Quaid Trophy: Islamabad edge closer to Super-Eight place

Team hangs on to draw match against Peshawar.

Islamabad took away three crucial points for their first-innings lead against Peshawar to help their cause of qualifying for the Super-Eights stage of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy yesterday.

The team from the capital started the fourth day at 52 for no loss chasing a target of 364 runs. They hung on to the match as they ended with 221 for five in 89 overs with Imad Wasim top-scoring with an unbeaten 52 while Shan Masood chipping in with 37.

The draw helped Islamabad get into second position with 18 points behind leaders Karachi Blues (27) who are already through to the next stage.

All the other sides in group I have a chance to qualify for the next phase which has set up a tense last round of matches while group II is already settled with Rawalpindi, Karachi Whites, Lahore Shalimar and Hyderabad confirmed in the Super-Eights, irrespective of their results.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2013.