KARACHI: Habib Bank Limited (HBL), Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), PIA, KRL and Pakistan Television (PTV) all recorded early victories in the second-round matches of the Silver League segment of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship on Monday.

The day’s — and the season’s biggest so far — winners were SSGC who annihilated Faisalabad Wolves by innings and 243 runs on the third day of their four-day fixture at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

The Wolves, who resumed their second innings at 1-2, were dismissed for 100 in 36.2 overs with the pace trio of Tabish Khan, Mohammad Irfan and Adnan Ghaus picking up three wickets apiece. Wicket-keeper Saifullah Khan Bangash starred with four catches in each innings.

HBL also secured maximum 10 points when they nailed Abbottabad Falcons by innings and 14 runs at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. The Falcons added just 61 runs to their Sunday’s score of 56-5 before being bundled out for 117. Paceman Sarmad Anwar took 4-40 while Umar Gul finished with match analysis of 7-61 in 26.5 overs.

PIA and KRL both won by 10 wickets. PIA downed Hyderabad Hawks at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad where the home side made 242 in their second innings despite skipper Azeem Ghumman (80 off 112 balls, nine fours and one six) and Faisal Athar (56) adding 99 for the third wicket, leaving PIA with a target of just one run.

Hazrat Shah made a dream first-class debut with 5-68 while Ali Imran took 4-64.

Former Test paceman Yasir Ali captured 5-22 in 7.4 overs to send Quetta Bears crashing to 91 all out in their second innings at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi before KRL knocked off the required 40 runs.

Fast bowler Mohammad Abbas grabbed 11 wickets for 105 as PTV upstaged Karachi Zebras here at the NBP Sports Complex by six wickets. The Zebras were dismissed for 139 in the second innings after resuming at 30-5 with Abbas capturing 5-57 in 20.5 overs — the 24-year-old’s best-ever return in 32 first-class matches.

Needing 210, PTV were guided home by skipper Raheel Majeed (57) and Zeeshan Mushtaq, who scored an unbeaten 65.

State Bank were close to completing a resounding win after Bahawalpur Stags were forced to bat again at the Dring Stadium in Bahawalpur.

Replying to the bankers’ 525-6 declared, the Stags collected 274 all out after having begun the day at 128-3. Veteran left-hander remained undefeated with a 162-ball 85 (14 fours). Slow left-armer Kashif Bhatti, appearing in his 47th first-class fixture, snared his best figures of seven for 85 in 32.1 overs.

After the follow on was enforced the Stags reached 87-2 and need another 164 to make their opponents bat again.

Close of play scores and results on Monday (day three of four):

Group-I:

At NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: Pakistan Television beat Karachi Zebras by six wickets.

KARACHI ZEBRAS 261 in 93.3 overs (Owais Ahmed Rehmani 89 not out, Ahmed Iqbal 41; Mohammad Abbas 4-48, Usman Ashraf 3-59) and 139 in 40.5 overs (Owais Ahmed Rehmani 29; Mohammad Abbas 7-57, Ali Raza Jr 2-48); PAKISTAN TELEVISION 191 in 70.3 overs (Nawaz Ahmed 93; Mansoor Ahmed 5-45, Abdul Latif 2-30, Zohaib Shera 2-44) and 211-4 in 58.2 overs (Zeeshan Mushtaq 65 not out, Raheel Majeed 57, Mohammad Umair 45; Mansoor Ahmed 3-105).

At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: PIA beat Hyderabad Hawks by 10 wickets.

HYDERABAD HAWKS 173 in 58.3 overs (Zeeshan Gul 50; Tahir Khan 3-30, Kamran Sajid 2-12, Ali Imran 2-35) and 242 in 54.1 overs (Azeem Ghumman 80, Faisal Athar 56, Mir Ali Talpur 42; Hazrat Shah 5-68, Ali Imran 4-64); PIA 415-8 declared in 112.3 overs (Shahzar Mohammad 107, Shoaib Khan 81, Fahad Iqbal 63, Faisal Iqbal 58; Babar Khan 3-83, Mir Ali Talpur 2-68, Lal Kumar 2-70) and 4-0 in 0.2 over.

At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi: KRL beat Quetta Bears by 10 wickets.

QUETTA BEARS 168 in 77.2 overs (Shahzad Tareen 87; Sadaf Hussain 3-36, Yasir Ali 3-36) and 91 in 40.4 overs (Mirwais Shah 29; Yasir Ali 5-22, Sadaf Hussain 3-30, Nauman Ali 2-16); KRL 220 in 76.5 overs (Saeed Anwar Jr 40; Nazar Hussain 3-34, Arun Lal 3-58, Gohar Faiz 2-40) and 42-0 in 9.1 overs.

Group-II:

At Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur: STATE BANK 525-6 declared in 133 overs (Naved Yasin 173, Mukhtar Ahmed 144, Aamir Yamin 65 not out, Rizwan Haider 60; Wasim Mustafa 2-129, Zahid Siddiqui 2-132, Imranullah Aslam 2-140); BAHAWALPUR STAGS 274 in 96.1 overs (Bilal Khilji 85 not out, Adeel Basit 64, Moinuddin 38; Kashif Bhatti 7-85) and 87-2 in 36 overs (Adeel Basit 40 not out).

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: SSGC beat Faisalabad Wolves by an innings and 243 runs.

FAISALABAD WOLVES 118 in 45 overs (Fahim Ashraf 34; Mohammad Irfan 4-19, Tabish Khan 4-29, Osama Basharat 2-19) and 100 in 36.2 overs (Fahim Ashraf 33 not out; Tabish Khan 3-22, Adnan Ghaus 3-27, Mohammad Irfan 3-28); SSGC 461-9 declared in 125 overs (Tariq Haroon 137, Tabish Khan 67, Asif Zakir 62, Mohammad Waqas 60, Saifullah Khan Bangash 45; Sadaqat Ali 4-156, Fahim Ashraf 2-89).

At Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad: Habib Bank beat Abbottabad Falcons by an innings and 14 runs.

ABBOTTABAD FALCONS 185 in 55.4 overs (Umar Nawaz 49, Shakeel Ahmed 43; Umar Gul 5-41, Abdul Ameer 2-35, Abdur Rehman 2-40) and 117 in 40.4 overs (Sarmad Anwar 4-40, Umar Gul 2-20, Abdul Ameer 2-23); HABIB BANK 316 in 81.1 overs (Imran Farhat 113, Hasan Raza 47; Shakeel Ahmed 5-42, Haris Khan 3-85, Ikramullah Khan 2-84).

Published in Dawn, October 21st , 2014