LAHORE: Central Punjab rode on the half-centuries by Umar Akmal and Usman to get 227 runs to their total on day three of their four-day first-class Quaid-i-Azam Trophy (QAT) fixture against Balochistan before play had to be called-off early due to bad light at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Central Punjab were 255 for six, after resuming their innings at 28 for two, before stumps were drawn on the day in which 58.4 overs were bowled. Umar recorded his 41st half-century in first-class cricket, scoring 78 runs. His 102-ball stay at the crease was studded with 11 fours and a six.
Meanwhile, Usman struck his second half-century on trot and was unbeaten on 74. The 28-year-old, to date, had faced 129 balls, out of which 10 were hit for boundaries.
The pair of Umar and Usman knitted a crucial 124-run partnership for the fifth-wicket to rescue Central Punjab from a precarious situation. Balochistan tightened the screws on hosts by taking two early wickets which left them reeling at 84 for four. Opener Salman Butt added 32 runs to his overnight score of 15 before he fell three runs short of scoring his first-class career’s 34th half-century.
For Balochistan, Mohammad Asghar picked up two more wickets on Wednesday. He has taken three wickets for 81 in 24 overs, so far.
Scores: Balochistan 450 all out, 124.1 overs (Imran Butt 137, Imran Farhat 87, Azeem Ghumman 72, Awais Zia 44, Taimur Khan 37, Hussain Talat 24; Aizaz Cheema 5-100, Mohammad Ali 3-72)
Central Punjab 255-6, 66.4 overs (Umar Akmal 78; Usman Salahuddin 74 not out, Salman Butt 47; Mohammad Asghar 3-81)
Meanwhile Ashfaq Ahmed joined Sami Aslam and Imran Butt in crossing the 600-run mark with his fourth tournament century, eighth overall, which helped Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to collect maximum batting points against Southern Punjab on the penultimate day of the four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture in Abbottabad on Wednesday.
Scores in brief: Southern Punjab 338 all-out, 100.3 overs (Umar Siddiq 88, Sohaib Maqsood 57, Salman Ali Agha 45, Sami Aslam 38, Zeeshan Ashraf 25; Ahmed Jamal 6-93, Junaid Khan 2-89) and 15-0. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 417-5d, 113 overs (Ashfaq Ahmed 143, Rehan Afridi 84 not out, Zohaib Khan 63 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 47, Adil Amin 37, Fakhar Zaman 23; Umaid Asif 3-142)
Meanwhile, Northern took control of their seventh round first- class Quaid-i-Azam Trophy (QAT) match against Sindh on the third day of the four-day game at the National Stadium, Karachi despite a fighting century from Fawad Alam on Wednesday.
Northern had accumulated an overall lead of 255 runs after reaching 173 for two in their second innings at stumps when bad light again forced play to be called off with 12 overs remaining in the day. The cornerstone of the second innings was a visually attractive unbeaten 96 runs off 131 balls by Zeeshan Malik who shared an undefeated third wicket stand of 63 runs with first innings double centurion Faizan Riaz.
Zeeshan was in flowing form hitting 13 fours and two sixes but Faizan who had scored a rapid 211 in the first innings from just 200 balls played a more subdued role as he faced 56 balls in his innings. The two came together after Mir Hamza dismissed Umar Amin (21) having him caught in the slip cordon while later Shoaib Minhas was bowled by Sohail Khan for 29. Umar was looking in fine touch as he hit four boundaries in his 22 ball innings before his dismissal.
Earlier Northern skipper, Nauman Ali took five for 58, his fourth five-wicket haul in the season, to bowl out Sindh for 326 runs. Nauman produced quality bowling on a slow pitch when Sindh resumed on 247 for five with Fawad Alam on 75 and Anwar Ali on 41.
Left-hander, Fawad Alam went onto make his 32nd first-class century as he put on a 126-run partnership for the sixth wicket with all-rounder, Anwar Ali who made 69. Fawad scored 107 runs from 161 balls with 14 boundaries while Anwar curbing his usually aggressive style of play also batted patiently to face 168 balls hitting nine fours.
Scores in brief: Northern 408, all out 93.2 overs (Faizan Riaz 211, Ali Sarfaraz 60, Hammad Azam 59; Sohail Khan 3-89, Mir Hamza 3-92) and 173 for 2, 43 overs (Zeeshan Malik 96*; Sohail Khan 1-30) Sindh 326, all out 105.5 overs (Fawad Alam 107, Shahzar Mohammad 74, Anwer Ali 69; Nauman Ali 5-58, Sadaf Hussain 2-50)