Habib Bank and ZTBL qualify to Quadrangular stage

Fahad Masood, the Habib Bank Limited fast bowler, achieved career-best figures of 7 for 27 as HBL defeated Pakistan Customs by eight wickets inside three days of their fifth round Patron's Trophy Cricket Championship match, at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex Stadium.

After gaining a first-innings lead of 136 HBL dismissed Customs for 151 in their second innings. Needing 16 to win, HBL lost two wickets on the way before they got the required runs.

Habib Bank have won all their four matches in the five-team Pool A and have 36 points. Customs, who were defeated in three of their four matches and won none, collected only three points. They will finish at the fourth spot in the points table, just above Attock Group who haven't got any points at all.

Fahad, 25, actually represents Lahore where he is settled. He started the match against Customs with exactly 200 wickets in his 56-game first-class career. After bowling normally in the first innings, with a return of 1 for 41, he was in a devastating mood in the second innings.

After having lost three wickets with 46 runs on the board -- two to Fahad and one to a run out -- Customs were well-served by a 74-run fourth-wicket stand between Wajihuddin and Shahid Qambrani. Wajihuddin's 37 came off 89 balls with five fours and a six while Shahid got 39 off 89 deliveries with seven fours.

Fahad then got into his act, as he picked up five more inexpensive wickets and Customs' last seven wickets crashed for the addition of only 31 runs.

Earlier Farhan Iqbal and Sajid Shah added 55 for the eighth wicket. Rizwan Akbar's fast bowling matched Zulfiqar Ali's slow left-arm when Akbar got 4 for 98 and ended first innings at 330.

Habib Bank will now join Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), both of whom qualified from Pool B, in the Quadrangular stage round that will be played from December 5 to 18. stage.

Adnan Raza, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited 's (ZTBL) middle-order batsman, hit a splendid maiden century as ZTBL gained the first-innings lead over Attock Group, on the third day of the Patron's Trophy Cricket Championship match at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex Ground.

All ZTBL needed, at the start of this match, was to gain the three first-innings lead points in order to move ahead of defending champions National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), into the Quadrangular stage of the tournament.

Both ZTBL and NBP were tied on 18 points but ZTBL had a game to spare.

At 79 for 4 overnight, ZTBL were still 146 runs behind Attock Group's first innings score of 225. Adnan came in to bat at 68 for 4 and contributed 137 of the next 184 scored. With wicketkeeper Shakeel Ansar, who scored only 15, his sixth-wicket stand was worth 103 runs. The lead was achieved after the fall of the eighth wicket. The next highest score was Umar Javed's 40.

By the close of play, Attock Group were 91 for 3 in their second innings. They have a lead of 64 runs.