LAHORE, April 7: Despite averting a follow-on, Sialkot are still under the cloud of defeat against Faisalabad on the penultimate day of the Pentangular Cup cricket tournament at Qadhafi Stadium on Friday.
Resolute batting by lower-order Tahir Mughal (51, five fours), Asim Butt (32) and Kashif Daud (24) helped Sialkot muster the first innings total of 271 after resuming at 208-7 while replying to Faisalabad mounting total of 408 to avert follow-on.
But Faisalabad, who earned 137-run lead on first innings, set a winning target of 389 by declaring the second innings at 251-8.
An opening stand of 107 by Muhammad Hafeez (60), the centurion of the first innings and Imran Ali (45) helped Faisalabad declare the second innings, one hour after tea.
Sialkot had lost opener Inamul Haq in the second innings by close of play to finish the day at 25-1.
FALL OF WKTS: 1-38, 2-75, 3-83, 4-113, 5-139, 6-146, 7-178, 8- 229, 9-229.
BOWLING: Shahid Nazir 19-2-90-4 (11nb); Samiullah Khan 22.5-6-78-2 (2nb, 6w); Asad Ali 17-2-58-3 (10nb, 2w); Ahmed Hayat 8-2-13-1; Mohammad Hafeez 8-4-17-0; Ijaz Ahmed Jnr 2-0-10-0.
FAISALABAD (2nd innings):
Muhammad Hafeez b Rehman 60
Imran Ali c Imran b Asim 45
Asif Hussain b Rehman 36
Muhammad Zahid b Kashif 12
A. Hayat c Kamran (sub) b Rehman 5
M. Salman st Shahzad b Rehman 19
Misbahul Haq c Ayub b Sarfraz 28
Ijaz Ahmed Jnr not out 27
Shahid Nazir c Kashif b Tahir 0
EXTRAS (B-4, LB-12, W-2, NB-1) 19
TOTAL (eight wkts, decld, 65 overs) 251
FALL OF WKTS: 1-107, 2-108, 3-157, 4-157, 5-169, 6-206, 7-230, 8-251.
BOWLING: Sarfraz Ahmed 9.3-3-23-1; Asim Butt 13-1-49-1; Tahir Mughal 11.3-1-54-1; Kashif Daud 12-1-44-2 (1nb, 2w); Abdul Rehman 19-1-65-3.
SIALKOT (2nd innings):
Inamul Haq c Imran b Niazi 1
Hafiz Majid not out 14
Muhammad Ayub not out 8
EXTRAS (NB-2) 2
TOTAL (one wkt, 10 overs) 25
FALL OF WKTS: 1-1.
BOWLING: Shahid Nazir 5-1-11-0; Samiullah Niazi 4-0-11-1 (2nb); Muhammad Hafeez 1-0-3-0.