KARACHI, Sept 23: All-rounder Mahmood Hamid took three key wickets to spin PIA Academy to an interesting 16-run victory over touring Afghan Aria Cricket Academy (AAA) side in the opening match at National Stadium on Friday.

AAA was cruising well at 164 for seven at the end of the 37th over, but Mahmood after taking the important wicket of captain Khaliq Dada Noori, chipped in with the wickets of Hizitullah and Khan Muhammad (19) to change the complexion of the game.

AAA chasing 209 for victory were dismissed for 192 in the 45th over.

Badsha Hussain made a fighting 49 in 69 balls, hitting four 4s and a six and Haq Dad Noori collected 40 off 48 balls with two boundaries and a six.

Mahmood got good support from Zaeem Ghazanfar, who got two wickets for 29 runs in 6.2 overs.

Earlier, PIA Academy with some juniors and three experienced campaigners in Test opener Ghulam Ali, former Test allrounder Asif Mujtaba and Mahmood Hamid collected 208 for nine wickets in their 50 overs after electing to bat first.

Ghulam Ali top-scored with 60 off 68 deliveries with five 4s and a six and fellow opener Abdullah Shah got 43 with four hits to the boundary. They put in 91 runs for the first wicket.

Left arm paceman Shaboor Zadran bowled with a fiery pace taking three wickets for 25 runs in seven overs.

Leg spinners Naveed Saleh (2-22) Muhammad Sajid (2-40) took the other four wickets.

Summarised scores:

PIA 208-9 in 45 overs (Ghulam Ali 60, Abdullah Shah 43, Asif Mujtaba 33, Zaeem Ghazanfar 21, Mahmood Hamid 18; Saboor Zadran 3-25, Naveed Saleh 2-22, Muhammad Sajid 2-20)

AAA 192 all out in 44.2 overs (Badsha Hussain 49, Haq Dad Noori 40, Sher Muhamad 28; Mahmood Hamid 3-22, Zaeem Ghaznafar 2-29).—APP