Quaid Trophy: Shah impresses with six-wicket haul

Faisalabad bowled out for 92 after spinner’s heroics.

KARACHI:

Leg-spinner Yasir Shah took six wickets for Abbottabad on day one to help them take a first-innings lead against Faisalabad during their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy round five match at the Gohati Cricket Ground in Sawabi yesterday.

Abbottabad won the toss and opted to bowl first, a call that proved fruitful as Faisalabad were bundled out for 92 in 40.5 overs. Usman Irshad made 22, while Shah gave away just 20 runs for his wickets.

In reply, Abbottabad struggled to 126 for eight and ended the day with a 34-run lead. Yasir Hameed made 49 off 82 balls, while Waqas Maqsood picked up five wickets.

Meanwhile, Hyderabad’s Rizwan Ahmed carried on with his good form as he scored an unbeaten half-century against Bahawalpur – after scoring a century in each innings of his last match – at the Niaz Stadium.

Asked to bat first, Hyderabad made 277 for three as Ahmed made 75, while Aqeel Anjum was not out at 58.

Elsewhere, Aizaz Cheema and Ziaul Haq shared seven wickets between them to help Lahore Shalimar bowl out Rawalpindi in 157 overs at the Mirpur Stadium.



Cheema took four scalps and Zia took three, while Haseeb Azam top-scored with 46.

Waqas’ ton puts Blues in command

In Group-I, Mohammad Waqas scored an impressive 150 that included 20 boundaries, while Fakhar Zaman chipped in with 79 to propel Karachi Blues to 289 for four against hosts Multan.

Zulfiqar Babar struggled for his two wickets as he conceded 104 runs. Babar was recently included for Pakistan’s tour of India after Abdur Rehman was banned for using recreational drugs, but failed to get a chance to make his debut in the Twenty20 and One-Day International series.

Overlooked by his department SNGPL for the Presidents’ Trophy final, Muhammad Rizwan scored an unbeaten 64 to put hosts Peshawar in a strong position as they ended the day on 245 for seven against Sialkot at the Arbab Niaz Stadium.

Rizwan’s knock consisted of nine boundaries in his 141-ball stay. Bilawal Bhatti, who is returning to full fitness, bagged three wickets.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 20^th, 2013.