Faisalabad hold Abbottabad to reach last-four stage

KARACHI: Faisalabad blasted their way into the semi-finals when they held Abbottabad to a draw in their Group B last league match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Grade-II at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, on Wednesday.

Faisalabad, who ended as group runners-up with 13 points, will face Group A champions Multan (34 points) in the semi-final which will be held from March 26 to 28. The venue is yet to be decided.

The Group A runners-up Karachi Blues (28 points) will lock horns with Group B winners Sialkot (17 points) in the other semi-final.

Faisalabad, who had gained 56 runs lead in the first innings, resumed their second innings at 42-2 and were bowled out for 218.

Usman Arshad struck 67 off 158 deliveries, striking 11 fours. Ali Shan belted 50 off 123 deliveries, hitting six fours.

Left-arm spinner Khalid Usman was the pick of the bowlers with 6-74. Fawad Malook captured 2-17.

Faisalabad posted 324 all out in their first innings. Abbottabad made 268 in response.

The Group B clash between Sialkot and Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) also ended in a stalemate with the former taking three points due to their first innings lead at National Cricket Ground in Islamabad.

In response to Sialkot’s first innings total of 321 all out, AJK resumed at 83-4 and were folded for 157. Hasan Raza struck 24 off 32 deliveries, hammering three fours. Rashid Naseer belted 28 off 58 balls, smacking four fours. Left-arm pacer Mohammad Kamran got 4-44 in 16 overs. Test pacer and captain Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Abbas got two wickets each.

Sialkot had piled up 306-1 in their second innings when the match ended.

Naeemuddin (155*) and Nauman Anwar (126*) scored 276 for the second wicket unbroken stand. Naeem hammered 16 fours and four sixes in his spectacular 153-ball feat. Anwar cracked 15 fours and a six from 133 deliveries.

At Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur, Karachi Blues recorded their fourth successive win after overwhelming Bahawalpur by seven wickets.

Bahawalpur, who had conceded 103 runs lead, resumed their second innings at 55-3 and perished for 225, which set Karachi Blues to make 123 to win. Karachi Blues chased it for the loss of three wickets as first innings’ centurion Khurram Manzoor hammered an explosive 81 off 54 balls, striking 12 fours and three sixes.

In Bahawalpur’s second innings, Adeel Basit played a key role, scoring unbeaten 70. He smashed seven fours and a six from 165 deliveries. He added 55 for the sixth wicket with Imranullah, who struck 49 off 53 balls which had nine fours.

Left-arm spinner Ahsan Jamil picked 6-48. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar got 2-80 for match-figures of 6-181. Left-arm pacer Mir Hamza got 2-38, for 4-85 match tally.

Bahawalpur posted 264 all out in their first innings. In reply, Karachi Blues accumulated 367-8.

In a Group A game, at Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan defeated Larkana by 109 runs to finish as group champions with 34 points. Chasing 337, Larkana were bowled out for 227 with opener Bilal Israhd scoring 80. Mohammad Imran remained not out on 41 in which he struck eight fours.

Fast bowler Kumail Abbas got 5-70 in 14.4 overs. Multan scored 333 and 196-3 declared. Larkana posted 193 all out in their first innings.