KARACHI: Sparkling centuries by Nadeem Javed and Anas Mahmood, who combined to share an opening-wicket double century partnership, put Karachi Port Trust (KPT) on top at the halfway stage of Patron’s Trophy final against Omar Associates at the National Stadium here on Monday.

Replying to Omar Associates’ 349, KPT seized advantage on the first innings by reaching 406-8 in the stipulated 83 overs to secure a handy lead of 57 runs which could be enough for KPT to qualify for the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship’s Silver League tier for the next season, if the four-day final ends in a draw on Wednesday.

With all the running to do on the remaining two days, Omar Associates will have to produce something supernatural to secure an outright result in their favour in their endeavour to play first-class cricket.

At draw of stumps on Monday, Omar Associates were still 27 short of wiping out the deficit, and with the pitch looking as good as it can be under the eagle eye of Ahsan Arain, the diligent head curator of the National Stadium, a stalemate appears to be final outcome.

To complicate matters, it is a premature assumption whether Mohammad Amir will make a telling impact on the match after limping off the field on the second afternoon with a hamstring issue, having delivered just 10.1 overs. According to a team official, the injury is a minor one and Amir would be bowling in the second innings.

What seemed to be a painful 23rd birthday for the Gujjar Khan-born Pakistan left-arm paceman became a memorable occasion when the cricket-loving Nadeem Omar, the managing director of Omar Associates, celebrated the landmark by asking Amir to cut a special cake, seconds after KPT had completed their innings.

But despite Nadeem Omar’s magnanimous gesture, KPT were in the real celebratory mood thanks to the heroics of their openers, Nadeem Javed and Anas Mahmood who together forged a massive stand of 278 before Omar Associates finally picked the first wicket.

Both batsmen were given lives with Nadeem being left off twice after he had crossed 140 on his way to 190, while Anas was dropped on 99.

Anas, the 25-year-old son of former first-class cricketer Mahmood Rasheed and nephew of former Pakistan batsman and now chief selector Haroon Rasheed, played second fiddle to Nadeem during the 258-minute partnership.

The right-hander was dismissed first ball he faced after the tea interval when he edged an away swinger from Waqas Ahmed to first slip after making 112 (190 balls, 10 fours and two sixes).

Nadeem, who made 113 between lunch and tea, was fourth man out after having struck 18 boundaries and three sixes — all of them off slow left-armer Jalat Khan — when he became victim of an awkward Asif Raza delivery that sudden rose from a good-length spot to catch the edge of the bat through to wicket-keeper Umar Siddique.

Nadeem, who faced 208 balls during a 331-minute stay at the crease, extended his lead at the top of the batting chart to 865 runs with this third hundred in the ongoing competition.

Raza Ali Dar lashed a couple of fours in making a 30-ball 37 when his attempt to lift off-spinner Bilal Asif for a third six in the same over proved futile as substitute Hamza Sultan held a nice catch.

KPT lost a furry of wickets in the closing overs in their bid to extend the lead, including that of ex-Pakistan U-19 all-rounder Ahmed Iqbal.

Ahmed, who hit the lead-clinching last-ball six while making an unbeaten 114 in the drawn semi-final against K-Electric, was trapped lbw for 12 just as his father and veteran cricket organiser Amir Akram Khan, considered something of a bad omen for his talented son, entered the ground.

Seamer Asif Raza and spinner Bilal Asif claimed three wickets apiece.

Scoreboard

OMAR ASSOCIATES (1st Innings) 349 (Bilal Asif 103, Jalat Khan 70, Mohammad Amir 58, Fazal Subhan 34; Adeel Malik 5-126, Babar Rehman 3-58, Bilawal Nazir 2-69).

KARACHI PORT TRUST (1st Innings, overnight 2-0):

Nadeem Javed c Umar b Asif Raza 190

Anas Mahmood c Faisal b Waqas Ahmed 112

Shah Ali Zafar b Jalat 20

Faisal Khan c Umar b Asif Raza 4

Raza Ali Dar c sub b Bilal Asif 37

Ahmed Iqbal lbw b Bilal Asif 12

Babar Rehman c Fahad b Asif Raza 2

Mohammad Hasan not out 18

Nabeel Malik c Jalat b Bilal Asif 0

Adeel Malik not out 4

EXTRAS (LB-4, W-3) 7

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 83 overs) 406

DID NOT BAT: Bilawal Nazir.

BOWLING: Mohammad Amir 10.1-1-47-0; Waqas Ahmed 13-1-67-0 (2w); Asif Raza 14-3-62-3 (1w); Jalat Khan 22.5-0-106-1; Bilal Asif 18-0-91-3; Fahad-ul-Haq 2-0-9-0; Danish Aziz 3-0-20-0.

OMAR ASSOCIATES (2nd Innings):

Fazal Subhan not out 22

Danish Aziz not out 7

EXTRAS (LB-1) 1

TOTAL (for no wkt, 7 overs) 30

BOWLING (to-date): Adeel Malik 2-0-11-0; Bilawal Nazir 2-0-6-0; Babar Rehman 2-0-9-0; Raza Ali Dar 1-0-3-0.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2015

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