Mohammad Sami spurs Sindh to resounding win

Sami took four wickets and ended up with a 10-wicket haul in the match.

KARACHI:

Sindh completed an emphatic 144-run win over Federal Areas as they bowled the opposition out for 211, after setting them a target of 356 on the third day of their Pentangular Cup match.

Federal Areas’ innings got off to a disastrous start when they lost their first wicket with only four runs on the board. They never really recovered from the early blow and kept losing wickets at regular intervals. They had Jamal Anwar to thank for enabling them to pass the 200-run mark as he top-scored with 44 runs, made with the help of seven boundaries. Fast-bowler Mohammad Sami carried on his excellent form from the first-innings and was the wrecker-in-chief for Sindh with four wickets to end up with a 10-wicket haul in the match.

Earlier, resuming the innings on 359 for eight, Sindh were all out for 393. Fawad Alam was unlucky to miss out on a double-century as he was dismissed on 196. Ifitkhar Anjum finished with figures of six for 83.

K-P bowlers demolish Punjab

Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) put up a brilliant bowling performance, sending Punjab crashing to an eight-wicket win, after bowling the hosts out for only 134 in their second-innings, and achieving the victory target of 70 comfortably.

Gauhar Ali top-scored for the visitors with 27, laced with four boundaries, while opener Waqar Orakzai made 23. Sarmad Anwar and Azhar Ali picked up a wicket each for Punjab.

The hosts resumed their innings on eight without loss and capitulated to some fine bowling by Khalid Usman, who picked up four for 44. He enjoyed good support from all the other K-P bowlers.

Muhammad Ayub, with three boundaries and Saad Nasim, with five, were joint top-scorers with 24.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 12^th, 2011.