QAT: Zohaib (110*) earns draw for KP

ISLAMABAD: All-rounder Zohaib Khan’s unbeaten 244-ball 110 helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa secure a draw against Sindh Tuesday in the second round match of the four-day Quaid-i-Azam Trophy (QAT) at the UBL Sports Complex.

Resuming their innings on 296 for six, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa declared on 355 for eight despite being 121 runs behind of Sindh’s 476 for nine, which they scored after being put into bat by the visiting team.

The 35-year-old Zohaib build on his overnight 70 to score 40 runs more in 95 balls. In his overall stay of 322 minutes on the crease, Zohaib smashed 10 fours.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, however, collected three batting points for being at 300 for six in 110 overs. Earlier in the match, Sindh had secured four batting points for crossing the 350-run mark in 110 overs in their first innings.

In the third round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, which commences on 28 September, Sindh travel to Rawalpindi to face Northern at the KRL Stadium.

Scores: Sindh 476-9 dec, 148.5 overs (Omair Bin Yousuf 174, Fawad Alam 100 not out, Asad Shafiq 81, Khurram Manzoor 40, Saud Shakil 25; Adil Amin 5-81, Sameen Gul 3-50) and 81-1, 30 overs (Saad Ali 40 not out, Omair Bin Yousaf 34; Imran Khan 1-10)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 355-8d, 136.1 overs (Ashfaq Ahmed 113, Zohaib Khan 110 not out, Adil Amin 70, Umar Khan 31; Kashif Bhatti 4-108, Tabish Khan 3-83). Result: Match drawn.

Meanwhile at Bugti Stadium Quetta, Balochistan and Southern Punjab match ended in a draw. When the stumps were drawn for the match on the fourth and final day, Balochistan in their second innings were 42 without loss in 11 overs. Imran Butt (29) and Azeem Ghumman (9) were the not out batsmen.The home team had amassed 500-9 declared in their first innings. Southern Punjab, in reply, were bowled out for 308 in 94.4 overs and were forced to follow on.

Shan Masood’s men then scored 381 all out in 95 overs to set Balochistan a victory target of 190 runs in 26 possible overs till close. It, however, was a tall order and both teams settled for a draw. Balochistan earned 13 points (5 for a draw, 5 batting, 3 bowling) while Southern Punjab secured 9 points (5 for a draw, 3 batting, 1 bowling). Southern Punjab resumed their innings at 132-3 on Tuesday. They lost both overnight batsmen, Umar Siddiq (49) and Imran Rafiq (33), with 198 runs on the board, giving Balochistan a sniff of a possible win.

However, Adnan Akmal and Aamer Yamin stitched a 97-run partnership for the sixth wicket, and Bilawal Bhatti (38) again added important runs to take their team towards safety.Adnan, the wicketkeeper-batsman, scored 82 with the help of nine fours. Aamer was more aggressive in his approach, cracking eight fours and two sixes in his 64-ball 61.

Test leggie Yasir Shah was the pick of Balochistan’s bowlers and finished with figures of 5-104. Hussain Talat and Mohammad Asghar took two wickets each.Scores: Balochistan 500-9, 130.5 overs (Azeem Ghumman 163, Imran Farhat 117, Imran Butt 66, Amad Butt 54; Mohammad Irfan 5-131, Bilawal Bhatti 2-104) and 42-0, 11 overs (Imran Butt 29 not out, Azeem Ghumman 9 not out)

Southern Punjab 308 all out, 94.4 overs (Imran Rafiq 110 not out, Umar Siddiq 67, Bilawal Bhatti 57; Mohammad Asghar 3-41, Umar Gul 2-31, Taj Wali 2-50, Yasir Shah 2-126) and after follow-on 381 all out, 95 overs (Adnan Akmal 82, Aamer Yamin 61, Umar Siddiq 49, Shan Masood 45, Bilawal Bhatti 38, Sami Aslam 37, Imran Rafiq 33, Mohammad Irfan 19 not out; Yasir Shah 5-104, Hussain Talat 2-21, Mohammad Asghar 2-105)

Result: Match drawn.