Sarfraz Ahmed wrecks Faisalabad
Sarfraz Ahmed and Zahid Saeed rocked the Faisalabad batting line-up as Sialkot took the first day's honours in the final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy
Cricinfo staff
04-Dec-2005
Sialkot enjoyed a good opening day at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, its fast bowlers prospering on a pitch that offered bounce, seam and swing to bowl Faisalabad out for a paltry 111. Sarfraz Ahmed (6 for 28) and Zahid Saeed (4 for 40) were the wreckers-in-chief, triggering a turn in events during a fantastic 45-minute spell either side of lunch.
As collapses go, this was a showcase. A 78-run opening stand between Mohammad Hafeez, the former Pakistan opener, and Asif Hussain made way for a period of mayhem as Sarfraz, bustling, open-chested, and eyes to the ground as he delivered, wreaked havoc on a greenish wicket. There are times when a bowler needs to move the ball just a fraction, as compared to prodigiously, and this is where Sarfraz was lethal. His deliveries to dismiss Syed Hussain and Mizbah-ul-Haq were classic examples of seam bowling - deliveries pitched on a good length moving away just a little, fooling the drawn bat - and either hustling the batsmen onto the back-foot or rapping the pads as they thrust their front legs forward.
Zahid, not content to let his bowling partner rock the ship in the morning session, came into his own after lunch. At 99 for 6, he moved one across Ahmed Hayat to have the batsman edge to the wicketkeeper; next ball, he fooled Mohammad Salman into a false stroke, inducing a leading edge and spiraling high to backward point, where Mansoor Amjad kept his eyes on the ball to hold a good chance. Naved Latif, a domestic stalwart, averted the hat-trick ball by driving a full ball on middle and leg down the ground for a boundary, but Zahid ended his fine over by dismissing Shahid Nazir, the allrounder, caught down the leg side for a duck.
It was a sorry performance from Faisalabad, who had done well to play out the first 23 overs without a wicket, only to capitulate to a paltry 111 in 33.4 overs. They did well to take three wickets though, as Nazir bowled the dangerous Imran Nazir, Sialkot's captain, with a good ball that pitched on off and sneaked through bat and pad.
He then drew Atiq-ur-Rehman into a loose drive and had him caught behind, but Hayat let Qaiser Abbas off the hook when he spilled a chance at gully. Shahid Yousuf batted well to end the day unbeaten on 67, but Naved struck in his solitary over before stumps, forcing Abbas to nick one to wicketkeeper Salman. It was a timely breakthrough for Faisalabad, but they will need more if they are to get back into this one.
