KARACHI, Feb 18: Ahmed Hayat claimed five of the last six Karachi wickets to give Faisalabad a crucial first innings lead of 65 runs on the second day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy match at the National Stadium on Wednesday.
The Sargodha-born medium-pacer, who turns 35 next month and playing in his 15th season of first-class cricket, used the seaming conditions expertly as Karachi lost their final six wickets for 57 run. The home side were eventually restricted to 245 in reply to Faisalabad's 311.
The veteran paceman's victims included Karachi captain Moin Khan, the Test wicket-keeper who top-scored with a typical gutsy 58 before being seventh out at 242 as four wickets fell for the addition of only four runs towards the end of the innings.
Faisalabad then lost two quick wickets in the second innings before sanity prevailed - in the shape of Mohammad Hafeez and fellow Test discard Misbah-ul-Haq - as the visitors extended their overall lead to 118 at draw of stumps.
Misbah, the Faisalabad skipper, looked in supreme touch as he took three successive boundaries off Test fast bowler Mohammad Sami, the pick of them being a gorgeous effortless stroke through mid-on. He ended the day on 31, which so far includes seven hits to the fence.
Overall, it was another day of disillusion for the Karachiites after their bowlers had badly let Faisalabad off the hook on Tuesday with last two wickets adding 137 priceless runs.
The first session, however, belonged to Karachi as the overnight pair of Naumanullah and Asim Kamal stretched their partnership to 103 before both fell to left-arm paceman Sami Niazi, who gave away just 34 runs in 17 overs on Wednesday.
Nauman struck five fours in making 45 while the left-handed Asim was more circumspect with a solid 53 off 144 deliveries in nearly three hours. He slammed seven boundaries.
Thereafter, only Saeed bin Nasir (35 with six fours) and Moin, who hit seven fours in his 88-ball knock, were able to offer some fight while putting 60 for the fifth-wicket.
Ahmed finished with five for 69 while Sami Niazi proved an ideal foil with three for 65.
Scoreboard
FAISALABAD (1st Innings) 311 (Tauqir Hussain 97 not out, Naved Latif 91, Ijaz Ahmed Jr 54; Tanvir 6-112).
KARACHI (1st Innings, overnight 45-2):
Shadab Kabir b Tauqir 12
Shahid Afridi c Salman b Sami 13
Naumanullah c Salman b Sami 45
Asim Kamal c Hafeez b Sami 53
Saeed bin Nasir c Ramzan b A. Hayat 35
Moin Khan c Naved b A. Hayat 58
Tahir Khan b A. Hayat 11
Mohammad Sami run out 5
Tanvir Ahmed c Asif b A. Hayat 4
Fahad Khan not out 0
Nasir Khan c Salman b A. Hayat 0
EXTRAS (LB-9, NB-1) 10
TOTAL (all out, 80 overs) 246
FALL OF WKTS: 1-25, 2-25, 3-128, 4-133, 5-193, 6-221, 7-242, 8-242, 9-246.
BOWLING: Sami Niazi 23-6-65-1 (1nb); Tauqir Hussain 21-2-65-1; Ahmed Hayat 22-4-69-5; Saeed Ajmal 14-2-38-0.
FAISALABAD (2nd Innings):
Mohammad Hafeez not out 16
Asif Hussain run out 0
Mohammad Salman c Shadab b Sami 2
Misbah-ul-Haq not out 31
EXTRAS (LB-1, W-2, NB-1) 4
TOTAL (for two wkts, 22 overs) 53
FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-8.
BOWLING (to-date): Mohammad Sami 5-2-22-1 (1nb); Tanvir Ahmed 6-1-16-0 (2w); Nasir Khan 7-4-10-0; Fahad Khan 3-2-4-0; Naumanullah 1-1-0-0.
