Innings victory for HBL

Islamabad, Nov 2: Habib Bank Limited romped to an innings and 220 runs triumph over a rusty Redco team, thanks to a 10-wicket haul by left-arm pacer Kabir Khan here at Margalla cricket ground on Tuesday.

It took HBL just 65 minutes to wrap up the fixture in a successful manner and gain maximum 12 points as Redco lost last five wickets for 40 runs in 16.5 overs.

Left-arm pacer Kabir Khan remained one of the key performers for the bank by grabbing a haul of ten wickets. His match figures were 10 for 88 in 27.4 overs with two maidens. Kabir notched up 5 for 38 in Redco second innings, after he played instrumental role to get the opponents to follow-on by snatching 5 wickets for 50 runs.

Here, the fourth and last day's play started with a first-ball set back for Redco who were faced with an uphill task of scoring 261 with five second hands wickets in hand to make the bankers bat again. Overnight batsman wicket-keeper Wasim Yousufi (18) got out on the first ball he faced after foolishly trying to cut pacer Sajid Shah and was brilliantly caught by Salim Elahi at gully to plunge Redco deeper in trouble.

Kabir Khan, then, polished off the tail by trapping all rounder Waqas Ahmed (1), who had performed superbly during the national one-day tournament, leg before and rattled the stumps of Imran Tahir (4) and Ahmed Kundi (12). Inbetween left-arm spinner Abdul Rehman removed Janisar Khan 23 (64 balls) caught at mid-on off Sajid Shah. Shah took 2 for 40, Rehman clinched 2 for 58 while Shahid Afridi had one for 25.

Redco could reach 248 all out in 81.5 overs in their second innings after being bowled out for 97 in the first innings against the colossal HBL total of 565 for 8 declared in which Younas Khan figured with a sparkling innings of 200.