September 21, 2007	Friday	Ramazan 08, 1428

LAHORE, Sept 20: Determined half-centuries by skipper Faisal Iqbal and Sarfraz Ahmed saved Pakistan ‘A’ from complete batting collapse against Australia ‘A’ on the second day of the second four-day match at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday.

Faisal crafted a commendable 74 off 146 balls while wicket-keeper/batsman Sarfraz Ahmed was 56 not out (off 72 balls) to help Pakistan ‘A’ reach a fighting 238-8 at stumps in reply to Australia ‘A’s first-innings total of 293.

Heavy rain during the day’s last session ended the play with 16.5 overs yet to be bowled.

Faisal led the rescue mission with overnight Naved Latif (41) after Khurram Manzoor failed to add to his overnight score of 19, giving wicket-keeper Luke Ronchi his fourth catch of the innings off Doug Bollinger plunging the home side to 25-4.

Faisal and Naved then, with calm, took their team out of crisis as both went for lunch together after steering the total to 107-4. However, soon after the break Naved was run out by Chris Rogers with the total being 111. Umpire Shakeel Khan took some time before giving Naved out as the Australians lodged a strong appeal. Naved, who didn’t look satisfied with the decision, cracked two sixes and three boundaries while facing 103 balls.

At the other end, Faisal, playing a captain’s knock, stood firm despite seeing the next man Mansoor Amjad (10) getting out cheaply, caught by Cameron White off Jason Gillespie with the total 138.

Minutes before the tea interval, Pakistan ‘A’ experienced a big jolt as a well-set Faisal was brilliantly caught by White at first slip off Stuart MacGill making the score 166-7.

Here Sarfraz, with Mohammad Sami, stabled the innings as they added a useful 71 for the eighth wicket, taking the total to 237 before Sami was clean bowled by Bollinger in the very first over with the new ball, taken in the 81st over of the innings. Sami smashed three fours and one six facing 44 deliveries while Sarfraz belted seven boundaries.

Bollinger finished the day with excellent figures of 3-9 off 13 overs.

Scoreboard

AUSTRALIA ‘A’ (1st Innings) 293 (L. Ronchi 107, P.A. Jaques 82).

PAKISTAN ‘A’ (1st Innings, overnight 22-3):

Khalid Latif c Ronchi b Bollinger 0

Khurram Manzoor c Ronchi b Bollinger 19

Yasir Hameed c Ronchi b Hopes 1

Anwar Ali c Ronchi b Hopes 0

Naved Latif run out 41

Faisal Iqbal c White b MacGill 74

Mansoor Amjad c White b Gillespie 10

Sarfraz Ahmed not out 56

Mohammad Sami b Bollinger 32

Tahir Khan not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-4) 5

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 81.1 overs) 238

FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-16, 3-16, 4-25, 5-111, 6-138, 7-166, 8-237.

TO BAT: Mohammad Khalil.

BOWLING (to-date): Bollinger 13-8-9-3 (2nb); Gillespie 14.1-5-32-1 (1nb); Hopes 12-4-21-2 (1nb); MacGill 14-2-68-1; White 9-1-41-0; Bailey 16-2-51-0; Hussey 3-0-15-0.