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Report

Seamers bowl ZTBL to innings win against Abbottabad

A round-up of the action from the third day of the sixth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One

Abbottabad crumbled twice during the day, losing 16 wickets for 119 runs to lose by an innings to Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Beginning the day on 82 for 3 in pursuit of ZTBL's 498, a 90-run stand between Mohammad Naeem (71) and Nadeem Akhtar (52) had taken Abbottabad to 173 for 4. Fast bowler Junaid Nadir and left-arm spinner Zohaib Khan triggered a collapse, ending with four strikes apiece as Abbottabad could not manage even 200. Leading by 301 runs, ZTBL enforced the follow-on but Abbottabad could not even take the game in to the final day. Iftikhar Anjum and Mohammad Khalil struck thrice each as Abbottabad sank without any fight. They were 23 for 5 at one stage and Rehan Riaz mopped up the lower order to finish with 4 for 23 as Abbottabad did not manage even 100 this time, making 95.
Faisalabad recovered from 62 for 5 to make 234 and set Habib Bank Limited a target of 326 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad. Sarmad Anwar and Fahad Masood had sent back half the Faisalabad side with the hosts having an overall lead of 153. But the trio of Asif Hussain (49), Zeeshan Butt (49) and Naved Latif (51) lifted Faisalabad to 234 aided by 30 extras. Habib Bank's openers brought the target under 300, knocking off 33 runs by stumps.
Aqeel Anjum and Fawad Alam gave National Bank of Pakistan a massive first-innings lead over Karachi Blues at the National Stadium in Karachi. The duo put on an unbeaten 215-run stand as National Bank declared on 520 for 3, a lead of 222. Aqeel was unbeaten on 203 off 364 balls with 26 fours while Alam made 100 off 114. Nasir Jamshed had earlier fallen for 168 but there was to be no respite for Karachi. They finished the day on 90 for 1 with Asad Baig falling off the last ball of the day.
Islamabad needed another 24 runs with five wickets remaining to avoid an innings defeat against Water and Power Development Authority at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. WAPDA had earlier extended their first innings to 388 from the overnight 284 for 4, with useful contributions from Nawaz Sardar and captain Naved-ul-Hasan. Fakhar Hussain finished with 5 for 89 but WAPDA secured a healthy lead of 156. Naved and Sardar troubled Islamabad with the ball as well, reducing them to 132 for 5, despite Umair Khan's unbeaten 74.
Rawalpindi were in trouble against State Bank of Pakistan, having lost two early wickets in their chase of 333 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Mohammad Ali struck twice to leave them at 37 for 2 after State Bank made 215 on the back of Rameez Raja's fifty. Left-arm spinner Babar Naeem's maiden first-class five-wicket haul did not allow State Bank's batsmen to build on the starts that several of them managed. Mohammad Rameez chipped in with three strikes as well to restrict State Bank but the loss of their openers left Rawalpindi struggling to save the game.
Sialkot were involved in a tussle for the first-innings lead with Pakistan International Airlines at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot. Mohammad Yasin's maiden first-class hundred took them to 299 for 4 at stumps, still 206 short of PIA's huge 505 for 4. Yasin lost Faisal Khan early but Naved Sarwar settled in for the day, crawling to an unbeaten 47 off 215 balls. In contrast, Mohammad Ayub clubbed seven boundaries in his 69 off 55. His dismissal slowed proceedings but Sialkot were still in with a chance to take the lead going in to the final day.