
Off-spinner Atif Maqbool and leg-break bowler Danish Kaneria destroyed the Balochistan batting line-up with a magical performance sharing the 10 wickets between them before Sindh managed one without loss in reply. Maqbool finished with a career-best six for 69 and took over after Kaneria had sent back the openers at the LCCA Ground in Lahore.
It seemed as if Balochistan could not read the spinners at all as none of the batsmen managing more than the 25 scored by Naved Yasin who remained not out. Balochistan captain Abdur Rauf offered little support managing 22.
Kaneria, ignored for the national team, has done well in recent domestic tournaments and continued his form ending with four for 49. The duo, who bowled more than 30 overs between them, owed their success to wicket-keeper Sarfraz Ahmed as well who ended with four dismissals.
Federal Areas dominate
Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Federal Areas could only play 38 overs on the opening day of their match at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Nasrullah Khan shone on the day as the bowler took three for 20 to peg back K-P at 82 for four.
The bowler broke through early, dismissing the opener Adnan Raees for one before Yasir Hameed tried to consolidate with Mohammad Fayyaz. K-P reached 34 before Khan trapped the discarded Pakistan opener leg-before.
The bowler then took Fayyaz’s scalp before Sadaf Hussain claimed another wicket to reduce K-P to 73 for four.
Published in The Express Tribune, February 14th, 2011.
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