Imran, Agha smash hundreds in Southern Punjab win over Sindh

KARACHI: Imran Rafiq and Agha Salman smashed solid hundreds as Southern Punjab defeated Sindh by five wickets to jump to the second spot on the fourth and final day of their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (first-class) match here at the SBP Ground on Wednesday.

Imran slammed 130 and Agha cracked 100 as Southern Punjab achieved the stiff 370-run target in 93.4 overs after resuming at 61-1 after losing five wickets.

The duo added 142 runs for the fourth wicket to pave the way for the incredible chase.

Earlier, the 24-year-old Imran shared 137 runs for the second wicket with Zain Abbas, who fell for 81 off 128 balls, having smacked nine fours and two sixes.

Imran, who hit his first century of the season, smacked 12 fours and two sixes from 254 balls. He stayed for 354 minutes at the crease. Agha hammered 14 fours and two sixes in his 112-ball century, his second ton of the season. Agha moved to the third place of the leading run-getters chart with 817 runs.

Mohammad Umair made valuable unbeaten 36 off 38 balls, striking three fours and two sixes. Aamer Yamin remained not out at the other end on seven.

Fast bowler Tabish Khan got 3-95, for 5-134 match haul.

Sindh had scored 217 and 399-5 declared. Southern Punjab had accumulated 247 in their first innings.

Southern Punjab moved to 128 points by virtue of their fourth win. Sindh stand at the rock bottom with 85 points.

Here at the National Stadium, the game between holders Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa ended in a draw.

Central Punjab, who had gained a 39-run lead, resumed their second innings at 89-3 and declared it at 265-7 in 82 overs to set a target of 305 runs for KP who were 65-2 in 21 overs in their second innings when game ended. Fakhar Zaman (31*) and Kamran Ghulam (18*) remained not out.

In Central Punjab’s second innings, Mohammad Saad made 83 off 155 balls. Saad, who was batting on 46 on Tuesday, smashed ten fours.

He added 101 in the fourth wicket-stand with Qasim Akram, who made 79. Qasim, who was batting on 12 on the third day, hammered six fours and one six from 181 deliveries.

Qasim was also involved in an 84-run fifth wicket partnership with Hafiz Saad Nasim, who made 54 off 72 balls, striking five fours and one six. Off-spinner Sajid Khan got 2-90. Left-arm spinner Khalid Usman got 2-29.

KP, who have qualified for the final, extended their lead at the summit with 148 points, while Central Punjab stretched their points to 111 at the fourth place, just three points shy of Northern who dropped from second to third place with 114 points.