QUAID-I-AZAM TROPHY: Rawalpindi batsmen put PTV bowlers to sword

ISLAMABAD: Raw and young Rawalpindi Region batsmen put PTV bowlers to the sword on the opening day of the four-day Quaid-i-Azam Trophy match at the Pindi Stadium Sunday.

Rawalpindi reached 239-4 at the draw of stumps on the opening day and had it not been to the controversial caught behind of Haseeb Azam (75) in the dying moments of the day, Rawalpindi would have achieved even better position.

Haseeb smashed eight fours during his 205-ball innings that held Rawalpindi batting together. Together with Tayyab Riaz (68), Haseeb put on 100 runs for the third wicket and another 69 for the fourth wicket with Mukhtar Ahmad (52 not out).

Tayyab hammered 10 boundaries in his innings and took the crease when score was just four runs with opener Sarmad Hameed (4) falling victim to Tabish Khan (3-68), the only bowler of any value for PTV. Others got hammered all around and looked rusty and amateur most of the time. Mukhtar, who was at the crease, took 65 balls to reach his 50 striking 10 boundaries in the process.

Scores in brief: At Pindi Stadium: Rawalpindi 239-4 in 90 overs (Haseeb Azam 75, Tayyab Riaz 68, Mukhtar Ahmad 52 not out; Tabish Khan 3-68) v PTV.

At National Stadium, Karachi: ZTBL 207 all out in 75.4 overs (Usman Ashraf 86 not out, Anus Mustafa 56; Adeel Malik 4-38, Israr Ahmed Khan 2-27, Anwar Ali 2-45). Karachi Whites 26-0 in 12 overs.

At Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan: Multan Region 143 all out in 68 overs: (Imran Rafiq 44; Kashif Bhatti 5-33, Sohail Khan 3-32). SSGCL 75-2 in 20 overs (Awais Zia 33 not out, Ahsan Baig 2-15).

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: WAPDA 215-5 in 89.5 overs (Salman Butt 129, Muhammad Saad 37; Asad Ullah 2-27, Zafar Gohar 2-67) v Lahore Region Blues.

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: HBL 325-5 in 90 overs (Abid Ali 131, Rameez Aziz 53 not out, Imran Farhat 47; Muhammad Waheed 2-66) v Lahore Region Whites.

At Iqbal Cricket Stadium, Faisalabad: NBP 106 all out in 38 overs (Rameez Raja 29; Altaf Ahmed 3-20, Nasir Ahmed 3-24, Taj Wali 3-45). Peshawar Region 125-9 in 39 overs (Ashfaq Ahmed 35, Musaddiq Ahmed 23; Attaullah 5-29, Mir Hamza 3-29).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: Islamabad Region 108-9 (Zohaib Ahmed retired hurt) in 36 overs (Muhammad Nadeem 36; Aziz Ullah 4-36, Rahat Ali 3-37). SNGPL 196-3 in 48 overs (Muhammad Hafeez 63, Asad Shafiq 38 not out).

At Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad: FATA Region 253

all out in 67.4 overs (Asad Afridi 97, Asif Afridi 37; Ali Shafiq 8-70).

KRL 43-0 in 11 overs (Jaahid Ali 25 not out).