Quaid-e-Azam Trophy: Ali Sarfraz ton gives Islamabad nine-wicket win

Rana also contributes with six-wicket haul to restrict Hyderabad on 200

KARACHI: A century by Ali Sarfraz and a six-wicket haul by Shahzad Azam Rana guided Islamabad to a nine-wicket win over Hyderabad in their fifth-round fixture of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy at the Diamond Ground in Islamabad on Thursday.

Hyderabad resumed their second innings on 170-7 and were only able to add 30 runs to their overnight score as Rana finished with six wickets, while Sarmad Bhatti claimed two scalps to restrict the hosts on 200.

Chasing 269, Islamabad reached the target in 57 overs with nine wickets remaining as Sarfraz scored 133, along with Abid Ali scoring an unbeaten knock of 84 runs off 93 balls. Opener Afaq Raheem, meanwhile, made 42 runs to give the hosts a solid start.

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At the Pindi Stadium, some aggressive bowling by Abid Hassan and Saad Altaf steered hosts Rawalpindi to a 90-run victory over Karachi Whites.

The visitors, chasing 182, resumed their innings on 60-6 and were dismissed for 91 as Hassan and Altaf both took four wickets for Rawalpindi, giving away just 15 and 34 runs respectively.

In the match between HBL and KRL, Umar Gul and Ammad Butt successfully crushed KRL’s batting line-up to win their match by 51 runs. Chasing a target of 312 runs, Luqman Butt and Saeed Anwar scored 80 and 67 runs respectively but their efforts were in vain as they were restricted on 261 — Gul and Ammad took three wickets each while Altaf Ahmed and Abdul Rehman claimed two batsmen apiece.

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At the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot, despite Akbar Rehman’s unbeaten 102-run knock, NBP had to settle for a draw as the final day ended with them 244-4 against Wapda, chasing 355.

Meanwhile, all other matches ended in a draw, with Lahore Blues 328-5 in their second; SSGC, who were made to follow-on, reached 293-6 in their second innings after UBL had made a mammoth first innings total of 514 runs, while Fata were in their second innings on 276-8 at the Gaddafi Stadium against Lahore Whites.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 27^th,  2015.

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