KARACHI: Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) secured just their second win since their return to first-class action in Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship when they completed a nine-wicket drubbing of Pakistan Television (PTV) on Sunday.

The Pool ‘B’ fixture at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi was already within ZTBL’s grasp when PTV conceded a first-innings lead of 160 on Saturday’s third day.

Resuming at 207-5, PTV could muster just 34 runs before being dismissed for 241 in their second innings with paceman Nasim Shah adding four more wickets to his tally while finishing with six for 59 in 20 overs.

Left with a meagre 82-run chase, ZTBL reached 84-1 to grab nine vital nine points that lifted them from the bottom of group standings with 15 points, while leaving PTV — currently the last among departments with 12 points — in a venerable position to avoid demotion with just one more round left in the competition.

Fata, meanwhile, have all but assured them themselves of playing at the top level next season after scoring a tense three-wicket win against Lahore Whites at the LCCA Ground in Lahore.

Having already collected 24-1 at stumps on Saturday in pursuit of 112, Fata almost gave it away when their seventh wicket fell on the fourth and final day at the total of 98 before they finally got over the line at 114-7.

Peshawar lost only one further wicket in getting the remaining 22 runs they required to defeat Islamabad at the Diamond Club Ground to complete a remarkable triumph after being dismissed for a paltry 82 in the first innings while letting their hosts enjoy a commanding lead of 194.

But maiden centuries from Mohammad Mohsin (140) and Nabi Gul (138) in a rollicking third-wicket partnership of 236 lifted Peshawar to 352-4 on the penultimate evening.

Skipper Akbar Badshah (41 not out) and wicket-keeper Nabil Gul (26) added 34 before Gohar fell but Peshawar were not to be denied as they confirmed their Super Eight spot by taking their tally of points to 30 in third place of Pool ‘A’.

In the truncated Pool ‘B’ tie at the Marghazar Cricket Ground in Islamabad — reduced to three days following the original pitch being declared ‘dangerous on day one and match restarting from ball one from Friday — tailender Mohammad Irfan slammed a hard-hit maiden first-class century as he clobbered 10 boundaries and five sixes 106 from only 100 balls in 97 minutes as Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) posted 528-9 in response to Wapda’s 182 while adding 266 to their overnight score of 262-4.

Irfan, batting at No.10, helped wicket-keeper Maqbool Ahmed (76 not out) add 141 for the ninth wicket.

Karachi Whites opted to play for draw rather go for victory at the Multan Cricket Stadium by not enforcing the follow on when Multan were all out for 260 in reply to their massive total of 600-6 declared.

Skipper Anwar Ali’s bewildering decision saw 29 overs being wasted in aimless batting during Karachi Whites made 73-5 before declaring to set Multan an improbable target of 414.

The hosts got to 235-6 in 49 overs of their second innings when the match was called off.

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

Sixth round:

Pool ‘A’:

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: Fata beat Lahore Whites by three wickets.

FATA 335 in 98.5 overs (Asad Afridi 91, Rehan Afridi 64, Samiullah Jr 58, Mohammad Talha 28, Mohammad Naeem 22; Waqas Ahmed 5-142, Bilal Anwar 3-68, Mohammad Irfan 2-70) and 114-7 in 32.3 overs (Samiullah Jr 29; Waqas Ahmed 3-32, Mohammad Irfan 2-43); LAHORE WHITES 180 in 71.3 overs (Mohammad Irfan 63, Ameer Hamza 28, Nauman Anwar 21; Asif Afridi 6-39, Mohammad Talha 2-48) and 266 in 84.5 overs (Mohammad Irfan 74, Nauman Anwar 68, Ali Zaryab 29, Afaq Shahid 22, Ameer Hamza 21, Imran Dogar 20; Asif Afridi 4-54, Naseer Akram 2-39, Mohammad Talha 2-53).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: Peshawar beat Islamabad by five wickets.

ISLAMABAD 276 in 76.4 overs (Ali Salman 60, Ali Sarfraz 47, Fahad Iqbal 33, Faizan Riaz 22; Mohammad Ilyas 5-69, Taj Wali 2-50) and 179 in 48.2 overs (Ali Sarfraz 52, Rizwan Ali 28, Mohammad Hamza Nadeem 21 not out, Faizan Riaz 21; Mohammad Ilyas 5-61, Nasir Ahmed 3-46, Musadiq Ahmed 2-39); PESHAWAR 82 in 27.3 overs (Hazrat Shah 6-22, Mohammad Arham 2-21, Mohammad Hamza Nadeem 2-36) and 377-5 in 90.1 overs (Mohammad Mohsin 140, Nabi Gul 138, Akbar Badshah 41 not out, Gohar Ali 26; Mohammad Hamza Nadeem 3-73).

Pool ‘B’:

At Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan: Match drawn.

KARACHI WHITES 600-6 declared in 161.1 overs (Shehzar Mohammad 265, Omair Bin Yousuf 163, Saad Ali 129; Ghulam Rehman 2-105, Ali Usman 2-150) and 73-5 declared in 29 overs (Saad Ali 41; Ali Usman 2-9); MULTAN 260 in 107 overs (Yousuf Babar 77, Imran Rafiq 47, Waqar Hussain 34, Ghulam Rehman 23, Khalilullah 22, Ali Usman 20; Mohammad Sami. 2-32, Abdullah Mukaddam 2-58, Waqar Anwar 2-59) and 235-6 in 49 overs (Imran Rafiq 129 not out, Waqar Hussain 40, Yousuf Babar 20; Anwar Ali 3-74).

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: ZTBL beat PTV by nine wickets.

PTV 158 in 55.3 overs (Mohammad Irfan Jr 35, Saud Shakeel 25, Hasan Mohsin 24; Imran Khan 4-54, Mohammad Ali 3-22, Luqman Butt 2-47) and 241 in 76.5 overs (Taimur Khan 62, Hasan Mohsin 47, Adnan Mahmood 32, Mohammad Waqas 31, , Nihal Mansoor 28; Nasim Shah 6-59, Mohammad Ali 2-45); ZTBL 318 in 120.1 overs (Saadullah Ghauri 81, Raza Ali Dar 73, Shakeel Ansar 56, Luqman Butt 31, Anas Mustafa 24; Tabish Khan 7-86, Aamir Jamal 2-50) and 84-1 in 22.4 overs (Anas Mustafa 31 not out, Aaqib Shah 26 not out).

At Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad (final day of three): Match drawn.

WAPDA 182 in 60.5 overs (Sadaif Mehdi 43, Khalid Usman 30 not out, Mohammad Saad 23, Mohammad Abubakar 23; Kashif Bhatti 5-68, Mohammad Amir 3-31); SSGCL 528-9 in 161 overs (Adil Amin 123, Mohammad Irfan 106, Maqbool Ahmed 76 not out, Asif Zakir 56, Muzammil Nizam 55, Fawad Alam 44, Mohammad Amir 25; Ehsan Adil 3-67, Sadaif Mehdi 3-100, Zahid Mansoor 2-102).

Published in Dawn, October 15th, 2018