Karachi Whites win by innings and 13 runs

Karachi, Nov 13: Karachi Whites overwhelmed Sheikhupura by an innings and 13 runs to record their fifth victory in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Grade-I Cricket Championship at the UBL Sports Complex here on Monday.

Sheikhupura, who needed to bat throughout the fourth and final day, were bowled out for 218 in their second innings in the 11th mandatory over.

Earlier, Karachi Whites had declared their first innings at their overnight score of 543 for four. The highlight being the mammoth unfinished record fifth-wicket partnership of 361 between skipper Asif Mujtaba (202) and Mohammad Masroor (171).

Mujtaba's timely declaration proved decisive in the end as the Karachi Whites bowlers stuck to their task to condemn Sheikhupura to their fifth defeat in six matches.

The only resistance offered was a stubborn stand of 78 in 103 minutes by the third-wicket pair of Mohammad Javed and Usman Akram.

The left-handed Javed made exactly 50 off 129 balls in 134 minutes with the help of 10 boundaries. His partner, Usman contributed 38 in 103 minutes off 104 deliveries with four hits to the fence.

At one stage, Sheikhupura looked like saving the match when they were 137 for four in mid-afternoon. However, fine bowling by pace bowler Athar Laeeq and the young spin duo of Tahir Khan and Adnan Malik put paid to that notion.

Athar drew the first blood when he clean bowled Majid Majeed, who made 88 in the first innings, for a duck in the third over of the innings. Later he claimed two more wickets at crucial moments.

Off-spinner Tahir Khan got rid of the other opener, Tahir Usman, with the very first ball of his opening over.

Adnan Malik, the slow left-armer, then dismissed Javed and Usman Akram in quick successions after lunch. The latter was out to a magnificent return catch.

The last four wickets crashed in the final session after tea was taken with Sheikhupura on 156 for six. Tahir was was responsible for a brilliant direct hit at the bowler's end from square leg to run out Mohammad Islam.

In between, Tahir removed Asif Raza for 35, caught at backward shortleg by Athar Laeeq.

The final wicket fell to Adnan Malik who had Sheikhupura captain Jaffer Nazir caught behind for the innings' third duck.

Athar Laeeq finished with impressive analysis of three for 28 in 16 overs while Tahir claimed three for 67 in 32 overs for a match haul of seven for 160 in 69 overs.

Adnan was at last rewarded for some excellent bowling with figures of three for 63 in 26.4 overs.

The unbeaten Karachi Whites move out of the city for two matches before the six-week Ramazan and Eid-ul-Fitr break with a tally of 63 points. They face Lahore Blues in Lahore from Thursday (Nov 16) and then take on Sargodha from Nov 22.