Cricket: KRL post huge win over ZTBL

Abbas shines with five-wicket haul in President’s Trophy.

KARACHI:

KRL launched their season in style as they crushed ZTBL by an innings and 117 runs in the opening round of the President’s Trophy match in Sialkot.

KRL needed just one wicket on the final day as ZTBL folded out for 185 while following-on. Nayyab Abbas took a five-for while Saeed Anwar Jr bagged three wickets to take their side to the top of the table.

SNGPL struggled to a three-wicket victory over Wapda, surviving good bowling by Junaid Khan and Zulfiqar Babar at Faisalabad’s Iqbal Stadium.

Taufiq Umar top-scored with 32 as SNGPL laboured to 115 for seven in 38.5 overs. Junaid ended with four for 41 runs while Baber picked up three important wickets.

In another match, HBL rose from their previous year’s poor standing and defeated NBP by five wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Deprived of the services of key senior players, HBL’s new signing, Rameez Aziz, rose to the occasion by scoring an unbeaten 46. Teammate Kamran Hussain smashed 84 and took two wickets as HBL made 198 for five in 56.2 overs.

Meanwhile, SBP snatched three points against PIA in the first of the two drawn matches, while UBL also claimed their first three points of the season on first-inning lead basis against PQA.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2012.