ISLAMABAD - Pathetic batting efforts from Islamabad and Rawalpindi teams Saturday put them close to defeat even on their home turfs on the first day of their Four-Day Matches in the Round Two of Quide-e-Azam trophy.
Playing in Pool A, Islamabad Region were pitted against Khan Research Laboratories. KRL won a very good toss and put the host team into bat at Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad. Ahmed Bashir and Sadaf Hussain tore away the Islamabad’s batting as Islamabad were bowled out for just 88 runs in their first innings with Ali Sarfraz being the top scorer with just 25 runs. Ahmed grabbed six wickets conceding only 26 runs while Sadaf finished with the figures of 3-40.
However, Islamabad Region bowlers tried to lessen the damage to give their team a chance Usman Arshad’s unbeaten 47-run knock helped KRL to muster up a lead of 38 runs as they finished day on 126-6. With four wickets in hand and Usman still on the crease, KRL are well set to add up to their lead to ensure their victory chances further.
At Rawalpindi Stadium, the Rawalpindi Region bowlers made most of their toss win at their own backyard by getting ZTBL all out for meager 173 runs in their Pool B match. Syed Touseeq Shah (4-49) and Haseeb Azam (3-25) did not let ZTBL to score big and only Anas Mustafa showed some grit by hitting 55. In reply, Rawalpindi batsmen threw away all the good work of their bowlers as Muhammad Ali destroyed them with figures of 4-12 to reduce them 53-6 when the umpires called the stumps. Still trailing by 120 runs, Rawalpindi would face it hard to save the match and a defeat is quite imminent.
Round Two Day One of Four POOL “A”
AT LCCA GROUND, LAHORE:
NBP (First innings) 221-5 in 90 overs (Ali Asad 93*, 237 balls, 7x4s, Rameez Raja 31, 64 balls, 5x4s, Danish Aziz 28, 79 balls, 3x4s, Kamran Ghulam 24, 60 balls, 3x4s Muhammad Irfan 3-66) vs Lahore Region White
TOSS: Lahore Region White
AT KRL CRICKET STADIUM, RAWALPINDI
HBL (First innings) 228 all out in 73.3 overs (Abid Ali 71, 139 balls, 11x4s, Ammad Butt 46, 44 balls, 7x4s, 1x6, Imran Farhat 30, 50 balls, 5x4s, Zahid Mahmood 4-59, Taj Wali 2-45, Sajid Khan 2-61) vs Peshawar Region (First innings) 28-1 in 14 overs
Toss: HBL
AT DIAMOND CLUB GROUND,
ISLAMABAD
Islamabad Region (First innings) 88 all out in 38.3 overs (Ali Sarfraz 25, 54 balls, 2x4s, Ahmed Bashir 6-26, Sadaf Hussain 3-40)
KRL (First innings) 126-6 in 39 overs (Usman Arshad 47*, 87 balls, 7x4s, Azeem Ghumman 25, 37 balls, 1x4, Muhammad Naeem 3-37, Shahzad Azam Rana 2-32).
Toss: KRL
AT ABBOTTABAD CRICKET STADIUM, ABBOTTABAD
SNGPL (First innings) 322-5 in 90 overs (Imran Butt 111, 245 balls, 14x4s, 1x6, Iftikhar Ahmed 94*, 123 balls, 12x4s, 1x6, Asad Shafiq 52, 102 balls, 8x4s, Adnan Ghaus 2-75) against FATA Region
Toss: SNGPL POOL “B”
AT NATIONAL STADIUM, KARACHI
Karachi Region White (First innings) 329-8 in 90 overs (Muhammad Hasan 125, 163 balls, 17x4s, Khurram Manzoor 108, 215 balls, 15x4s, Anwar Ali 30*, 55 balls, 5x4s, Syed Saad Ali 30, 51 balls, 6x4s, Kashif Bhatti 3-78, Ahmed Jamal 2-90) vs SSGCL
Toss: SSGCL
AT PINDI CRICKET STADIUM, RAWALPINDI
ZTBL (First innings) 173 all out in 56 overs (Anas Mustafa 55, 97 balls, 9x4s, Haris Majeed 46, 43 balls, 8x4s, Syed Touseeq Shah 4-49, Haseeb Azam 3-25)
RAWALPINDI REGION (First innings) 53-6 in 25 overs (Muhammad Ali 4-12).
Toss: Rawalpindi Region
AT MULTAN CRICKET STADIUM, MULTAN
Multan Region (First innings) 214-5 in 90 overs (Imran Rafiq 65, 162 balls, 5x4s, Usman Liaqat 43, 107 balls, 4x4s, Aamir Ishfaq 38*, 99 balls, 4x4s, Waqar Malik 2-39) vs WAPDA
Toss: WAPDA
AT IQBAL CRICKET STADIUM, FAISALABAD
PTV (First innings) 261 all out in 70.2 overs (Muhammad Waqas 101, 151 balls, 11x4s, 4x6s, Muhammad Yasin 54, 91 balls, 8x4s, Saud Shakeel 52, 100 balls, 5x4s, Aizaz Cheema 6-57)
Lahore Region Blues (First innings) 43-2 in 14 overs (Rizwan Hussain 29, 37 balls, 5x4s, Tabish Khan 2-14)
Toss: Lahore Region Blues
