar also reached three figures but he was overshadowed by Malik’s onslaught on Pindi bowling.

Ayub, who is still at the crease with 126 (160 balls, 18 fours), played second fiddle to Malik during their rollicking fourth-wicket partnership of 225 lasting just 138 minutes before Malik was bowled by left-arm seamer Saad Altaf.

Opener Hafiz Majid Jahangir missed out a century by eight runs when he was trapped leg-before by the left-arm spin of Rawalpindi captain Babar Naeem after adding 88 for the third wicket with Ayub. Majid’s 149-ball 92 included 12 hits to the fence.

Karachi Blues were poised to clinch the final berth from Group ‘B’ after earning a handy 90-run advantage on the first innings over Lahore Ravi at the LCCA Ground in Lahore. Starting again at 126-4 in reply to the Ravians’ 175, the Blues posted 265 largely due to a 64-run stand between all-rounder Tariq Haroon (61) and Anwar Ali (38) after being some strife at 163-7. Paceman Mohammad Irshad grabbed 5-81.

Lahore Ravi’s top-order was blown away by an inspired burst of pace bowling from Anwar Ali who all the wickets to leave the hosts in tatters at 57-4. But skipper Adnan Akmal (38) and Jahangir Mirza (47) came together in a defiant partnership of 90 to take the total to 147-4 at stumps, giving their team a lead of 57 thus far. Anwar has so far taken 4-35 in 11 overs.

Lahore Shalimar kept their slim hopes of making the final alive as Hyderabad stuttered to 60-2 after Shalimar had declared first innings at 473-7. Teenaged opener Imran Butt hit a career-best 126 off 181 balls and adorned his second first-class ton with 20 fours.

Imran and Pakistan batsman Umar Akmal, who struck his 10th first-class century, put on 169 for the second wicket as Shalimar added 278 to their overnight tally of 195-1. Umar’s 137-ball 119 was laced with 16 boundaries and one six. Usman Salahuddin scored an unbeaten 59.

Shan Masood —who crossed 1,000-run landmark this season on Monday — was denied a maiden double century by a whisker as Islamabad collected 414 at the Diamond Club Ground in the federal capital after resuming their first innings against Karachi Whites at 278-5. The 23-year-old Kuwait-born left-handed opener, who began the day on 131, was sent by off-spinner Atif Maqbool after contributing 199 from 372 deliveries in a marathon stay of 529 minutes.

The Whites, in reply, went to stumps in this insignificant Group ‘A’ tie at 166-4 after opener Shahzaib Hasan (51) and Khalid Latif (59) were involved in a second-wicket stand of exactly 100.

Bahawalpur have virtually sealed their Bottoms Six Teams event final’s spot after securing a substantial lead of 120 by bowling out Peshawar for a first-innings total of 172 in their Pool ‘B’ clash at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

Despite a fighting 82 from Jamaluddin, the Peshawar batsmen were undone by the medium-paced deliveries of Kamran Hussain who claimed 5-44 in 16.4 overs after Peshawar began the day 6-1 in response to Bahawalpur’s 292.Bahawalpur then further strengthened their grip by reaching 75-2 in the second innings to enjoy an overall lead of 195.

Faisalabad, currently the Pool ‘A’ leaders, clinched a crucial six-run lead when Multan, overnight 33-2, were all out for 250 in their first innings at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan. This match is still wide open with Faisalabad closing at 21-1 in the second innings to lead by mere 27 runs.

At one point it seemed Faisalabad would get a sizeable lead when Multan lost their eighth wicket at 156. But wicket-keeper Maqbool Ahmed (48 not out) and Rizwan Haider turned the match on its head by sharing a stand of 94 before Samiullah Khan Niazi took the final two wickets in successive deliveries.

Samiullah, the 30-year-old left-arm paceman from Mianwali, returned his best ever first-class figures of seven for 52 in 26.5 overs, usurping the 7-55 he captured for Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) against Pakistan Customs in the Quaid Trophy match at the Marghazar Cricket Ground in Islamabad in November 2009.

Close of play scores on Tuesday (day two of four): Super Eight: At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: LAHORE RAVI 175 in 55.2 overs (Adnan Akmal 56, Imran Ali 34 not out, Jahangir Mirza 27; Tariq Haroon 3-48, Tabish Khan 3-53, Zohaib Shera 2-42) and 147-4 in 43 overs (Jahangir Mirza 47 not out, Adnan Akmal 38 not out, Sami Aslam 25; Anwar Ali 4-35); KARACHI BLUES 265 in 67.2 overs (Fakhar Zaman 64, Tariq Haroon 61, Akbar-ur-Rehman 38, Anwar Ali 38, Mohammad Waqas 27; Mohammad Irshad 5-81, Emmad Ali 3-74).

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: LAHORE SHALIMAR 473-7 declared in 103 overs (Imran Butt 126, Umar Akmal 119, Kamran Akmal 70, Usman Salahuddin 59 not out, Waqas Saleem 31; Lal Kumar 3-108, Rehan Riaz 2-72); HYDERABAD 60-2 in 13 overs (Sharjeel Khan 31).

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: RAWALPINDI 294 in 88.2 overs (Umar Amin 75, Adnan Mufti 54, Jamal Anwar 32, Babar Naeem 29, Shoaib Ahmed Minhas 29; Bilawal Bhatti 4-71, Shoaib Malik 3-62, Mohammad Ali 2-56); SIALKOT 433-4 in 90 overs (Shoaib Malik 152, Mohammad Ayub Dogar 126 not out, Hafiz Majid Jahangir 92, Shakeel Ansar 30; Saad Altaf 2-73).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: ISLAMABAD 414 in 129.5 overs (Shan Masood 199, Ali Sarfraz 50, Hamza Nadeem 34, Imad Wasim 28; Mohammad Sami 3-78, Abdul Ameer 3-112, Atif Maqbool 3-121); KARACHI WHITES 166-4 in 43.4 overs (Khalid Latif 59, Shahzaib Hasan 51, Fawad Alam 38 not out; Imad Wasim 2-54).

Bottom Six Teams: At Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan: FAISALABAD 256 in 76.5 overs (Ali Waqas 105 not out, Mohammad Shahid 38, Asif Ali 33, Imran Khalid 27; Zulfiqar Babar 6-77, Saeed Anwar Jr 2-15) and 21-1 in overs; MULTAN 250 in 80.5 overs (Sohaib Maqsood 65, Rizwan Haider 54, Maqbool Ahmed 48 not out; Samiullah Khan Niazi 7-52. Waqas Maqsood 2-78).

At Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Mirpur: BAHAWALPUR 292 in 82.5 overs (Hamid 89, Rehan Rafiq 66, Ansar Javed 41, Kamran Hussain 38; Afaq Ahmed 6-46, Azizullah 2-71) and 75-2 in 21 overs (Hamid Ali 55 not out); PESHAWAR 172 in 67.4 overs (Jamaluddin 82, Naved Khan 36; Kamran Hussain 5-44, Ansar Javed 2-26, Ataullah 2-43).