KARACHI: Pool ‘B’ leaders National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) and their fellow group rivals Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and Wapda all secured crushing victories by innings on the penultimate day of the fourth-round Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship matches on Wednesday.

Elsewhere, upcoming youngster Saud Shakeel struck a maiden century in only his fourth first-class match as Karachi Whites obtained a handy lead of 128 over Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in the remaining Pool ‘B’ game which is heading for a draw at the National Stadium.

The NBP completed their second innings success on the trot and third by this margin in four matches when they annihilated Rawalpindi by an innings and 79 runs in the post-tea session of play at the Pindi Cricket Stadium to consolidate their position atop Pool ‘B’ with 33 points. Barring a dramatic chain of events in the remaining three rounds, NBP are now assured of playing in the Super Eight stage of the championship.

Lanky fast bowler Ahmed Jamal finished with fine figures of 5-26 as Rawalpindi were dismissed for 236 in their first innings after beginning the day 188-7.

Following on, the regional side lasted just 41.3 overs while managing a paltry tally of 138. This time it was pace-bowling all-rounder Fahim Ashraf who inflicted the major damage with 5-35, while Ahmed took 3-34.

HBL needed only 29.1 overs to take the remaining six Lahore Blues wickets for 88 runs to complete their first victory of the season by a resounding innings and 56 runs at the LCCA Ground in Lahore.

Resuming at 98-4, Lahore Blues were all out for 186 with Pakistan T20 skipper Shahid Afridi taking 3-47 in 18 overs, while first-innings wrecker-in-chief Umar Gul claiming 2-57 to end up with match haul of nine for 89.

Wapda also celebrated their first success in the championship by handing Fata an innings and four-run defeat at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot.

Fata, overnight 217-8, were bowled out for 250 in the first innings before being sent packing for 186 when Wapda skipper Aamir Sajjad enforced the follow on.

Karachi Whites took control against KRL by adding 169 to the Tuesday’s tally of 255-5 before being dismissed 21 minutes before tea for 424 in reply to the visitors’ 296.

The 20-year-old Saud, who represented Pakistan at the Under-19 level with distinction, stole the show with a workmanlike innings of 114 not out. The diminutive left-hander struck16 boundaries and one six and negotiated 223 balls during a stay of 286 minutes.

Saad Ali, another promising left-hander and ex-under-19 player, doubled his overnight score of 41 before he was run out through his own fault for 161-ball 82 (14 fours) to terminate a sixth-wicket partnership of 94 in 152 minutes with Saud.

Umpire Waleed Yaqoob got it absolutely spot on when he raised his finger to send back Saad in a brilliant decision since the batsman was a few millimetres away from reaching the crease as the throw from Imam-ul-Haq at midwicket hit the stumps.

Waleed’s unrelated colleague Asif Yaqoob didn’t lag behind by adjudicating Babar Rehman run out — in another superb piece of judgement — first ball after the luncheon interval as Luqman Butt threw down the wickets.

Saud was on 95 when the ninth wicket fell but he was not to be denied a thoroughly deserved hundred before KRL skipper Saeed Anwar Jr ended the Karachi Whites innings by dismissing last man Ghulam Mudassar.

KRL then reached 111-1 in their second innings with Zain Abbas striking seven fours in making an undefeated 43.

Peshawar were heading for a decisive first win when Port Qasim Authority (PQA) slumped to 186-6 after starting their second innings with a huge deficit of 383 runs at the Arbab Niaz Stadium. Khurram Manzoor made 84.

Earlier, Peshawar captain Zohaib Khan reached a career-best 154 (269 balls, 21 fours) before closing his team’s innings at 490-4.

Pool ‘A’ leaders United Bank Limited (UBL) were also poised for victory after reducing Hyderabad, chasing 455, to 50-2 in their second innings at the Niaz Stadium.

Earlier, UBL recovered 79-4 before declaring their second innings at 392-8.

Lahore Whites, inspired by Fahad-ul-Haq (98 off 177 balls, 12 fours) and Agha Salman (97 off 179, 16 fours), fell only 65 behind SNGPL’s tally of 445 when they were all out for 380 at the Gaddafi Stadium.

SNGPL then posted 155-3 in the second innings with captain Misbah-ul-Haq batting on 58.

Islamabad collected 325 in their first innings while replying to SSGC’s 375 in a game certain to end in a draw at the Diamond Club Ground.

Close of play scores and results on Wednesday (day three of four):

Pool ‘A’:

At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: UNITED BANK LIMITED 259 in 74.5 overs (Sharjeel Khan 73, Umair Khan 54, Gulraiz Sadaf 50, Rumman Raees Khan 25 not out; Sajjad Hussain 3-62, Nasir Awais 3-89, Hazrat Shah 2-36) and 392-9 declared in 84.5 overs (Sohaib Maqsood 83, Yasim Murtaza 83, Ehsan Adil 58 not out, Hammad Azam 55, Shan Masood 33, Rumman Raees Khan 27, Umair Khan 26; Sajjad Hussain 5-72, Nasir Awais 2-99); HYDERABAD 197 in 67.5 overs (Zeeshan Gul 63, Shoaib Leghari 39, Mir Ali Talpur 30; Mir Hamza 5-42, Hammad Azam 2-25) and 50-2 in 24 overs (Azeem Ghumman 20 not out; Mir Hamza 2-6).

