Gritty half centuries by Imran, Hanif lift NBP out of trouble

KARACHI, Jan 22: Dogged half-centuries by Hanif-ur-Rehman and Imran Javed lifted National Bank out of trouble on a fluctuating opening day of the four-day Quaid-i-Azam Trophy pre-quarterfinal tie against Habib Bank at National Stadium on Wednesday.

Opener Hanif struck a patient 81 and all-round Imran contributed an unbeaten 63 as NBP reached a commendable 276 for seven in their first innings at stumps.

Test wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal also played a vital role to consolidate the innings. He made a breezy 49 off 69 balls during the seventh-wicket stand of 94 in 95 minutes with Imran. He stroked seven boundaries.

NBP were off to horrendous start after HBL skipper Akram Raza inserted them in on a track that offered early life to the bowlers. Test reject Imran Nazir was caught in the slips off the second ball of the match for a duck.

In the fourth over, Shahid Anwar, who played in One-day Internationals, also went without scoring. But Hanif and Naumanullah (25) then put on 59 for the third wicket.

Stand-in captain Sajid Ali scored 27 while adding 49 for the fifth wicket with Hanif on either of lunch interval after another Test discard Qaiser Abbas went without troubling the scorer.

Hanif's 236-minute vigil finally ended just before tea. His 159-ball knock contained 11 fours and one six. Imran has so far hit seven fours in his 146-ball innings in 198 minutes.

NBP went into this game without regular skipper and ex-Test leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, who stayed back home because he was indisposed.

Scoreboard

NATIONAL BANK (1st Innings):

Imran Nazir c Akram b Shahid 0

Hanif-ur-Rehman c Tahir b Irfan 81

Shahid Anwar c Akram b Sajid 0

Naumanullah c Hasan b Asad 25

Qaiser Abbas lbw b Irfan 0

Sajid Ali c Tahir b Asad 27

Imran Javed not out 63

Kamran Akmal c Akram b Sajid 49

Mohammad Javed not out 9

EXTRAS (B-8, LB-9, W-3, NB-2) 22

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 83 overs) 276

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-1, 3-60, 4-65, 5-104, 6-168, 7-262.

TO BAT: Shabbir Ahmed, Zahid Saeed.

BOWLING (to-date): Shahid Nazir 20-8-40-1 (1nb); Sajid Shah 16-4-41-2 (2w); Asadullah Butt 25-6-66-2; Irfan Fazil 13-1-67-2 (1nb, 1w); Akram Raza 3-0-20-0; Abdul Rehman 6-2-25-0.

HABIB BANK: Riffatullah, Khaqan Arsal, Asadullah Butt, Hasan Raza, Mujahid Jamshed, Abdul Rehman, Akram Raza, Tahir Rasheed, Sajid Shah, Irfan Fazil, Shahid Nazir.

UMPIRES: Salim Badar and Athar Zaidi.

MATCH REFEREE: Mahmood Rasheed.