Quaid-e-Azam Trophy: HBL clinch draw in final to gain promotion to Gold league

The favourites go through thanks to a first-innings lead against SBP

KARACHI: HBL have gained promotion to the Gold league, as they won the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Silver League by virtue of a first-innings lead over SBP, after the final ended in a draw at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad on Sunday.

SBP needed nine wickets on the final day as HBL started on 30-1. The favourites were precariously positioned at 157-5 with more than 30 overs remaining, but a 90-run partnership between Imran Farhat and Hasan Raza helped bail HBL out.

Farhat was eventually bowled out in the 107th over by Kashif Bhatti, but Abdur Rehman held firm to ensure that his side gained promotion. The left-arm spinner played out the final 11 overs, with Fahad Masood supporting him from the other end, to ensure that Bhatti’s four wickets and Zafar Gohar’s three ultimately proved futile.

“We were able to put up a good total against them in the first innings, which helped us win the title,” said Raza, while talking to The Express Tribune. “My partnership with Farhat helped us and plugged the fall of wickets.”

Raza added that their experience helped them past a spirited SBP side. “We had tough matches earlier, but as we had experienced international players we were able to negotiate ourselves out of the situation,” he added. “We knew that we won’t be able to reach the target so we decided to spend as much time as we could out in the middle.”

SBP captain Usman Salahuddain said that they tried their best but were unlucky. “Babar’s double century helped us reach a point from where we could hope, but HBL’s experienced batsmen played well in the final day to win the title,” he said. “We really wanted to win the match and gain promotion to the Gold league but we are still happy that we came second, despite being the bottom side not that long ago.”

Gold edition

Islamabad Leopards, who were bowled out for just 54 by Multan Tigers in their first innings, were 470-5 in their second with the help of an unbeaten 323-run sixth wicket partnership between Faizan Riaz (158) and Imad Wasim (154). Leopards are now leading by 403 runs.

In another match, Muhammad Nawaz scored 102 runs for NBP to reach 238-4 at the end of day two against ZTBL, who had scored 323 in their first innings.

Wapda were 185-8 in their first innings against UBL, who had scored 277.

In another match, Lahore Lions reached 157-5 in their second innings against Rawalpindi Rams who had scored 222 in their first innings. Lions are now leading by 64 runs.

PQA made 208-5 in their first innings against SNGPL, who had scored 278 in theirs. At the end of day two, PQA trail by 70 runs.

Meanwhile, after a day’s delay in the match at the Arabian Sea Country Club, Peshawar Panthers were bowled out for 86 as Shahzaib Ahmed Khan took six wickets, while Dolphins were 123-2.

 

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