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: SUI NORTHERN GAS PIPELINES LIMITED 445 in 105.5 overs (Adnan Akmal 148, Bilawal Bhatti 72, Umar Akmal 54, Taufiq Umar 36, Naeemuddin 33, Misbah-ul-Haq 30, Imran Khalid 27; Agha Salman 4-60, Aftab Azwar 3-116, Mohammad Saeed 2-104) and 155-3 in 27 overs (Misbah-ul-Haq 58 not out, Taufiq Umar 41 not out, Umar Akmal 23; Aftab Azwar 2-40); LAHORE BLUES 380 in 100 overs (Saad Nasim 104, Fahad-ul-Haq 98, Agha Salman 97, Farhan Khan 27; Asad Ali 5-94, Samiullah Khan Niazi 3-61, Imran Khalid 2-109).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: SUI SOUTHERN GAS COMPANY 375 in 113.4 overs (Umar Amin 161, Asif Zakir 115, Mohammad Amir 25, Wajid Ali 22; Hasan Ali 5-65, Shehzad Azam Rana 3-104, Zohaib Ahmed 2-86) and 5-0 in 3.3 overs; ISLAMABAD 325 in 96 overs (Abid Ali 131, Faizan Riaz 58, Afaq Raheem 34, Naeem Anjum 30, Zohaib Ahmed 22, Shahid Yousuf 20; Mohammad Amir 3-52, Tabish Khan 2-54, Sohail Khan 2-109).

At Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar: PORT QASIM AUTHORITY 107 in 39.5 overs (Kamran Younis 32, Azam Hussain 31, Khurram Manzoor 23; Taj Wali 5-30, Nasir Ahmed 4-52) and 186-6 in 74 overs (Khurram Manzoor 84, Faraz Ali 27, Khalid Latif 22 not out; Mehran Alam 2-39, Taj Wali 2-55); PESHAWAR 490-4 declared in 120 overs (Zohaib Khan 154 not out, Mohammad Wasif Nawaz 94, Israrullah 80, Musadiq Ahmed 59 not out, Ashfaq Ahmed 41, Akbar Badshah 39; Azam Hussain 3-126).

Pool ‘B’:

At National Stadium, Karachi: KHAN RESEARCH LABORATORIES 296 in 77.2 overs (Nayyar Abbas 85, Luqman Butt 83, Mohammad Yasin 28, Zain Abbas 20; Sohaib Khan 5-74, Ghulam Mudassar 3-91) and 111-1 in 34 overs (Zain Abbas 43 not out, Mohammad Yasin 29 not out, Imam-ul-Haq 23); KARACHI WHITES 424 in 137.5 overs (Saud Shakeel 114 not out, Arsalan Bashir 82, Saad Ali 82, Jaahid Ali 55, Haris Ali Khan 36; Nayyar Abbas 4-95, Mohammad Abbas 2-65).

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: Habib Bank Limited beat Lahore Whites by an innings and 56 runs.

LAHORE WHITES 89 in 30.1 overs (Asif Raza 41, Sami Aslam 28; Umar Gul 7-32, Altaf Ahmed 2-12) and 186 in 63.1 overs (Mohammad Waheed 68, Saif-ur-Rehman 34, Usman Salahuddin 25; Shahid Afridi 3-47, Abdur Rehman 2-30, Ammad Butt 2-33, Umar Gul 2-57); HABIB BANK LIMITED 331 in 82.1 overs (Aftab Khan 95, Umar Gul 61, Asad Shafiq 53, Fakhar Zaman 31, Jamal Anwar 30, Rameez Aziz 22; Asif Raza 5-91, Saif-ur-Rehman 3-86).

At Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot: Wapda beat Federally Administered Tribal Areas by an innings and four runs.

WAPDA 440 in 96.2 overs (Aamir Sajjad 178, Zulfiqar Babar 89, Adnan Raees 80, Zahid Mansoor 24; Mohammad Irfan 4-129, Rahim Baz 2-50, Ibrahim Gul 2-91); FEDERALLY ADMINISTERED TRIBAL AREAS 250 in 73.3 overs (Khushdil Shah 122, Haroon Sadaqat 27, Nisar Khan 20; Waqas Maqsood 3-46, Azhar Attari 3-47, Zulfiqar Babar 3-71) and 186 in 45.3 overs (Nisar Khan 37, Rahim Baz 33, Haroon Sadaqat 29; Waqas Maqsood 4-67, Zulfiqar Babar 2-44).

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: National Bank of Pakistan beat Rawalpindi by an innings and 79 runs.

NATIONAL BANK OF PAKISTAN 453 in 100.4 overs (Akbar-ur-Rehman 128, Fawad Alam 93, Mohammad Nawaz 66, Nasir Jamshed 35, Qaiser Abbas 35, Fahim Ashraf 33; Saad Altaf 4-125, Yasir Arafat 3-67, Abid Hussain 3-119); RAWALPINDI 236 in 64 overs (Usman Saeed 61, Mansoor Amjad 50, Babar Naeem 23; Ahmed Jamal 5-26, Zia-ul-Haq 2-83, Fahim Ashraf 2-51) and 138 in 41.3 overs (Naved Yasin 25, Faisal Mubashir 22, Naved Malik 21; Fahim Ashraf 5-35, Ahmed Jamal 3-34).

Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2015