ISLAMABAD, Feb 2: Multan’s hopes of making the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Silver League final receded on Friday after Islamabad took a first-innings lead of 161 runs at the Diamond Club Ground on Friday.
Replying to the hosts’ 314, Multan were all out for 153 after resuming at 26 for one. Islamabad opted against the follow-on option and reached 163 for three in the second innings to extend their overall lead to 324 at the halfway stage of the four-day tie.
Azhar Mahmood, the ex-Pakistan all-rounder, followed his century on Thursday with three wickets. But the main damage was caused by Bilal Asad who claimed four for 13 in 11.2 overs with his brisk medium-pacers.
If Abbottabad, who have already taken lead over Lahore Ravi, win outright they will qualify for the final despite having the same of number of points as Multan against whom they drew with a first-innings lead.
Scoreboard
ISLAMABAD (1st Innings) 314 (Azhar Mahmood 105).
MULTAN (1st Innings, overnight 26-1):
Yasir Arafat Jr b Yasin 26
Usman Tariq c and b Bilal 2
Majid Majeed lbw b Yasin 0
Bilal Khilji c Kashif b Bilal 38
Kashif Naved c Fayyaz b Azhar 18
Saeed Anwar Jr c Kashif b Zohaib 20
Kamran Hussain b Bilal 0
Atiq Ahmed c Kashif b Azhar 6
Abdur Rauf c sub b Bilal 26
Mohammad Irshad lbw b Azhar 0
Qaiser Shahzad not out 11
EXTRAS (B-3, W-2, NB-1) 6
TOTAL (all out, 48.2 overs) 153
FALL OF WKTS: 1-8, 2-51, 3-84, 4-98, 5-102, 6-106, 7-109, 8-127, 9-127.
BOWLING: Azhar Mahmood 15-4-45-3; Yasin Bari 9-2-43-2; Bilal Asad 11.2-4-13-4 (2w); Zohaib Ahmed 7-0-29-1; Immad Wasim 6-0-20-0.