KARACHI: Despite defiant batting from Mansoor Amjad and Saifullah Khan Bangash, the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) were on verge of conceding first-innings lead to the Capital Development Authority (CDA) at the halfway stage of the four-day Patron’s Trophy (Grade-II) final in Faisalabad on Friday.

After having resumed at 19-0 in reply to CDA’s massive total of 416-6 in the stipulated 83 overs allowed for the first innings, the SSGC went to stumps after a curtailed second day’s play to 298-7 in 71.4 overs with Saifullah, the Pakistan U-19 wicket-keeper/batsman, batting on 62 and Mohammad Irfan on 42.

With only 12.2 overs left in the mandatory quota, it seems highly improbable that the SSGC would be able to score 119 to take the lead on the first innings when the play resumes on Saturday at the Iqbal Stadium.

Mansoor, a former Pakistan international, earlier contributed 72 before the SSGC lost initiative as they stumbled to 181-7. However, Saifullah then joined Irfan to revive the innings as the pair put on 117 for the unfinished eighth-wicket partnership.

For the CDA, paceman Yasir Ashfaq emerged with the best figures of 3-43, while Sohail Khan took 3-76.

On Thursday’s opening day, Faizan Riaz stole the limelight with a splendid 180 after SSGC skipper Asif Zakir elected to field first at the toss. Sohail Khan contributed 86 while sharing a fifth-wicket partnership of 182 with Faizan.

If there is no outright result in this match then the champions would be decided on the basis of lead on the first innings. At the moment it seems that CDA are poised to play first-class cricket for the first time in history when they compete in the President’s Trophy next season.

Pakistan Television (PTV) – who qualified to participate in the President’s Trophy by having won the Patron’s Trophy title in 2012-13 – have already been demoted after just one season of first-class cricket after finishing last in the final standings.