Quaid-i-Azam Trophy : Akhtar hits 137 as NBP pile up 604

Karachi, Oct 31: Pakistan Test discard Akhtar Sarfraz hammered a scintillating 137 to help National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) pile up a mammoth 604 for eight declared in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship encounter against Pakistan Customs at the UBL Sports Complex here on Sunday.

By stumps on the second day of the four-day clash, Pakistan Customs made a spirited reply by reaching 95 for one after NBP skipper Saeed Azad had declared his first innings at tea. Pakistan Customs now need a further 360 to avoid the follow-on.

Test opener Ali Naqvi (42) and the left-handed Azhar Shafiq (32) have so far put on 85 for the second wicket in 110 minutes after Javed Sami was snapped up in the slips by Tariq Mohammad off left-arm pacer Naeem Ashraf for one.

But the day belonged to the stocky left-hander Akhtar Sarfraz after NBP resumed their first innings at the overnight score of 362 for four. Akhtar added 103 to his Saturday's tally of 34 before he retired to the pavilion in mid-afternoon because of dehydration and cramps in his legs.

At that point NBP were 556 for seven.

Akhtar's first century of the season came in 195 minutes off 151 deliveries with 11 fours. In all, he batted occupied the crease for 270 minutes, faced 197 balls and stroked 15 fours and a six, mainly through the arc between mid-on and square-leg.

Nightwatchman Kamran Akmal helped Akhtar put on 80 for the fifth wicket in 94 minutes before went for 24.

The afternoon session produced 142 runs as the lower-order batsmen Naeem Ashraf and Naeem Khan scored freely after NBP had scored exactly 100 before lunch.

Tailender Athar Laeeq used the long handle effectively to lash an unbeaten 35 off 33 balls with four fours and a six and dominated the unbroken eighth-wicket stand of 33 at a run-a-minute with Naeem Tayyab.

Medium-pacer Nadeem Iqbal was the pick of the Customs bowlers as he finished with four for 133 in 33 overs. Young pacer Mohammad Sami and left-arm spinner Aamir Wasim returned identical figures of two for 157 each