Abid, Salman keep HBL strong in QAT final

KARACHI: Abid Ali and Agha Salman developed a solid unbeaten partnership to put Habib Bank Limited (HBL) in a strong position against holders Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) on the second day of their five-day final of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy (QAT) 2018-19 here at the UBL Sports Complex on Wednesday.

Abid (92*) and Agha (50*) shared 143 for the second wicket association to shepherd HBL to 170-1 in their first innings in 65 overs at stumps in response to SNGPL’s total of 304 which they scored thanks to skipper Misbah-ul-Haq fighting 91. Fast bowler Asad Ali provided a much-needed breakthrough to SNGPL when he had wicket-keeper batsman Jamal Anwar (19) cheaply, trapped leg before.

Agha then joined in-form Abid and the duo kept their cool and played with immense concentration to consolidate their team’s innings. At tea, HBL were 80-1.

The 31-year old Abid completed his 32nd fifty off 115 balls in his 102nd first-class game. The 23-year old Agha on the other hand completed his 14th first-class fifty off 166 balls. Agha smashed six fours in his unbeaten 172-ball knock.SNGPL bowlers including Asad Ali (1-17), Azizullah (0-27), Imran Khalid (0-46), Bilawal Bhatti (0-32), Iftikhar Ahmed (0-30) and M Imran (0-10) had to work hard on the warm day.

Earlier, SNGPL resumed their first innings from the overnight score of 238-6 and were folded for 304 in 110.2 overs.Misbah-ul-Haq, who was batting on 72 on the first day on Tuesday, was the first to lose his wicket when he edged an out-swinger from medium pacer Khurram Shehzad to keeper Jamal Anwar who took an easy catch behind the stumps.

Misbah added 88 runs for the seventh wicket stand with M Imran (40) who was removed by left-arm Test spinner Abdul Rehman in the next over to reduce SNGPL to 274-8.Rehman then had Azizullah (0) and Asad Ali (5) in quick succession to fold SNGPL. However during the same brief time discarded international Bilawal Bhatti used long handle, scoring unbeaten 25 off 31 balls. Rehman was the pick of the bowlers with 4-90 in 40.2 overs. Khurram Shehzad got 3-65 from 21 overs.