Sialkot back in contention with close win
KARACHI, Jan 26: Sialkot put themselves in contention for a place in next month’s Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Gold League final after pulling off a thrilling two-wicket victory over Peshawar at the Arbab Niaz Stadium on Friday.
Chasing 221, the reigning champions got home thanks to an unbroken ninth-wicket stand of 61 between Ayub Dogar and Asim Butt after Peshawar were dismissed for 170 in the second innings on the third day of the fourth-day match.
Peshawar’s second defeat on the trot after starting the season with two wins has open a five-horse race for the Feb 19-23 championship decider.
However, Peshawar still lead the standings with 18 points. But that could change on Saturday if Karachi Harbour beat Lahore Shalimar outright. Sialkot, who move into fourth spot after collecting six points, have now 12 points but a have game in hand.
Sialkot owe their win to Tahir Mughal, who claimed five wickets in both innings, Ayub and Asim. The last two joined hands at the fall of the eighth wicket. Ayub struck 55 with seven boundaries while Asim made 21 priceless runs.
Earlier, Peshawar’s last three wickets added 33 to the overnight score of 137 for seven.
Scoreboard
PESHAWAR (1st Innings) 200 (Tahir Mughal 5-56).
SIALKOT (1st Innings) 150.
PESHAWAR (2nd Innings, overnight 137-8):
Mohammad Fayyaz b Tahir 20
Aftab Khan c Sarfraz b Kashif 4
Riffatullah Mohmand c Khalid b Kashif 6
Shoaib Khan c Majid b Tahir 7
Wajahatullah Wasti c Ayub b Sarfraz 34
Janisar Khan b Tahir 0
Riaz Afridi c Sarfraz b Tahir 12
Zulfiqar Jan c Khalid b Asim 8
Arshad Khan c Shahid b Tahir 43
Waqar Ahmed lbw b Kashif 15
Fazle Akbar not out 11
EXTRAS (B-1, LB-8, NB-1) 10
TOTAL (all out, 44.2 overs) 170
FALL OF WKTS: 1-25, 2-25, 3-37, 4-43, 5-43, 6-55, 7-77, 8-105, 9-142.
BOWLING: Tahir Mughal 20.2-5-65-5 (1nb); Kashif Raza 14-3-66-3; Asim Butt 5-1-19-1; Sarfraz Ahmed 4-0-11-1; Imran Nazir 1-1-0-0.
SIALKOT (2nd Innings):
Imran Nazir c Wajahat b Riaz 37
Atiq-ur-Rehman c Shoaib b Janisar 21
Hafiz Majid lbw b Waqar 33
Shahid Yousuf c Janisar b Riaz 16
Qaiser Abbas c Wajahat b Waqar 5
Ayub Dogar not out 55
Hafiz Khalid c Zulfiqar b Waqar 26
Tahir Mughal c Zulfiqar b Waqar 0
Sarfraz Ahmed c Zulfiqar b Janisar 1
Asim Butt not out 21
EXTRAS (LB-6, W-1, NB-2) 9
TOTAL (for eight wkts, 62.5 overs) 224
FALL OF WKTS: 1-63, 2-63, 3-110, 4-118, 5-123, 6-162, 7-162, 8-163.
BOWLING: Fazle Akbar 14.5-1-62-0 (1nb); Riaz Afridi 15-3-69-2; Waqar Ahmed 15-3-29-4; Janisar Khan 14-3-49-2 (1nb, 1w); Arshad Khan 4-0-9-0.
RESULT: Sialkot won by two wickets.
UMPIRES: Salim Badar and Shakeel Khan
MATCH REFEREE: Ishtiaq Ahmed.
OFFICIAL SCORER: Nadeem Akhtar.