KARACHI: Left-arm pacer Waqas Maqsood took three crucial wickets to give WAPDA an edge as they reduced Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to 127-4 in their first innings after posting 353 all out on the second day of their Group I four-day Super Eight match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad, on Sunday.
SSGC were 29-2 when Waqas had removed left-handed openers Zain Abbas (2) and Ali Asad (0). But international left-hander Awais Zia (49) and in-form Asif Zakir (41*) put on 78 runs for the third wicket to revive the innings. Left-arm spinner Khalid Usman (1-24) broke the crucial partnership when he bowled Awais.
Waqas then bowled skipper Fawad Alam (1) to once again bring SSGC under pressure, leaving the responsibility on the experienced shoulders of prolific Asif, who hit five fours in his unbeaten 82-ball knock. Adil Amin was at the other end on 17.Waqas, who bowled with great speed, took 3-25 in nine overs.
WAPDA had resumed their first innings at 226-5 and lost their last five wickets for 127 runs. Test stumper Kamran Akmal, who was not out on 131 on Saturday, fell after making 144, bowled by medium pacer Aamer Yamin.
Kamran, who brought his side out of a quagmire on the first day with a fine century, smashed 12 fours in his 234-ball knock.
Zulfiqar Babar (55) and Waqas Maqsood (36*) scored 66 runs for the ninth wicket to take their side to a relatively safer position.
Zulfiqar smacked four fours and a six from 94 balls. Waqas struck five fours in his sedate 107-ball fighting knock.
Left-arm paceman Zia-ul-Haq was the pick of the bowlers with 3-61. International Aamer Yamin got 2-78. The team which wins the game will qualify for the final. Both teams are tied on 19 points each.
At NBP Sports Complex, Habib Bank Limited (HB) were bowled out for 486 in their first innings after resuming at 280-3 against last year’s runners-up United Bank Limited (UBL).
Test discard Imran Farhat, who was batting on 128, got out for 133 after he had struck 14 fours and three sixes in his 272-ball knock. The veteran batsman stayed for 327 minutes at the crease.
Skipper Abdul Rehman also batted well, scoring fine unbeaten 58. The Test left-arm spinner, who struck five fours and two sixes in his solid 116-ball knock, was involved in a crucial 70 runs eighth wicket stand with Jamal Anwar, who scored 28 off 122 deliveries, hammering two fours.
Earlier, Mohammad Waqas (49) and Azeem Ghumman (28) put on 62 runs for the sixth wicket. Waqas hit eight fours from 122 balls.
Ghumman, who was demoted in the batting order, struck five fours from 81 balls.
Left-arm pacer Mir Hamza got 5-65 in 29.4 overs. Left-arm spinners Mohammad Asghar (3-166) and Yasim Murtaza (2-22) were the other successful bowlers.
UBL were 20 without loss, in reply, at stumps.
HBL, who have 15 points as compared to UBL’s nine, need only a draw to qualify for the December 10-14 day-night final, which will be played here at National Stadium.
In the inconsequential outing of Group II, here at UBL Sports Complex, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) gained 43 runs lead when they were folded for 287 after resuming their first innings at 16 without loss in response to Khan Research Laboratories’ (KRL) 244.
The hall-mark of NBP’s innings was a superb 102 from Ramiz Raja Junior, who hit 14 fours in his 205-ball knock. He added 182 runs for the fourth wicket with Naved Sarwar, who struck 83 off 163 balls, striking ten fours.
Qaiser Abbas (20) and Kamran Ghulam (14) were the only other batsmen who managed double figures.
Fast bowler Ahmed Bashir once again impressed with the leather with figures of 4-56. His new ball partner Mohammad Abbas (3-47) and spinner Nauman Ali (3-84) also bowled well.
Abbas, who is the leading wicket-taker in the event, took his tally to 64.
KRL were eight without loss in their second innings at stumps.
In a Group I day-night dead rubber here at National Stadium, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) gained 155 runs lead when after scoring 361 they dismissed Karachi Whites for 206.
After a brittle start, Behram Khan (64) and Faraz Ali (44) put on 86 for the third wicket.
But after their fall the rest of the wickets fell quickly and the whole team was folded in 73.5 overs.
Ghanchi, who has hit the only triple century of the event, struck eight fours and one six from 125 balls. Faraz struck seven fours from 87 balls.
Imran Ali got 3-31. He was backed by Mohammad Imran (2-57) and Asad Ali (2-69).
SNGPL were 13 without loss in their second innings at stumps. Earlier, SNGPL resumed their first innings at 339-7 and were bowled out for 361.
Test cricketer Iftikhar Ahmed, who was batting on 172, fell for 181. His excellent 275-ball knock featured 21 fours.
Fast bowler Tabish Khan captured 7-77 in 27.2 overs, just short of his career best of 7-38. He took his wickets tally in the season to 58, six less than KRL’s Mohammad Abbas’s who reached 64 on Sunday.
