KARACHI: Karachi Port Trust (KPT) set up a final date in the Patron’s Trophy (Grade-II) Cricket Tournament with Omar Associates after their semi-final against K-Electric ended in a predictable draw at the National Stadium here on Thursday.

KPT’s slender four-run advantage — secured by a last-ball six by centurion Ahmed Iqbal on Wednesday — of the first innings was enough to catapult them to the title-deciding fixture which starts at the same venue from Sunday.

Omar Associates had earlier qualified for the four-day also by virtue of first-innings lead after their rain-affected semi-final against Khayaban-e-Amin at the LCCA Ground in Lahore finished in a draw on April 1.

The K-Electric-KPT pre-final was originally slated to be played at Sialkot’s Jinnah Stadium from March 30-April 1 but incessant rain in the Punjab industrial city forced the organisers to shift that game to Karachi.

On Thursday’s last day of the three-day match, K-Electric were left with no option but take a chance with an early declaration to their second innings to force an outright result.

But KPT, who had totalled 397-8 in the first-innings’ quota of 83 overs in their response to K-Electric’s 393-8, didn’t fall for the bait in the pursuit of 257 runs in the remaining 63 overs available. Batting cautiously, they reached 158-4 while utilising 56 overs before the teams mutually agreed to call off the match.

After losing opener Anas Mahmood (7) and Shah Ali Zafar (2) with 23 on the board, KPT recovered through Nadeem Javed and Faisal Khan as the third-wicket partnership yielded 67 runs with both men completing half centuries. Right-handed opening batsman Nadeem scored 53 in a 112-ball knock that included nine boundaries and one six, while Faisal struck 11 fours in making 56 from 104 deliveries.

All-rounder Raza Ali Dar followed up his excellent 93 in the first innings by contributing an undefeated 39 (69 balls, four fours and two sixes) as he helped Faisal put on 59 for the fourth wicket before the latter fell to the occasional left-arm spin of Israrullah.

Leg-spinner Shahzaib Ahmed Khan claimed two wickets for 61 runs in 19 overs to emerge as the most successful of K-Electric bowlers in the second innings.

Earlier, the K-Electric batsmen threw their bats at everything to score 203 in 27 overs as their side extended their overnight tally of 57-0 to 260 for nine before skipper Rameez Raja applied the closure.

Rameez, who opted to open instead of regular opener Israrullah in the second innings alongside Behram Khan, hit five fours and two sixes in scoring 70 off 63 balls. Behram made 37 (39 balls, four boundaries) in the opening stand of 87, lasting exactly an hour.

Israrullah hammered a quick 19-ball 22 with two fours before upcoming all-rounder Saud Shakeel caught the eye with an entertaining 47-ball 63 that was laced with five boundaries and one six. The young left-hander added 59 for the fourth wicket with Israrullah.

Bilawal, a strapping left-arm fast bowler, conceded over seven runs an over but still picked up five wickets in the process while finishing with 5-101 in 14 overs. The 20-year-old from Lahore, who was KPT’s main wicket-taker in the first innings as well with 4-108, returned match figures of nine for 209 in 33 overs.

Leg-spinner Mansoor Ahmed, who captured three wickets on Thursday, was also taken to the cleaners by the rampaging K-Electric batsmen as his eight overs cost 54 runs.

The winners of the Patron’s Trophy will be promoted to the Silver League tier of the prestigious Quaid-i-Azam National Cricket Championship next season.

Scores and result on Thursday (final day of three):

Semi-final:

At National Stadium, Karachi: Match drawn.

K-ELECTRIC 393-8 in 83 overs (Majid Khan 146, Javed Mansoor 113, Mir Hamza 36, Saud Shakeel 30, Rameez Raja 27; Bilawal 4-108) and 260-9 declared in 37 overs (Rameez Raja 70, Saud Shakeel 63, Behram Khan 37, Majid Khan 32 not out, Israrullah 22; Bilawal 5-101, Mansoor Ahmed 3-54); KARACHI PORT TRUST 397-8 in 83 overs (Ahmed Iqbal 114 not out, Raza Ali Dar 93, Babar Rehman 76, Shah Ali Zafar 30, Anas Mahmood 22, Faisal Khan 20; Faraz Ahmed Khan 3-107, Shahzaib Ahmed Khan 3-114) and 158-4 in 56 overs (Faisal Khan 56, Nadeem Javed 53, Raza Ali Dar 39 not out; Shahzaib Ahmed Khan 2-61).

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2015

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