Fourth round of Patron's Trophy (Grade II) offers stalemates

All the four matches of the fourth round of the Patron's Trophy (Grade II) competition ended in draws, despite offering some fine performances, both with bat and ball, from the players of the participating teams.

The first match of this round played at the Saga Ground, Sialkot between Sui Gas and Service Industries was dominated by the batsmen. Batting first after winning the toss, Service Industries posted 202 in their first innings, which contained worthwhile contributions from Faisal Khan (65), Masood Butt (33), and Rizwan Arshad (26).

Sui Gas replied with 291 in their first innings, thanks to fine fifties by the wicket keeper, Ali Raza (72) and Ali Hussain (50). Shahzad Butt, batting at number ten, played a useful knock of 45, whereas Shahid Khan remained unbeaten on 39.

Faisal Khan again top scored in Service Industries' second innings total of 290 for 8. He missed his century by just 9 runs. Masood Butt also shone in the second innings, making 48. Farhan Asghar contributed with 57.

In the second encounter, taking place at the LCA Ground, Lahore, Pakistan Air Force (PAF) put Pakistan Education Board (PEB) into bat after winning the toss.

PEB were cruising nicely at 120 for 2, after Mushtaq Afridi (64) and Mohammad Safdar (50) had made fine half-centuries, when pace man Asif struck them like lightening. He claimed six wickets for 51, as the whole PEB team was bundled out for 180 in the 60th over, with eight batsmen failing to reach the double figures.

PAF's reply was not much different from that of their opposition. Mushtaq Afridi, the captain of PEB, bagged five wickets for 51, as PAF wilted under pressure to be all out in the 75th over for 183.

PAF were set a target of 176 in about one and a half hour on the last day to win the match, after PEB were bowled out for 178 in their second innings. Asif, yet again, proved to be their main destroyer, with his five-wicket haul for just 43 runs.

Only 16 overs were bowled in the remaining time of the match, in which PAF made 68 for the loss the wicket of Tariq for 28. Imran Nazir remained not out on 33.

The third match of this round was played between Pakistan Army and Pakistan University Grants Commission (PUGC) at the Punjab University New Campus Ground.

PUGC, after winning the toss, collected 179 in their first innings, which contained an unbeaten 78 by Haroon Rahim at the middle order position.

Losing their first seven wickets with just 91 on the board, Pakistan Army were in real danger of conceding first innings' lead. However, Ibrar Ahmed, batting at number nine, came to his team's rescue, as he added 52 for the 8th wicket with the skipper, Ather Javed Hashmi (26). Ibrar remained not out on the personal score of 54.

Rashid Riaz, opening the batting for PUGC, missed a well-deserved century by one run, as his side piled up 226 in their second innings. Rashid, the captain of the team, played with utter command throughout his marathon innings until an in-coming delivery from Qari Fayyaz caught him plumb in front of the wicket.

Pakistan Army had just five overs at their disposal in the second innings, in which they made 12 without any loss of wickets.

The next round of the competition starts from the 15th of March.