KARACHI: Youngsters Imran Butt and Umar Siddique produced sterling knocks to help their respective teams record contrasting victories in the opening round of the Haier President’s Gold League One-day Cup on Monday.

Imran, a 19-year-old right-handed opener, struck 98 as Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) overcame Karachi Dolphins by four wickets in the Group-I fixture here at the National Stadium.

Chasing 235, SNGPL ran into trouble at 64-4 in the 25th over with the experience trio of Ali Waqas (5), captain Azhar Ali and Khurram Shehzad (both for ducks) as well the in-form Mohammad Rizwan (21) all gone.

But Imran, who survived a chance on 20 when Fazal Subhan in the slips fluffed a simple catch, forged together useful partnerships of 59 with Adnan Akmal (21) and 44 with Hussain Talat to put SNGPL on victory path.

After Imran, who adorned his 111-ball innings with a dozen boundaries, was caught behind off left-arm paceman Mir Hamza, it was left to Hussain (35 off 30 balls) and Imran Khalid (47 off 29, eight fours) to seal the match in an unbroken stand of 71 with two overs to spare.

Earlier, Saad Ali (81 off 93, 10 fours) and opener Fazal Subhan (59 off 78, four fours and one six) were main run-getters for the Dolphins who were dismissed in 48 overs for 234. Imran excelled with his slow left-armers to grab four wickets for 40 in nine overs while discarded Pakistan seamer Asad Ali took 3-40 in nine overs.

Prodigiously talented Umar Siddique, meanwhile, blazed a brilliant 73-ball 100 not out as Lahore Lions stunned the star-studded Port Qasim Authority (PQA) by seven wickets in their Group-II clash at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad.

The 22-year-old’s second List-A century that was laced with 11 boundaries enabled the Lions reach their target of 253 in 44.1 overs after openers Waqas Saleem (67 off 105, eight fours) and Ikhlaq Butt (52 off 61, seven fours and one six) had also batted well.

Earlier, Pakistan discard Khurram Manzoor scored 80 (111 balls, seven fours) in PQA’s tally of 252 all out. Lions skipper Saad Nasim claimed 3-50 in 10 overs with his leg-spinners.

Skipper Kamran Akmal (84 off 85, eight fours and two sixes), Sami Aslam (76 off 65, seven fours and one six) and Fawad Alam (57 off 55, two sixes and two fours) powered National Bank to a 129-run rout of Rawalpindi Rams in the Group-I game at the NBP Sports Complex.

Left-arm paceman Zia-ul-Haq captured three wickets for 29 as the Rams, chasing 289, collapsed for 159 in 44 overs.

Also winning comprehensively were State Bank who whipped Islamabad Leopards by 127 runs in the Group-II encounter at the Southend Club Ground.

Opener Mukhtar Ahmed (77 off 97, eight boundaries) and Abid Ali (85 off 92, six fours) guided the bankers to 272 all out before the Leopards limped to 145 in 39.1 overs.

Seasoned campaigner and Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) captain Saeed Anwar Jr registered his eighth List A ton — an undefeated 121 off 103 balls with the aid six sixes and as many fours — to help his side defeat Karachi Zebras by 24 runs at the RLCA Ground in Gulberg in their Group-II match which was moved from the Arabian Sea Country Club (ASCC).

Results:

Group-I:

At National Stadium, Karachi: SNGPL beat Karachi Dolphins by four wickets.

KARACHI DOLPHINS 234 in 48 overs (Saad Ali 81, Fazal Subhan 59, Faraz Ahmed Khan 32; Imran Khalid 4-40, Asad Ali 3-40); SNGPL 238-6 in 48 overs (Imran Butt 98, Imran Khalid 47 not out, Hussain Talat 35 not out; Mir Hamza 3-70).

At NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: National Bank beat Rawalpindi Rams by 129 runs.

NATIONAL BANK 288 in 47.1 overs (Kamran Akmal 84, Sami Aslam 76, Fawad Alam 57, Nasir Jamshed 32; Munir Ansari 4-57, Hamza Sultan Ali 3-39, Yasim Murtaza 2-72); RAWALPINDI RAMS 159 in 44 overs (Usman Saeed 56 not out, Talha Qureshi 42; Zia-ul-Haq 159 in 44 overs (Usman Saeed 56 not out, Talha Qureshi 42; Zia-ul-Haq-29, Mohammad Nawaz 2-10, Fawad Alam 2-18, Raza Hasan 2-48).

At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: ZTBL beat Peshawar Panthers — walkover.

Group-II:

At RLCA Ground (Gulberg), Karachi: KRL beat Karachi Zebras by 24 runs.

KRL 277-4 in 50 overs (Saeed Anwar Jr 121 not out, Shoaib Ahmed Minhas 42, Zain Abbas 36, Ali Khan 34; Faraz Patel 2-30); KARACHI ZEBRAS 253-9 in 50 overs (Saud Shakeel 59, Owais Ahmed Rehmani 45, Faraz Patel 43 not out, Behram Khan 40; Sadaf Hussain 3-64, Nauman Ali 2-42).

At Southend Club Ground, Karachi: State Bank beat Islamabad Leopards by 127 runs.

STATE BANK 272 in 50 overs (Abid Ali 85, Mukhtar Ahmed 77, Usman Salahuddin 35; Zohaib Ahmed 3-56, Hamza Nadeem 2-48); ISLAMABAD LEOPARDS 145 in 39.4 overs (Umar Abid Kayani 41; Kashif Bhatti 3-29, Zafar Gohar 2-18, Zahid Mahmood 2-32).

At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: Lahore Lions beat Port Qasim Authority by seven wickets.

PORT QASIM AUTHORITY 252 in 49.5 overs (Khurram Manzoor 80, Shahzaib Hasan 34, Noor Wali 33; Saad Nasim 3-50, Ali Tipu Sultan 2-47); LAHORE LIONS 256-3 in 44.1 overs (Umar Siddique 100 not out, Waqas Saleem 67, Mohammad Ikhlaq Butt 52).

Wednesday’s fixtures:

Islamabad Leopards vs KRL at National Stadium, Karachi; Karachi Zebras vs Port Qasim Authority at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi; National Bank vs Peshawar Panthers at NBP Sports Complex, Karachi; Karachi Dolphins vs ZTBL at RLCA Ground (Gulberg), Karachi; Rawalpindi Rams vs SNGPL at Southend Club Ground, Karachi; State Bank vs Lahore Lionsat Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad.

Published in Dawn January 20th , 2015

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