Pakistan Domestic: Pakistan Reserves record third win

Islamabad, Dec 24: Pakistan Reserves clinched their third consecutive triumph on the trot when they crushed Rawalpindi by an innings and two runs here on the third day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy match at Rawalpindi Stadium on Friday.

Rawalpindi collapsed a second time in the match when they crashed out at 175 with one session and a full day's play to spare. Skipper Salman Shah who was hit on the left eye from a Yasir Arfat delivery at the score of 26 when the total was 75for 2, retired hurt all-rounder Yasir Ashfaq who was nursing a back injury from day two did not come to bat.

Pakistan Reserves have 81 points from ten games, includingsix victories in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy pool-B contest. Their last fixture will be against Redco team at the Gaddafi Stadium from Dec 28. However, eight of their key players will be busy honingfor the Pakistan Under-19 team at Karachi in preparation for World Youth Cup being staged at Sri Lanka from the first week of January 2000.

Rawalpindi resumed their second innings having lost their opener Nouman Ashraf (4) on the third ball overnight. Medium pacer Yasir Arfat and left-arm pacer Zahid Saeed struck at regular intervals to push hosts towards inevitable disaster. Opener Munawar Abbasi who was given a chance when dropped in the first slip by Bazid off Zahid, failed to convert his inningsinto anything big when four runs later he was caught by Asif Mehmood off Zahid. Munawar faced 38 balls for his 29, smashing five fours in the process. Injury to left-handed Salman Shah further deepened Rawalpindi troubles. Salman became double minded while facing a Yasir Arfat delivery as he went to drive the ball but then decided to duck under but the rising ball got through his helmet shield and hit him on the left eye which swell like a ball. He was taken to the hospital but was cleared after initial medical aid. The score at that stage was 75 for 2. Next left-handed Babar Naeem, who is part of the Pakistan Under-19 team made 11 off 11 before being caught behind off Yasir.

A fighting 61 runs in 97 minutes were added for the fourth wicket stand between Mohammad Zubair (65) and Mohammad Saleem (30) to carry the total to 157. Soon after the departure of Zubair, whose patient 65 from 187 balls (5x4) in 260 minutes came to end when Yasir trapped him in front. The rest of the Rawalpindi batting folded under pressure and it was all over when three wickets fell at the total of 175, still two runs behind the Pakistan Reserves first innings total of 377 all out.

For the Reserves a brilliant 176 by left-handed Taufeeq Umer paved the way for this emphatic triumph. Zahid Saeed and Yasir finished with three wickets each for 23 and 36 runs respectively.