Report

Abbottabad struggle against Hyderabad

Round-up of the first day of the eighth round of Division Two of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

A century partnership between Sajjad Ali and Khalid Usman allowed Abbottabad to recover from 58 for 6 against Hyderabad on the first day of their game at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Ali may have been the senior partner, but it was No.8 Usman who took the fight to the bowlers, needing just 101 balls for his 81, and cracking 14 fours and six before becoming one of Kashif Perez's four victims. Ali made a much more sedate 70 off 145 balls, as the two added 134 for the seventh wicket. In reply, Hyderabad were 56 for 1, having lost Sharjeel Kahn for 21.
State Bank of Pakistan were in a commanding position at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, having piled up 333 for 4 against Lahore Shalimar. SBP got solid contributions from their top and middle orders, led by Naved Yasin's unbeaten 83, which included 14 fours. Yasin and Afsar Nawar, who is batting on 50, have added 104 for the fifth wicket so far, to take the visitors past three hundred. The pair built on the momentum created by a 151-run opening stand between Faisal Athar, who made 69, and Kashif Siddiq, who made 49. The bowling side was especially undisciplined, conceding 48 extras, including 19 no-balls and 12 wides. SBL is currently top of the division points table, tied with Abbottabad.
Ali Khan's unbeaten half-century was the backbone of Khan Research Laboratories' total of 240 for 8 against Lahore Ravi at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Khan's unbeaten 78, with nine fours and two sixes, was the highest score of innings by far, with only Ali Naqvi, who made 59, going past 30. All four Lahore bowlers were among the wickets, with Shabbir Ahmed leading the pack with 3 for 56, while the two Asifs - Ashfaq and Raza - picked up two wickets each.
Let by their openers, Pakistan Television amassed 331 for 4 against bottom team Quetta at the Khan Research Laboratory Ground in Rawalpindi. Raheel Majeed and Umair Khan put on 150 for the first wicket, before left-arm spinner Mohibullah had Majeed caught for 72. Khan was unlucky not to reach a hundred, being stumped off the same bowler seven short of the three-figure mark. Fayyaz Ahmed and Zohaib Ahmed then kept the innings ticking along, adding 105 for the fifth wicket.
At the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar, Akbar Badshah made his second first-class hundred, a career-best 143, to carry Peshawar to 366 for 9 against Karachi Whites. Badshah added 144 with No. 8 Riaz Afridi, who laced 69 from just 46 balls, with 6 fours. Badshah was no slouch either, smashing 22 fours and a six in his 171-ball knock, giving him a strike-rate of 83.62. Sohail Khan picked up three wickets, but they came at a high cost. The fast bowler conceding 112 runs from his 22 overs, at an average of over 5 an over.