Sui Gas inflict two-day thrashing upon Lahore Blues, WAPDA beat KRL

Mohammad Amir picked up a five-wicket haul for SSGC, while Iftikhar Ahmed scored more in one innings for SNGPL than Lahore Blues managed in either of theirs

ESPNcricinfo staff

16-Nov-2018

Mohammad Amir sets off in celebration at another wicket  •  Sportsfile/Getty Images

Lahore Blues outgunned by SNGPL

It doesn't say much about a team that loses by an innings to a side that only managed 258, but such was Lahore Blues' performance in this crunch Super Eight match. It was a nine-wicket match haul by Imran Khalid that beset Lahore most, playing a large part in ensuring they were bowled out for 122 and 108 either side of SNGPL's innings. Iftikhar Ahmed was primarily responsible for getting SNGPL to 258, scoring 125, a number the entire Lahore side failed to manage in either of their innings. It leaves Lahore at the bottom of the table after two losses from two, while a perfect record for SNGPL sees them take top spot.

Zahid Mansoor spins WAPDA to innings win

Khan Research Laboratories met a similarly ignominious fate, unable to total up to the 296 WAPDA scored in their one innings. KRL stumbled to 12 for 5 in the first innings, setting the tone for the match. Their 110 was answered by 296 from WAPDA thanks to a number of middle-order contributions, notably half-centuries from Abubakar Khan and Kamran Akmal. The 186-run lead they established was too much to overhaul for KRL, with Zahid Mansoortaking another four wickets to go with his four in the first innings, while Waqas Maqsood, recently called up to the Pakistan T20I side, took another three as KRL were wrapped up for 162.

Heavyweights SSGC, HBL play out stalemate

Two of the heavyweights on the domestic circuit, SSGC and HBL, couldn't be separated over four days, a grinding battle ending with the points shared. After Aamer Yamin's 80 had taken SSGC to 211, after Khurram Shehzad had wiped out five of the top six, HBL responded with 274, with eight of the top nine getting into double figures. Zohaib Khan scored 65 as captain Imran Farhat chipped in with 44, while the national selectors will have been pleased to see Mohammad Amir take a five-wicket haul.

In the second innings, SSGC were far more impressive, declaring at 380 for five, with Fawad Alam the top-scorer, unbeaten on 85. The target of 318 was never on for HBL, but they were able to avoid being bowled out, batting nearly 90 overs, with Farhat scoring 77, before the two sides shook hands with four HBL players till undismissed.