KARACHI: Habib Bank Limited (HBL) overcame a major scare in the shape of a superb Azeem Ghumman century before finally sneaking into the Silver League semi-finals of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship with an 18-run defeat of Hyderabad Hawks in Mirpur on Wednesday.

In the remaining quarter-final at the National Cricket Ground in Islamabad, Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) whipped Pakistan Television (PTV) by 235 runs to book a semi-final date with HBL at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium from Nov 28 to Dec 1.

The other semi-final will be played between Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot after both sides won by their quarter-finals inside three days on Tuesday, against Bahawalpur Stags and Khan Research Laboratories, respectively.

The Hawks, who were set 286 for victory, began the fourth and final day at 19-2 and quickly found themselves heading for a big defeat when the sixth wicket went down at 79. But skipper Azeem Ghumman and all-rounder Lal Kumar then revived their team’s fading hopes with a fighting partnership.

After having added 98 for the seventh wicket, Kumar was caught by Kamran Hussain off Pakistan seamer Umar Gul for a 71-ball 39.

Slow left-armer Abdur Rehman then dismissed Mir Ali Talpur and Naeem-ur-Rehman fell to off-spinner Ashiq Ali to leave the Hawks 207-9.

However, Azeem kept his side in the hunt for a last-four spot by completing his seventh first-class hundred. Last man Babar Khan provided excellent to the former Pakistan Under-19 captain as the two of them put together 60 for the final wicket.

Azeem was bowled by Umar Gul for a gallant 121 (156 balls, 16 boundaries) as the HBL players heaved a sigh of relief. Babar finished undefeated on 28.

Umar Gul and Rehman captured three wickets each with Kamran taking two.

PTV, meanwhile, proved no match for SSGC. Starting at their overnight score of 50-2, PTV’s second innings lasted another 27 overs before they were sent packing for 182.

Rehan Afridi was a sole exception with a gusty run-a-ball knock of 70 (11 fours and two sixes) until he was the last man to be dismissed.

Fast bowler Tabish Khan grabbed five wickets for 55 runs in 14 overs with veteran all-rounder Tariq Haroon claiming three for 24 in six overs.

Scores and results on Wednesday (final day of four):

Quarter-finals:

At Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Mirpur: Habib Bank Limited bt Hyderabad Hawks by 18 runs.

HABIB BANK LIMITED 128 in 43.1 overs (Rameez Aziz 49, Abdur Rehman 28; Mir Ali Talpur 5-39, Naeem-ur-Rehman 3-25) and 423-5 declared in 21 overs (Bilal Shafayat 201 not out, Rameez Aziz 80 not out, Aftab Khan 41, Ashiq Ali 37, Imran Farhat 34; Babar Khan 2-103, Naeem-ur-Rehman 2-109); HYDERABAD HAWKS 266 in 73.2 overs (Naeem-ur-Rehman 43, Azeem Ghumman 40, Lal Kumar 37, Zeeshan Gul 27, Faisal Athar 27, Darya Khan 24; Ashiq Ali 4-60, Abdur Rehman 4-78) and 267 in 66.4 overs (Azeem Ghumman 121, Lal Kumar 39, Babar Khan 28 not out; Umar Gul 3-64, Abdur Rehman 3-68, Kamran Hussain 2-19).

At National Cricket Ground, Islamabad: Sui Southern Gas Company bt Pakistan Television by 235 runs.

SUI SOUTHERN GAS COMPANY 266 in 72.3 overs (Usman Tariq 64, Mohammad Waqas 51, Tariq Haroon 50, Mohammad Irfan 28 not out, Atif Maqbool 27; Waqar Ahmed 5-53, Usman Ashraf 3-52) and 373 in 90.1 overs (Awais Zia 79, Haris Ali 70, Asif Zakir 63, Atif Maqbool 31, Usman Tariq 21; Nawaz Ahmed 3-60, Mohammad Kashif 2-38, Ali Raza 2-43, Mohammad Abbas 2-83); PAKISTAN TELEVISION 222 in 67.5 overs (Hasan Raza Jr 59, Mohammad Kashif 45, Usman Ashraf 32, Ali Raza 22; Atif Maqbool 6-82, Tabish Khan 2-47) and 182 in 41 overs (Rehan Afridi 70, Nawaz Ahmed 27, Usman Ashraf 27; Tabish Khan 5-55, Tariq Haroon 3-24).

Published in Dawn, November 27th , 2014