Mujtaba's 168 puts Karachi Whites in driving seat

Karachi, Oct 18: Asif Mujtaba played a captain's hand to guide Karachi Whites into a strong position on the second day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Grade-I Cricket Championship tie against Lahore Whites at the UBL Sports Complex here on Wednesday.

Mujtaba stroked his 41st first-class hundred in making 168 to help his team amass 435 for nine declared in their first innings.

Young pace bowler Mohammad Sami then claimed Kashif Siddique, offering no stroke, LBW as Lahore Whites survived eight overs to close on 16 for one with nightwatchman opener Irfan Fazil (6) and Mustaqeem Ahmed (4) holding the fort.

The visitors still require 270 to avoid the prospects of follow-on.

The day, however, belonged to Mujtaba the diminutive 32-year-old former Test left-hander. Having consumed 249 minutes and 204 balls to score 85 on Tuesday, Mujtaba took another 65 deliveries before he finally reached three figures just before lunch.

The first session, which was restricted by two stoppages lasting 12 minutes because the foothold on the bowling crease at the pavilion end needed repairing, produced just 50 runs. Mujtaba and his overnight partner Adnan Malik confronted the second new ball.

The fifth-wicket partnership, which realized 113 in 191 minutes, was finally broken when nightwatchman Adnan Malik offered a return catch to off-spinner Kashif Shafi after making a compact 44 off 132 balls with four boundaries.

Mujtaba's chanceless 384-ball innings was terminated after tea by an unfortunate mix-up with Aamir Hanif, who never budged from the non-striker end. The left-hander's marathon 471-minute knock included 17 fours.

Leg-spinner Imran Tahir toiled through 47 overs for his first scalp when he had Aamir Hanif (31) taken at long-on. He finished with two for 127 in 52 overs while Kashif Shafi took two for 128 in 45 overs.

Irfan Fazil, the Test speedster, claimed two for 65 but he was no-balled 19 times in 27 overs. Fellow pacer Saad Janjua was unlucky at times but was rewarded with only two wickets.