KARACHI: Wapda were on verge of completing a second successive innings’ win in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship Gold League after Peshawar Panthers stumbled to 64-8 in their second innings in Peshawar on Sunday.

In-form Mohammad Ali Bhutta and his new-ball partner Waqas Maqsood have so far claimed three wickets each after Wapda had secured a substantial first-innings’ lead of 169 by reaching 278 after starting the second day at 140-2 at the Arbab Niaz Stadium.

Opener Iftikhar Ahmed, overnight 74, reached a maiden century by scoring 107 (206 balls, 10 boundaries) while his third-wicket stand with Ayaz Tasawwar (76) yielded 179 runs.

Paceman Azizullah grabbed a career-best five for 74 in 23 overs.

The fixture at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad was intriguingly poised with the hosts, Islamabad Leopards, requiring another 170 runs on Monday’s third day with nine second-innings wickets intact against United Bank.

Paceman Hamza Nadeem captured his best-ever figures in first-class cricket by grabbing five wickets for 35 runs as United Bank were all out for 228 in their second innings with Naved Sarwar making 81.

Pakistan batsman Fawad Alam notched up his 22nd first-class hundred as National Bank closed at 306-5 in response to Rawalpindi Rams; 282 at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi. The left-hander scored a brisk 115 off 113 balls with the aid of 16 boundaries while adding 93 for the unfinished sixth-wicket partnership with discarded Pakistan all-rounder Hammad Azam (50).

Ex-Pakistan skipper Shoaib Malik and Sohail Tanvir rescued Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) from a tight corner against Lahore Lions at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Replying to the home side’s 226, ZTBL lost three wickets for 46 before Zohaib Khan (60 off 115, 10 fours) and skipper Malik (77 off 129, eight fours and one six) added 117. After their departure Sohail took over to smash 13 boundaries and a brace of sixes in a quickfire 93 from 99 deliveries as he and Shakeel Ansar (34) forged an unbeaten stand of 110 to steer their side to 335-6.

Multan Tigers were 240-8 after restricting Port Qasim Authority to 324 all out in their first innings at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan. The visitors, who resumed at 290-5, lost their last five wickets for the addition of just 32 runs with Umar Amin getting out after adding only two more to his Saturday’s tally of 101.

On the opening day of the match starting on Sunday at the National Stadium, Karachi Dolphins managed a total of 205 after opting to bat first against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).

Saad Ali, the 21-year-old left-hander, held the innings together with a fighting 105 (193 balls, 12 boundaries) before being last out to stand-in SNGPL captain Umar Akmal. Pakistan reject Asad Ali caused the early damage with the new ball to finish with 4-48 in 17 overs, while slow left-armer Imran Khalid took 3-63 in 25 overs.

By stumps SNGPL had made 29-0 in 13 overs.

Close of play scores on Sunday (day two of four):

At Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan: PORT QASIM AUTHORITY 324 in 94.5 overs (Umar Amin 103, Faraz Ali 73, Mohammad Salman 40; Majid Ali 4-74, Mohammad Rameez 3-71, Shahbaz Hasan 2-72); MULTAN TIGERS 240-8 in 71 overs (Usman Liaquat 61, Kashif Naved 52 not out; Sohail Khan 3-61, Azam Hussain 3-65, Mohammad Sami 2-42).

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: LAHORE LIONS 226 in 88.5 overs (Arsalan Arshad 82, Salman Agha 56; Sohail Tanvir 5-42, Shoaib Malik 2-51); ZTBL 335-6 in 90 overs (Sohail Tanvir 93 not out, Shoaib Malik 77, Zohaib Khan 60, Shakeel Ansar 34 not out; Bilawal 2-52, Mustafa Iqbal 2-78).

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: RAWALPINDI RAMS 282 in 90.4 overs (Shoaib Nasir 55, Naved Malik 53, Usman Saeed 48; Zia-ul-Haq 4-50, Adnan Rasool 3-100, Hammad Azam 2-18); NATIONAL BANK 306-5 in 76 overs (Fawad Alam 115 not out, Hammad Azam 50 not out; Abid Hussain 2-68, Rizwan Akbar 2-85).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: UNITED BANK 95 in 32.5 overs (Rumman Raees Khan 43 not out; Mudassar Ali 5-24, Hamza Nadeem 2-17, Shehzad Azam Rana 2-48) and 228 in 81.1 overs (Naved Sarwar 81; Hamza Nadeem 5-35, Mudassar Ali 2-53); ISLAMABAD LEOPARDS 151 in 42 overs (Sarmad Bhatti 46 not out, Ali Sarfraz 41; Junaid Ilyas 4- 27, Rumman Raees Khan 3-28, Adil Raza 3-58) and 3-1 in 4 overs.

At Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar: PESHAWAR PANTHERS 109 in 34.2 overs (Mohammad Idrees 51; Mohammad Ali Bhutta 4-29, Waqas Maqsood 4-31, Azhar Attari 2-30) and 64-8 in 25.3 overs (Mohammad Ali Bhutta 3-21, Waqas Maqsood 3-29, Azhar Attari 2-12); WAPDA 278 in 98.2 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 107, Ayaz Tasawwar 76; Azizullah 5-74, Taj Wali 4-69).

At National Stadium, Karachi (day one): KARACHI DOLPHINS 205 in 73.3 overs (Saad Ali 105; Asad Ali 4-48, Imran Khalid 3-63); SNGPL 29-0 in 13 overs.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014