President’s Trophy: Pacer Imran takes 13 to bowl SNGPL to victory against PQA

Defending champions register thrilling 5-run win on ‘dangerous’ pitch.

RAWALPINDI: Seamer Imran Ali claimed 13 wickets to bowl defending champions SNGPL to a narrow five-run win against PQA in a thrilling President’s Trophy match here at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

PQA started day three at 62 for two needing 95 runs. However, they received an early setback when their set batsman Shahzaib Hasan was dismissed for 43, triggering panic as he was one of the few who was at ease on an erratic green wicket, that left several batsmen of both teams bruised.

Daniyal Ahsan (25) and Mohammad Salman (15) put up a brave fight in testing conditions as they received body blows but failed to guide PQA to victory as they were all out for 151 in 50.1 overs. Imran again proved to be the hero, claiming a five-for to back up his impressive eight-wicket haul of the first innings.

Asad Ali and Bilawal Bhatti claimed two wickets apiece. SNGPL received a full nine points for the outright win.

However, both teams were unhappy with the dangerous green-top pitch as they felt it was not appropriate.

SNGPL coach Basit Ali termed it disastrous, saying it would hamper the standard of cricket in Pakistan.

“Although we’ve won, I feel the pitch was really awful,” Basit told The Express Tribune.

“Such green-top wickets are useless to promote cricket because it behaves abnormally and it kills the confidence of the batsmen. Several of them got nasty blows as well and it was dangerous. The Pakistan Cricket Board officials should come here and see the way the pitches are being prepared.”

PQA coach Rashid Latif added that the continuance of such pitches would bar Pakistan from producing quality batsmen and spinners.

“Pakistan’s top batsmen take part in domestic cricket keeping high-scoring innings in their minds, but on pitches like these their technique and thinking gets limited and they’re afraid to play their shots,” said Latif. “Morever, they get in the habit of playing each and every ball because they don’t know which way the ball is going. So they don’t develop the habit of leaving the ball which is also necessary.”

NBP overcome PIA by seven wickets

Meanwhile, Adnan Rasool claimed four wickets in the second innings as NBP defeated PIA by seven wickets at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot.

Despite PIA all-rounder Shoaib Malik’s haul of five wickets along with scores of 28 and 51 in both innings, his team failed to register the win.

In another match, HBL finished the day at nine for two while chasing a target of 159 against SBP at the Diamond Ground in Islamabad.

SBP had earlier started the day at 81 for two and were all out for 293 in 89.5 overs as Rizwan Haider top-scored with 60. Sarmad Anwar and Aslam Qureshi bagged four and three wickets respectively.

At the KRL Stadium, Saeed Anwar Jr (74) and Usman Salahuddin (62) scored half-centuries as KRL defeated PTV by six wickets.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2013.

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