Karachi, Sialkot secure victories in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Two Gold matches and one Silver fixture end without result

Karachi Blues and Sialkot Blues secured convincing victories as the second round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Gold concluded on Thursday, while the other two matches ended in draws.

Karachi Blues defeated Multan by 275 runs at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad, while Sialkot Blues chased down a target of 187 to beat Faisalabad by five wickets in Rawalpindi.

At Diamond Cricket Ground, Karachi Blues declared their second innings at 407-5, with Saifullah Bangash unbeaten on 111. Rameez Aziz had earlier contributed 170 to put the side in a commanding position.

Multan, who had made 216 in their first innings, were bowled out for 130 in their second attempt, falling well short of the 406-run target.

Mohammad Raza led the Karachi bowling attack with four wickets for 42 runs, while Abrar Ahmed claimed three for 14 to complete the victory.

At the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, Sialkot Blues overcame Faisalabad by five wickets after chasing down 187.

Faisalabad, resuming their second innings at 194-3, were dismissed for 280, with Athar Mehmood and Hamza Nazar taking three wickets each.

Mohammad Huraira then guided Sialkot's chase with a fluent 105, while Abdul Rehman contributed 48 as the winners reached 187-5 in just 21.3 overs.

At Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Lahore Whites and Islamabad played out a draw. Lahore resumed at 200-5 and declared their second innings at 251-7, with Zain Bin Farooq scoring 103 and Tayyab Tahir remaining unbeaten on 70.

Islamabad had posted 473-9 in their first innings, built around Azeem Bari's 105 and Sarmad Bhatti's 91.

The match between FATA and Peshawar Blues at the National Ground in Islamabad also ended in a draw. FATA, resuming their second innings at 116-3, finished on 222-5, with Mohammad Sarwar Afridi narrowly missing a century on 97. Fawad Arshad made 60 not out.

The third round of the tournament is scheduled to begin on Sunday, November 15.