President’s Trophy: Hafeez shines with the ball
All-rounder, Samiullah claim four wickets apiece to help SNGPL register win over PQA.
All-rounder Mohammad Hafeez and fast-bowler Samiullah Khan claimed eight wickets between them to propel SNGPL to a thrilling 32-run fourth-round win over new entrants PQA in the President’s Trophy.
Hafeez, who failed to deliver with the bat in both innings, claimed four for 32 and Khan took four for 65 to help SNGPL bundle out the opposition for 215 on the final day of their four-day match at the Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot.
Resuming at 64 for two, PQA kept losing wickets at regular intervals with only Umar Amin offering any real resistance in the middle. The batsman made 45 before Bilawal Bhatti claimed his wicket.
The win gave SNGLP a maximum of nine points and puts them in second place in the 10-team tournament.
HBL register another win
Meanwhile, HBL continued their unbeaten run in the tournament, registering a thumping 129-run win over SBP to stay at the top of the table.
Resuming on 46 for two on the final day, HBL declared after racing to 148 for five with former captain Younus Khan following up his impressive century in the first-innings with a half-century in the second.
In reply, SBP were bowled out for 148 in just the 59th over of the innings with Ehsan Adil and Aftab Alam equally sharing eight wickets between them.
Fast-bowlers set up KRL’s 4-wicket win
Mohammad Irfan and Yasir Ali claimed three wickets apiece, while Rahat Ali finished with two as UBL, resuming at a precarious 103 for seven, were soon bowled out for 143 to set a paltry 173-run target for KRL on the final day.
If there was any hope of a suprise win, Bazid Khan was quick to put the notion to bed with a run-a-ball 76 that took his team past the finish line in teh 40th over for the loss of six wickets.
In another match, ZTBL and Wapda played out a draw after the former were unable to overhaul a 271-run target on the fourth day. Haris Sohail, who struck a brilliant ton in the first-innings, was unbeaten on 58 and saw his team stranded at 158 for five after 57 overs and short of the target.
Wapda were still able to gain three precious points on the basis of their first-innings lead.
Elsewhere, NBP batted out for a draw with PIA. Aminur Rehman struck a magnificent 137 that took his team to 428 all out on the final day and set an improbable target of 411. In reply, PIA managed 10 for one off two overs.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 25th, 2012.