Quaid-e-Azam Gold League: Kamran and Aslam defy SNGPL

NBP pair adds 204 for unbeaten partnership to take final into day five

KARACHI: An unbeaten fourth-wicket partnership between captain Kamran Akmal and in-form opener Sami Aslam dug NBP out of a hole to reduce SNGPL’s lead to just 26 at stumps on day four of the Quaid-e-Azam Gold league final at Karachi’s National Stadium on Thursday.

NBP started their second inning with openers Nasir Jamshed and Aslam but Jamshed was dismissed early in the 13th over as SNGPL pace-man Imran Ali got the ball to move around in the morning.

NBP’s top-scorer Muhammad Nawaz was only able to add two more runs to his 610-run tally before he was back in the pavilion, leg before wicket on Ali’s delivery. Fawad Alam, who was bowled on just one by Manzoor Khan in the first innings, scored 33 off 50 balls before he was cleaned up once again by Manzoor to leave NBP 71-3, still 230 runs behind.

Skipper Kamran then came to the crease and started to counter attack, scoring runs quickly, in stark contrast to 19-year-old Aslam at the other end, who was much more cautious in his approach. The two added 204 runs for the fourth wicket partnership to push NBP to 275-4 at stumps. Akmal remained unbeaten on 131 off 155 balls, while Aslam’s unbeaten 100 came off 288 balls, reaching the milestone on the last ball of the day with a single off Yasir Shah.

“I was able to score my century as Kamran was on the crease with me and he kept guiding me throughout,” Aslam told The Express Tribune. “I kept my focus and ensured I stayed on the crease with Kamran as the partnership was working well. However I was a bit slow; we should have at least taken off the lead by the end of the day.”

Meanwhile, despite his bowlers just claiming three wickets in the entire day, SNGPL skipper Taufeeq Umar is confident of winning the match as his side goes into the final day with a slender lead still intact. NBP will be forced to go for a win as a draw would be enough for SNGPL to win the title due to their first-innings lead. “We have more of a chance of winning as NBP are still trailing and there is just one day remaining,” said Umar. “If the match is a draw, we win the title.”

Umar added that NBP will have to give them a target before tea on the final day if they are to have any realistic chance of claiming 10 wickets, so SNGPL will have 40 overs to reach the target. “The body language of NBP’s players looks quite low as they were unable to take off the lead today,” he said. “They just have till tea tomorrow or else the match will be end up being a draw.”

Umar added that the slow pitch will not be difficult to bat on day five. “In a five-day match, the first innings score is really important if it is a batting pitch,” he said. “This pitch has now started to favour the batsmen as the bowlers are getting nothing out of it.”

 

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