Quaid Trophy: Akbar hits double ton as Blues eye win

Group 1 leaders outclass Lahore Ravi with 481 runs in round six match.

KARACHI: Akbarur Rehman’s double century reinforced the Karachi Blues’ lead against Lahore Ravi in the sixth round match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy as the Group 1 leaders wrapped up their second-innings with 481 runs on the third day at Gaddafi Stadium.

Akbar picked up on his 116 runs from day two and remained unbeaten to finish his defiant knock on 225. The 29-year-old’s innings lasted for 353 deliveries and included 22 fours with two sixes. He also contributed towards Blues’ massive first-innings lead of 220 runs.

Ravi, after conceding the lead were on 95-2 at stumps, required another 125 runs to avoid an innings defeat on the final day.

In another match of the day, Sialkot were reduced to 193-6 in their second innings by Quetta as Abbas Nayyar took four wickets at the LCCA Ground in the second group 1 match. Earlier they scored 225 in reply to Sialkot’s 232.



Similarly, Israrullah’s unbeaten 91 and Nawaz Ahmed’s 58 steered Peshawar to 179-2 at stumps after conceding a first-innings lead of 76 runs against Islamabad.

Meanwhile, in Group 2, Awais Rehmani’s unbeaten 146 helped Karachi Whites reply with 351 to Bahawalpur’s 362 in the first innings.  The Whites later dominated Bahawalpur, claiming five wickets for just 51, with Faraz Ahmed taking four of them.  On the other hand, Asad Ali captured a six-wicket haul to help Faisalabad restrict Hyderabad to just 142 in the second-innings, as they reached a target of 210 runs for the final day.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2013.