KARACHI: Sialkot secured a vital first-innings lead of 91 runs by restricting Multan to 184 all out on day two of the third-round Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Grade-II Cricket Tournament clash at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Replying to Sialkot’s 275, the hosts reached 58-1 before four wickets fell in the space of 11 runs, including that of Pakistan discard Sohaib Maqsood (4) who became of one of paceman Adil Raza’s four victims.

Naved Yasin hit 58 and opener Imran Rafiq 48 but they were not enough to prevent Sialkot seizing control.

The visitors then consolidated their position by reaching 116-4 to hold an overall lead of 207 heading into Friday’s last day of action.

Abbottabad earned a slender 12-run advantage by making 268 in response to Dera Murad Jamali’s 256 at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad.

Paceman Saleem Mal bagged five wickets for 86 runs before his side went to stumps at 67-1.

Khurram Shehzad produced a captain’s innings of 105 (151 balls, 10 fours and two sixes) while putting Faisalabad on top against Quetta at the National Stadium.

By reaching 311 in reply to Quetta’s 184, Faisalabad obtained a substantial of 127 before reducing the minnows to 50-3 in their second innings. Slow left-armer Hamal Wahab excelled for Quetta with five wickets for 77 runs.

Larkana also dominated their game by building an overall lead of 233 after bowling out Azad Jammu Kashmir for 191 in their first innings at the Dring Stadium in Bahawalpur.

Close of play scores on Thursday (day two of three):

Group ‘A’:

At Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan: SIALKOT 275 in 72.4 overs (Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti 130 not out, Mohammad Irfan Jr 39, Abdur Rehman 33; Sadaif Mehdi 4-58, Zulfiqar Babar 4-79) and 116-4 in 37 overs (Mansoor Amjad 32); MULTAN 184 in 62.5 overs (Naved Yasin 58, Imran Rafiq 48; Adil Raza 4-48, Mohammad Irfan Jr 3-44, Mansoor Amjad 2-41).

At Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur: LARKANA 277 in 72.2 overs (Imtiaz Leghari 90, Aamir Ali 54, Samadullah 39; Abdul Shakoor 4-28, Malik Mushtaq 2-50) and 149-6 in 35 overs (Himesh Kumar 59; Khawaja Usman 2-22, Malik Mushtaq 2-36); AZAD JAMMU KASHMIR 191 in 73.2 overs (Naveed Malik 37, Azhar Mughal 34, Usman Maroof 33; Imran Chandio 4-54, Mohammad Urs 4-76).

Group ‘B’:

At National Stadium, Karachi: QUETTA 184 in 60.2 overs (Rameez Raja 62, Mohammad Imran 59; Naseer Akram 3-30, Ahmed Shafi 3-45, Waqas Maqsood 2-51) and 50-3 in 33 overs (Ahmed Safi 2-21); FAISALABAD 311 in 78.2 overs (Khurram Shehzad 105, Ahmed Safi 67, Ali Shan 38 not out; Hamal Wahab 5-77, Sher Ali 3-59, Gohar Faiz 2-75).

At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: DERA MURAD JAMALI 256 in 81.5 overs (Abid Ali 55, Najeebullah 40; Ikramullah Khan 3-34, Riaz Kail 2-6, Kamran Ghulam 2-48) and 67-1 in 20 overs (Imran Khan 38 not out); ABBOTTABAD 268 in 82.4 overs (Kamran Ghulam 58, Sajjad Ali 44, Khalilullah 30; Saleem Mal 5-86, Nasir Khan 2-39).

Published in Dawn, March 17th, 2017