Adnan, Danish spin Karachi Whites to 80-run victory

Karachi, Oct 14: Spin duo of Adnan Malik and Danish Kaneria enabled Karachi Whites to start their campaign in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Grade-I Cricket Championship with an impressive 80-run victory over Karachi Blues at the KCCA Stadium here on Saturday.

Slow left-armer Adnan Malik returned career-best analysis of five for 47 while budding leg-spinner Danish Kaneria mopped up the tail to finish with four for 58 as Karachi Blues were sent packing for 167 in their second innings on the final day of the four-day tie.

The victory, achieved with five overs to spare, was a fitting result because Karachi Whites had dominated the match from the onset and deserved to earn the maximum (12) points.

After batting on for another hour on Saturday, Karachi Whites declared their innings for the second time in the match after adding 57 to their overnight tally of 183 for three.

Mohammad Masroor (50 off 104 balls with three fours and one six) and first innings' century-maker Hasan Raza (55 off 54 balls with three fours and two sixes) shared an unbroken partnership of 97 in 82 minutes.

Set a sporting target of 248 in a minimum of 67 overs, the Blues never looked like winning despite a fine knock of 78 by young Nomanullah. The right-hander, named in the Pakistan 'A' squad for England's warmup match on 22nd, played some handsome drives and stroked nine fours and a six in his 143-ball innings that lasted exactly three hours.

Apart from Noman, who was fifth out at 141, no other batsman batted with any conviction against Adnan and Danish, whose figures might have been far more emphatic had the fielding being top class as several catches were grassed.

Masroor, however, caught the eye with a magnificent diving catch at first slip off pace bowler Mohammad Sami to get rid of Suleman Huda.