ZTBL reduced to bits by spirited PIA

Left reeling at 70 for nine, only 107 ahead with two days left of Quaid Trophy final.

KARACHI: PIA fast-bowlers shattered ZTBL’s short-lived joy by reducing them to 70 for nine in the second-innings, only 107 ahead with two days’ play left.

Despite conceding a first-innings lead of 37, PIA came roaring back into the match, picking up early wickets and chipping at the ZTBL batting line-up with ease.

Anwar Ali and Ali Imran did the early damage before the tall Najaf Shah used his height well to finish with three for 19.

For ZTBL, only Yasir Hameed and Haris Sohail reached double figures – both scoring 19 – while the rest of the batting line-up let go of a glorious opportunity of winning the final as it crumbled under lights against the spirited PIA attack.

Earlier, Iftikhar Anjum picked up four wickets to restrict the high-flying PIA to 300.

Sarfraz Ahmed top-scored for his side with a 91-ball 70 but the late-order failed to overhaul ZTBL’s 337, giving their opponents the advantage of a first-innings lead that could have decided the result if the match had ended in a draw.

With a minimum of 180 overs remaining in the final, PIA, with their strong batting lineup, look on course to lift the trophy.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 23^rd, 2011.