KARACHI: Despite a serious injury to spinner Shahzaib Ahmed Khan, Karachi Dolphins thrived on Fazal Subhan’s century to put themselves in total command against ZTBL in their Gold League Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship tie at the National Stadium here on Saturday.

Shahzaib, the in-form leg-spinner who has bagged 19 wickets so far in the first-class season, was sidelined for three weeks after fracturing his right thumb while attempting to take a return catch offered by Shakeel Ansar after ZTB resumed at 50-4 in reply to the Dolphins’ first-innings tally of 222.

Shahzaib finished with three for 24 in nine overs as ZTBL were dismissed for 118 to fall behind 104 runs on the first innings. The overnight pair of Zohaib Khan (19) and captain Shoaib Malik (16) didn’t last long and both fell to Babar Rehman’s medium-pacers.

Shakeel was the top scorer with 31 before was caught behind off Adeel Malik who ended up excellent figures of 5-27 in 15.2 overs.

The rest of the day was dominated by Fazal, who struck 116 (173 balls, 10 fours and one six) and the in-form Saad Ali (67 off 188 balls, four boundaries) as the pair added 178 for the unfinished third-wicket stand as the Dolphins closed the second day at 217-2 to hold an overall lead of 321.

A career-best undefeated knock of 143 (255 balls, 17 fours) from 18-year-old opener Imran Butt lifted SNGPL from 38-4 to 318- in reply to Lahore Lions’ 232 all out at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Bilawal (one name) grabbed three wickets, including the prized scalp of Umar Akmal (27), while his new-ball partner Malik Aftab got rid of Ali Waqas who like Naeemuddin and Khurram Shehzad went for a duck.

Imran put on 142 with Mohammad Rizwan (74 off 114 balls, 12 fours) and 138 for the unbroken sixth-wicket with stand-in SNGPL skipper Adnan Akmal (66 off 136, 10 fours).

Hamza Paracha compiled a patient 111 (261 balls, 11 fours) in 343 minutes as United Bank reached 315-5 in reply to Peshawar Panthers’ 98 at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar. Ali Asad made 94 (217 balls, seven fours) while sharing a second-wicket partnership of 202 with Hamza.

Multan Tigers gained lead on the first innings by totalling 279-9 in reply to Wapda’s 185 at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan.

Port Qasim Authority had made 134-5 after being put into bat by Rawalpindi Rams after the first day at the Pindi Cricket Stadium was washed out, while National Bank were 94-3 after Islamabad Leopards elected to field first following Friday’s blank day at the Diamond Club Ground.

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

At National Stadium, Karachi: KARACHI DOLPHINS 222 in 71.4 overs (Fazal Subhan 68, Mohammad Hasan 57 not out, Saad Ali 34; Shoaib Malik 5-70, Junaid Nadir 2-44) and 217-2 in 65 overs (Fazal Subhan 116 not out, Saad Ali 67 not out; ZTBL 118 in 40.2 overs (Zohaib Khan 19, Shoaib Malik 16, Shakeel Ansar 31, Junaid Nadir 22; Adeel Malik 5-27, Shahzaib Ahmed Khan 3-24, Babar Rehman 2-20).

At Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan: WAPDA 185 in 72.4 overs (Aamir Sajjad 62, Ayaz Tasawwar 33; Majid Ali 4-41, Mohammad Asif 4-54); MULTAN TIGERS 279-9 in 89 overs (Ahmed Rasheed 73, Mohammad Ali Niazi 65 not out, Usman Liaquat 46; Waqas Masood 4-82, Mohammad Ali Bhutta 3-66, Khalid Usman 2-53).

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: LAHORE LIONS 232 in 84.3 overs (Raza Ali Dar 63, Arsalan Arshad 49, Saad Nasim 43, Umar Siddique 33; Imran Khalid 4-51, Atif Jabbar 2-36, Asad Ali 2-60); SNGPL 318-5 in 90 overs (Imran Butt 143 not out, Mohammad Rizwan 74, Adnan Akmal 66 not out; Bilawal 3-55).

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: PORT QASIM AUTHORITY 134-5 in 36 overs (Khalid Latif 43, Shahzaib Hasan 41, Asim Kamal 24 not out; Rizwan Akbar 5-58) vs RAWALPINDI RAMS.

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: NATIONAL BANK 96-3 in 44 overs (Umar Waheed 42 not out) vs ISLAMABAD LEOPARDS.

At Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar: PESHAWAR PANTHERS 98 in 35.3 overs (Azizullah 35; Hasan Mahmood 4-35, Adil Raza 2-16, Prince Abbas 2-17, Rumman Raees Khan 2-18); UNITED BANK 315-5 in 114 overs (Hamza Paracha 111, Ali Asad 94, Mohammad Zohaib 34 not out, Saeed bin Nasir 33 not out; Azizullah 2-70, Afaq Ahmed 2-49).

Published in Dawn, October 26th, 2014