KARACHI: Long forgotten Pakistan batsman Khalid Latif stroked a sensational century to single-handedly inspire a stunning fightback for Port Qasim Authority (PQA) against United Bank Limited in their Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship match on Tuesday.

Replying to UBL’s 318 all out at the Marghazar Cricket Ground in Islamabad, PQA were in heaps of trouble at 36-8. But Khalid then turned the Pool ‘A’ fixture on its head by producing a magnificent captain’s innings to score an undefeated 170, in his team’s tally of 213-9 when stumps were drawn on the second day.

Khalid, who has seemingly lost faith with the national selectors after appearing in five One-day Internationals and seven T20 Internationals between 2008 and 2012, was responsible for scoring a staggering 79.81 per cent of the runs as the 30-year-old right-hander plundered 32 boundaries and one six during his 197-ball innings in 260 minutes while registering his 24 first-class hundred after arriving at the crease with PQA tottering at 0-2.

Tailender Zohaib Shera contributed 17 priceless runs off 73 balls while providing former Pakistan Under-19 captain Khalid tremendous support as the pair added 154 runs in 145 minutes for the ninth wicket to revive PQA’s hopes.

Pakistan paceman Ehsan Adil claimed 5-60 — including the scalp of former Test left-hander Asim Kamal who was dismissed for a second successive golden duck on his return to domestic cricket after a year — while debutant Sameen Gul took 3-26.

Earlier, UBL added 41 runs to their overnight tally of 277-6 with Umar Siddique finally out for 113 (217 balls, 18 fours). Left-arm paceman Zohaib took two of the wickets to fall on Tuesday to finish with 6-80 in 22.5 overs.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) put themselves in driving seat by reaching 249-9 in reply to Sui Southern Gas Company SSGC)’s meagre first-innings total of 124 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

Discarded Test opener Taufiq Umar hit 80, while seamer Adnan Ghaus grabbed his maiden five-for by taking 5-66.

Ex-Pakistan batsman Yasir Hameed led a strong Hyderabad display against his former team Peshawar as the visitors reached 274-5 in reply to 223 at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar.

Yasir made 76 as he dominated the second-wicket partnership of 122 with opener Zeeshan Gul (71) after Hyderabad began the day at 13-0.

Despite conceding a first-innings lead of 19 runs, Islamabad bounced back to have Lahore Blues struggling at 95-7 in the second innings at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad.

In-form Abid Ali shone again to make 89 after the hosts resumed at 8-0. The pace duo of Bilawal Iqbal (5-40) and Ahmed Bashir (5-66) shared the bowling honours for Lahore Blues.

Pool ‘B’ leaders National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) were in complete command after reducing second-placed Habib Bank Limited (HBL) to 110-9 at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot.

Young slow left-armer Mohammad Asghar has far grabbed 4-27 in 12 overs after part-time seamer Akbar-ur-Rehman took two early wickets while opening the bowling.

Pakistan batsman Asad Shafiq fell to lanky paceman Ahmed Jamal for 19.

Wapda staged a spirited comeback against KRL at the National Ground in Islamabad. After being bowled out for 187 on day one, Wapda bowlers restricted KRL to 188-8 with Test spinner Zulfiqar Babar picking up 4-35 in 20 overs.

Usman Arshad, son of former international Arshad Pervez, was still at the crease on a 60 while Zain Abbas scored 49.

The game at the Pindi Cricket Stadium is set for an exciting finish after Fata collected 72-4 in pursuit of a 180-run target against Rawalpindi as the ball overwhelmingly held sway over the bat.

In two days of action already 34 wickets have tumbled. Starting day two at 34-6 in reply to 163 made by Rawalpindi, Fata made partial recovery to reach 89 all out with Mohammad Irfan contributing a fighting 43.

The wickets were shared equally by ex-international Yasir Arafat (5-33) and Saad Altaf (5-53).

Rawalpindi then folded up for 105 in their second innings with Razaullah Wazir, the 22-year-old fast bowler from Waziristan, claiming 6-21 and the 20-year-old Bannu-born Irfanullah Shah capturing 4-30.

By stumps, Fata had collected 72-4, leaving them still requiring 108 on Wednesday’s third day.

Talented let-hander Saad Ali notched up his sixth first-class century to put Karachi Whites in driving seat against Lahore Whites at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Saad, who began the day on 72 in his side’s tally of 209-4, was out for 104 (198 balls, eight boundaries) as the visitors reached 363. Saud Shakeel (54) helped Saad put on 143 for the fifth wicket.

