Faisal, Saud shine on first day of President’s Trophy last round

KARACHI: Faisal Akram made an impact with the ball on the opening day of the last round of President’s Trophy grade I while Saud Shakeel glittered with a century on Sunday.

Pakistan Television (PTV), batting for the second time, ended the day leading by 73 runs against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) as both the teams had finished their first innings. PTV’s Faisal Akram bagged a seven-wicket haul.

Batting first, PTV faltered early on, losing top-order wickets cheaply. Uzair Mumtaz and Hasan Mohsin’s partnership revived their innings, but Asif Afridi took five wickets to bowl them out for 146. In reply, WAPDA stumbled to 124, succumbing to Akram’s relentless attack as he grabbed seven wickets. PTV had made 51 for two by the end of the day’s play.

Ghani Glass faces uphill battle against SBP: SBP openers Umar Amin and Usman Salahuddin set the tone with fluent half-centuries. Muhammad Irfan Khan and Mohsin chipped in with valuable contributions, but still SBP were out for 277. Ghani Glass openers Azeem and Javed navigated the final overs cautiously, reaching 62/0 at stumps, trailing by 216 runs.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) banked on Saud Shakeel’s hundred to post a decent total against the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Early wickets had SNGPL in trouble, but Saud Shakeel’s magnificent century, his 18th in first-class cricket, brought stability. He received crucial support from Mubasir Khan and Hamza, helping SNGPL post 279 before being bowled out. HEC openers Huraira and Mohsin saw off the remaining overs, reaching 14/0, facing a daunting 255-run deficit on day two.

Scores in brief:

PTV vs WAPDA at National Bank Stadium

PTV 146 all out, 39.4 overs (Uzair Mumtaz 46, Hasan Mohsin 43, Mohammad Ibtisam 19 not out; Asif Afridi 5-67, Khalid Usman 3-43, Ali Shafiq 2-11) and 51-2, 11 overs (Muhammad Shahzad 26 not out, Mohammad Suleman 20 not out; Ali Shafiq 1-8, Asif Afridi 1-31)