Quaid Trophy: HBL fight for honour

Eye win over table-toppers PIA in Quaid Trophy after taking 301-run lead.

HBL came roaring back against table-toppers PIA in their Quaid-i-Azam Trophy match when they took an overall 301-run lead with four second-innings wickets remaining.

HBL dismissed PIA, who have assured themselves a place in the final, for 184, conceding a 56-run lead. Ahmed Shehzad and Hasan Raza then scored half-centuries to lead their side to 245 for six at stumps on the second day.

Imran leaves  Faisalabad reeling

Mohammad Imran’s five-wicket haul left Faisalabad reeling at 153 for eight in reply to Sialkot’s 452. The hosts added 123 runs to their overnight score before Imran cut through Faisalabad’s batting line-up to put his side in the driving seat at the close of play.

Islamabad take lead against Karachi

Afaq Rahim’s 94 allowed Islamabad to take a first-innings lead against Karachi Blues at the National Stadium.

Bowled out for 264 in their first-innings, Karachi were unable to restrict the tourists as Imad Wasim (60) and Zohaib Ahmed (66) aided their side’s cause on the second day.

Azam propels Abbottabad to first-innings lead

Meanwhile, Ahsan Khan’s seven for 119 was not enough to prevent Abbottabad from taking a first-innings lead against Rawalpindi. Resuming on 73 for two, Abbottabad added 236 with Mir Azam scoring a 226-ball 113.

Zia, Tanvir demolish SBP batting line-up

SBP were forced to follow-on after Junaid Zia (five for 31) and Sohail Tanvir (four for 38) dismissed them for 112 in the first-innings in reply to ZTBL’s 263.

SBP were 62 for three at stumps, still needing 91 more to make ZTBL bat again.

Rafatullah leads WAPDA’s recovery against NBP

At Gaddafi Stadium,  Wapda fought back to reach 186 for three after NBP’s 358 in the first-innings.

Rafatullah was Wapda’s top-scorer, making 94, after Fawad Alam (65) Qaiser Abbas (103) and Wahab Riaz (84) had taken NBP to a respectable first-innings total.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 16^th, 2011.