KARACHI: Peshawar continued their giant-killing act in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship when the regional side cruised to their third successive win with NBP becoming their latest victims in less than two days of play in Faisalabad on Monday.

After 19 wickets fell on Sunday’s opening day at the Iqbal Stadium, 13 more went down on day before Peshawar emerged triumphant by a handsome margin of eight wickets on the back of incisive pace bowling from the left-arm duo of Nisar Ahmed and Taj Wali.

The 28-year-old Nisar recorded career-best figures of 5-24 in eight overs to send NBP reeling to a dismal 88 all out in the second innings, while Taj, 27, grabbed three for 31 in a dozen overs. Nisar finished with match bag of eight for 48 and Taj six for 76.

NBP’s tale of woes can be gauged by tailender Mir Hamza top scoring with 25 while batting at No.9. Otherwise just opener Ali Asad reached more than as he scored 23.

Peshawar, who had earlier been bowled out for 127 after beginning at 125-9, easily knocked off the 68 runs needed to claim nine points, while extending their tally to 24 at the top of Pool ‘A’.

Pakistan discard Khurram Manzoor missed out on a double century by only one run while propelling Karachi Whites into an impregnable position against ZTBL at the National Stadium on day when the regional outfit amassed 401 runs in 90 overs.

Resuming at 26-0 in response to ZTBL’s 207, Karachi Whites were a commanding 220-run in front at 427-4 after Khurram was tragically run out for a dazzling 199 in what was his 25th century. The 32-year-old’s 204-ball knock included 30 boundaries as the right-hander outscored young first-class debutant Omair Bin Yousuf in a magnificent first-wicket partnership of 304 in 269 minutes.

Omair, the 19-year-old right-handed ex-representative for Pakistan at the junior international level, hit 135 off 205 balls with the aid of 14 fours in a stay of 321 minutes.

Test batsman Asad Shafiq spearheaded a brilliant batting performance from defending champions SNGPL who piled up agony for hosts Islamabad as they extended their overnight total of 196-3 to a huge 531-4 at the Diamond Club Ground.

Asad was only two three runs shy of eclipsing his highest first-class score of 223 when stumps were drawn for the day after sharing successive double-century stands with Iftikhar Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan, both of whom also reached triple figures.

The 32-year-old, who began the day 38, had struck 19 fours and one six in his 349-ball innings of 221 while batting for 441 minutes so far. Iftikhar was dismissed for 113 with his 144-ball effort including 10 fours and two sixes after having put on 227 for the fourth wicket.

Not to be outdone, Rizwan arrived to strike 12 boundaries in a 146-ball 109 as he helped Asad in an unfinished partnership of 208 by stumps.

KRL paceman Ali Shafiq picked up a further two wickets following his career-best return of 8-70 on Sunday as Fata slid to 60-4 after KRL made 248 in reply to regional side’s first-innings tally of 253 at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium in Abbottabad.

Openers Ali Rafiq (unbeaten on 96 off 180 balls, 10 fours and two sixes) and Anas Mahmood (63) shared a partnership of 153 as Lahore Whites collected 180-2 in reply to HBL’s 386 all out at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

PTV mustered 116 all out after seeing Rawalpindi take their overnight total from 239-4 to 392 all out at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi with seamer Syed Tauseeq Shah grabbing 5-30 in 10 overs.

Lahore Blues were in tatters at 110-6 in reply to Wapda’s 326 at the LCCA Ground in Lahore.

SSGCL were left with a third-day chase for 154 after dismissing Multan for a second-innings total of 180 at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan.

Close of play scores and result on Monday (day two of four):

Third round:

Pool ‘A’:

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: Peshawar beat NBP by eight wickets.

NBP 106 in 38 overs (Rameez Raja 29; Altaf Ahmed 3-20, Nasir Ahmed 3-24, Taj Wali 3-45) and 88 in 33.1 overs (Mir Hamza 25, Ali Asad 23; Nisar Ahmed 5-24, Taj Wali 3-41, Sajid Khan 2-1; PESHAWAR 127 in 40.4 overs (Ashfaq Ahmed 35, Musadiq Ahmed 23; Ataullah 5-29, Mir Hamza 4-31) and 68-2 in 14.5 overs (Israrullah 22).

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: HBL 386 in 115.3 overs (Abid Ali 131, Zohaib Khan 69, Ramiz Aziz 53, Imran Farhat 47, Agha Salman 28; Saif-ur-Rehman 4-81, Mohammad Waheed 2-72, Mohammad Irfan 2-101); LAHORE WHITES 180-2 in 60 overs (Ali Rafiq 96 not out, Anas Mahmood 63).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: ISLAMABAD 108 in 36 overs (Mohammad Hamza Nadeem 36; Azizullah 4-36, Rahat Ali 3-37); SNGPL 591-4 in 138 overs (Asad Shafiq 221 not out, Iftikhar Ahmed 113, Mohammad Rizwan 109 not out, Mohammad Hafeez 63, Imran Butt 32, Naeemuddin 30; Samiullah Mehsud 2-131).

At Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad: FATA 253 in 67.4 overs (Asad Afridi 97, Asif Afridi 37, Rehan Afridi 36, Nisar Afridi 21; Ali Shafiq 8-70) and 60-4 in 19 overs (Fazal-ur-Rehman 27; Ali Shafiq 2-14); KRL 248 in 76.5 overs (Usman Ashraf 49, Sadaf Hussain 45, Ali Shafiq 31, Jaahid Ali 30, Sardar Hasan Raza 30; Asif Afridi 4-62, Manzoor Khan 2-58).

Pool ‘B’:

At National Stadium, Karachi: ZTBL 207 in 75.4 overs (Usman Ashraf 86 not out, Anas Mustafa 56, Aaqib Shah 20; Adeel Malik 4-38, Israr Ahmed Awan 2-27, Anwar Ali 2-45); KARACHI WHITES 427-4 in 102 overs (Khurram Manzoor 199, Omair Bin Yousuf 135, Saad Ali 33 not out, Mirza Asad Baig 29, Mohammad Hasan 20 not out).

At Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan: MULTAN 143 in 68 overs (Imran Rafiq 44; Kashif Bhatti 5-33, Sohail Khan 3-32) and 180 in 57.1 overs (Khalilullah 54, Zeeshan Ashraf 41, Saif-ur-Rehman 22; Aamir Yamin 3-12, Kashif Bhatti 3-49); SSGCL 170 in 48.1 overs (Awais Zia 42, Aamir Yamin 23; Ali Usman 4-42, Ahsan Baig 4-45, Mohammad Ali Khan 2-29).

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: WAPDA 326 in 122.4 overs (Salman Butt 129, Wahab Riaz 51, Mohammad Saad 37, Ali Shan 31, Aamir Sajjad 26; Zafar Gohar 5-100, Asadullah 2-38); LAHORE BLUES 110-6 in 55 overs (Mohammad Ilyas 41, Irfan Haider 27, Hamza Nazar 20; Khalid Usman 3-41, Zulfiqar Babar 2-24).

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: RAWALPINDI 392 in 131.5 overs (Haseeb Azam 75, Tayyab Riaz 68, Mukhtar Ahmed 63, Usman Saeed 59, Umair Masood 37, Naved Malik 29; Tabish Khan 4-123, Aamir Jamal 3-97, Raza Hasan 2-50); PTV 116 in 33.5 overs (Aamir Jamal 48; Syed Tauseeq Shah 5-30, Haseeb Azam 3-20, Saad Altaf 2-44).

Published in Dawn, September 18th, 2018