Paceman Asif Raza was easily the pick of Lahore Whites bowling with 6-127 in 38 overs. But his team then ran into trouble at 100-4 when play ended for the day.

Close of play scores on Tuesday (day two of four):

Sixth round:

Pool ‘A’:

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: SUI SOUTHERN GAS COMPANY 124 in 63.3 overs (Umar Amin 64 not out, Awais Zia 23; Azizullah 4-31, Umaid Asif 3-29, Ahmed Safi 2-26); SUI NORTHERN GAS PIPELINES LIMITED 249-9 in 74 overs (Tauqir Umar 80, Imran Butt 29, Azhar Ali 24, Taimur Sultan 21, Adnan Akmal 21; Adnan Ghaus 5-66, Zafar Gohar 3-60).

At Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad: UNITED BANK LIMITED 318 in 84.4 overs (Umar Siddique 113, Mohammad Wajihuddin 65, Younis Khan 52, Yasim Murtaza 40; Zohaib Shera 6-80, Waqar Ahmed 3-74); PORT QASIM AUTHORITY 213-9 in 58 overs (Khalid Latif 170 not out; Ehsan Adil 5-60, Sameen Gul 3-26).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: LAHORE BLUES 188 in 65.4 overs (Mohammad Ikhlaq 67, Tayyab Tahir 39; Hasan Ali 4-48, Shehzad Azam Rana 3-47, Hamza Nadeem 2-35) and 95-7 in 20.2 overs (Raza Ali Dar 24 not out, Tayyab Tahir 22; Hasan Ali 4-18); ISLAMABAD 169 in 50.3 overs (Abid Ali 89; Bilawal Iqbal 5-40, Ahmed Bashir 5-66).

At Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar: PESHAWAR 223 in 78.1 overs (Mehran Ibrahim 79, Zohaib Khan 37, Akbar Badshah 26, Ashfaq Ahmed 23; Nasir Awais 5-44, Sajjad Hussain 3-57); HYDERABAD 274-5 in 77 overs (Yasir Hameed 76, Zeeshan Gul 71, Rizwan Ahmed 48 not out, Lal Kumar 36 not out; Taj Wali 2-51, Umair Khan 2-64).

Pool ‘B’:

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: KARACHI WHITES 363 in 111.2 overs (Saad Ali 104, Saud Shakeel 54, Babar Rehman 45, Yasir Mushtaq 36, Mohammad Hasan 27, Adeel Malik 24; Asif Raza 6-127, Asfand Mehran 2-33); LAHORE WHITES 100-4 in 28 overs (Mohammad Waheed 45; Babar Rehman 2-29).

At Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot: NATIONAL BANK OF PAKISTAN 326 in 90 overs (Umar Waheed 100, Fahim Ashraf 61, Fawad Alam 38, Akbar-ur-Rehman 38; Altaf Ahmed 4-67, Ammad Butt 2-73); HABIB BANK LIMITED 110-9 in 50.1 overs (Ammad Butt 25 not out; Mohammad Asghar 4-27, Akbar-ur-Rehman 2-14).

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: RAWALPINDI 163 in 55.1 overs (Aaqib Shah 46, Naved Malik 25, Mansoor Amjad 20; Irfanullah Shah 4-44, Asif Afridi 2-20, Razaullah Wazir 2-48) and 105 in 47.4 overs (Naved Malik 39, Usman Saeed 23; Razaullah Wazir 6-21, Irfanullah Shah 4-30); FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED TRIBAL AREAS 89 in 33.2 overs (Mohammad Irfan 43, Haroon Sadaqat 27; Yasir Arafat 5-23, Saad Altaf 5-53) and 72-4 in 19 overs (Fawad Khan 37; Yasir Arafat 2-17, Naseer Ahmed 2-20).

At National Ground, Islamabad: WAPDA 187 in 63.2 overs (Bismillah Khan 32, Ayaz Tasawwar 31, Mohammad Irfan 22 not out, Zulfiqar Babar 22, Atiq-ur-Rehman 21; Rahat Ali 6-40, Sadaf Hussain 2-55); KHAN RESEARCH LABORATORIES 188-8 in 78.4 overs (Usman Arshad 60 not out, Zain Abbas 49; Zulfiqar Babar 4-35, Azhar Attari 2-38, Waqas Maqsood 2-56).

Published in Dawn, December 2nd, 2015