PTV bowlers on record-breaking defence: 'Still can't believe we did it'

The idea that Pakistan TV (PTV) might beat Sui Northern (SNGPL) was little more than academic by the time the fourth innings of their President's Trophy match began in Karachi. After being dismissed for 111 in the third innings, they had set SNGPL a mere 40 runs for victory, a total so low it had never been defended in the previous 232 years of first-class cricket.

Even PTV's bowlers, tasked with doing the near-impossible, did not believe victory was attainable.

"We thought before entering the field that there's a first time for everything and records are there to be broken," fast bowler Amad Butt, who took four wickets in the chase, said in a conversation with the PCB's in-house media channel. "But it was just a thought, not necessarily hope. We didn't do anything special, just went out and did our best."

Sensationally, that turned out to be good enough by the barest of margins. Butt was complemented by left-arm spinner Ali Usman. Usman took the other six wickets, registering incredible figures of 9.4-5-9-6 as PTV dismissed SNGPL for 37 and broke a record that had stood since 1794.

"As Amad said, we weren't expecting to defend 40 runs," Usman said. "But in the team huddle, we just said we'd try our best. We weren't talking of victory, just of putting in the best effort.

"When we got them five down, I began to feel we could win. We could take five more wickets. When Sajid, their sixth wicket fell, and the way I was bowling, I was confident that even the few runs they had left would become difficult."

In the brief innings that lasted fewer than 20 overs, PTV were put through the emotional ringer. Amad began by looking to exploit the natural inswing he can achieve with the new ball against left-hand batters, but it was a scalp his bowling partner Usman got that gave him the first pang of true hope. Shan Masood danced out of his crease to try and loft Usman back over his head, only to edge it high into the air for a second-ball duck.

"That's when we began to hope," Amad said. "But then the hope dissipated after a brief partnership again. It was on and off, but we couldn't have said at any time we had things in our full control."

SNGPL looked to have steadied their nerves after what was, in context, a significant 11-run partnership, taking the side from 22 for 7 to 33, just seven runs from victory with three wickets in hand. But a sharp catch at slip off Amad, followed by another wicket four runs later, put PTV within a wicket of history.

"For me it was momentum," Shamyl Hussain, the PTV captain, said. "The way every wicket fell and the pressure began to build, what initially looked impossible began to look plausible. When Saif Bangash [the ninth wicket] fell, I began to feel confident they'd be dismissed because they were under so much pressure."

Fittingly, the two bowlers combined for that final wicket. Shehzad Gul swiped at Usman in a desperate bid to clear the boundary, but only skied it towards deep midwicket, where Amad Butt stood poised to take the catch that sealed the win and PTV's place in history.

"I was keeping it simple," Usman said. "We wanted to make them score every run. Not to give them a single easy run or boundary ball, to bowl on a nice line and wicket to wicket, and to force them to score each run and give us chances.

"For me, this is special. I took six wickets, and we defended 40 runs, which is unthinkable. I still can't believe we did it."