KARACHI: Bolstered by Test opener Khurram Manzoor’s second century in as many games of the RBS Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship, PIA were poised for victory against SSGC in the Group ‘A’ match at the UBL Sports Complex here on Sunday.

Karachi Whites, Rawalpindi and Peshawar, meanwhile, all scored comprehensive three-day victories over their respective opponents.

Khurram, who made a career-best 241 in the first match of the season against KRL, atoned for his cheap dismissal in the first innings, by striking a scintillating 117 – the 23-year-old right-hander’s 11th first-class century – off 112 balls with 17 boundaries to help PIA declare their second innings at 277-5.

Kamran Sajid completed a good double as he scored 71 to follow 97 made in the first innings during a second-wicket partnership of 151 with Khurram. Skipper Faisal Iqbal remained unbeaten on 40 at the declaration.

SSGC, chasing an impossible target of 445, slumped to 59-2 at stumps. Earlier, they were bowled out for 153 with the lanky left-arm paceman Najaf Shah taking all four wickets in the morning to return excellent figures of 6-39 in 13.3 overs.

Karachi Whites, as expected, condemned the hapless Pakistan Customs to their second straight defeat with a 253-run triumph at the Southend Cricket Club Stadium. Medium-pacer Ali Mudassar captured 6-61 as Customs crashed to 88 all out in the second innings.

Habib Bank were on brink of victory after an unbeaten 154 (288 balls, 19 fours) from Taufiq Umar and skipper Hasan Raza’s run-a-ball 97 enabled the bankers to close their second innings at 384-9 against KRL at the National Stadium.

Mohammad Irfan, a gangling 27-year-old left-arm paceman, claimed 7-113 in only his second first-class appearance. But despite his efforts, KRL faced an uphill task to avoid defeat as they closed at 165-4 while chasing 477.

Rawalpindi romped to an emphatic innings and 190 runs success after dismissing Hyderabad for 245 in the second innings of the Group ‘B’ tie at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. Also in the federal capital, Peshawar overwhelmed Quetta by 10 wickets at the National Ground, the newest first-class venue.

Ex-Test fast bowler Mohammad Sami (4-65) and Tanvir Ahmed (5-86) guided Karachi Blues into a strong position by taking first-innings lead of 97 runs against hosts Abbottabad. The visitors stretched their lead to 252 by reaching 155-3 in the second innings.

Our Sports Reporter adds from Lahore: Fighting centuries from skipper Aamir Sajjad and Bilal Khilji engineered a splendid fightback by Wapda against National Bank at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Having resumed at 128-4 after facing a substantial first-innings deficit of 188, Wapda batted throughout Sunday to reach stumps at 381-9 with the left-handed Bilal holding firm on 141 (290 balls, 15 fours) after Aamir was out for 139 (237 balls, 14 boundaries). Wapda now hold a lead of 193 runs.

Lahore Shalimar, helped by opener Abid Ali’s unbeaten 81, were 166-3 after ZTBL set them a target of 408. Earlier, Pakistan reject Sohail Tanvir smashed a quickfire 116 (98 balls, 19 fours) as ZTBL reached 308-7 declared in the second innings.

Faisalabad braced themselves for an anxious final day on Monday after reaching 22-1 on the penultimate day in pursuit of 337-run target after Multan were bowled out for 287 in the second innings in Faisalabad.

Defending champions Sialkot made slow progress against Lahore Ravi at the Lahore Country Club in Muridke.

Sialkot, resuming at 79-3, were 235-7 in response to Lahore Ravi’s first-innings tally of 328.

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

Group ‘A’:

At National Stadium, Karachi: HABIB BANK 222 in 59.2 overs (Hasan Raza 50, Ahmed Shahzad 39; Akhtar Ayub 3-41) and 384-9 declared in 96.3 overs (Taufiq Umar 154 not out, Hasan Raza 97, Umar Gul 47; Mohammad Irfan 7-113); KRL 130 in 44 overs (Saeed Anwar Jr 57; Danish Kaneria 4-32, Umar Gul 3-35) and 167-4 in 42 overs (Saeed Anwar Jr 63 not out, Bazid Khan 39).

At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: PIA 320 in 115.3 overs (Kamran Sajid 97, Fahad Iqbal 79; Sohail Khan 5-102) and 277-5 declared in 51 overs (Khurram Manzoor 117, Kamran Sajid 71, Faisal Iqbal 40 not out); SSGC 153 in 54.3 overs (Saeed bin Nasir 49; Najaf Shah 6-39) and 59-2 in 21 overs.

At Southend Cricket Club Stadium, Karachi: Karachi Whites beat Pakistan Customs by 253 runs.

KARACHI WHITES 234 in 87.5 overs (Afsar Nawaz 60, Mohtashim Ali 51; Tahir Mughal 4-45) and 213 in 66.2 overs (Naveed Khan 55, Afsar Nawaz 41, Mohammad Hassan 36; Tahir Mughal 4-66); PAKISTAN CUSTOMS 106 in 33.3 overs (Tabish Khan 5-51, Ali Mudassar 3-9) and 88 in 23.5 overs (Ali Mudassar 6-61, Tabish Khan 3-20).

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: WAPDA 133 in 42.2 overs (Mohammad Yousuf 35; Mohammad Asif 5-35, Mohammad Talha 3-34) and 381-9 in 122 overs (Bilal Khilji 141 not out, Aamir Sajjad 139); NATIONAL BANK 321 in 79.5 overs (Fawad Alam 154 not out, Umar Amin 43, Mohammad Aamir 37; Rana Naved-ul-Hasan 3-67, Azharullah 3-107).

At LCCA Ground: ZTBL 264 in 84.2 overs (Haris Sohail 64, Zulqarnain Haider 54 not out, Wajahatullah Wasti 42, Saeed Ajmal 33; Saad Nasim 3-53, Mohammad Naved 3-68) and 308-7 declared in 54 overs (Sohail Tanvir 116, Imran Nazir 71, Adnan Raza 61 not out; Mohammad Naved 4-119); LAHORE SHALIMAR 165 in 61.3 overs (Ahmed Dar 66, Ali Raza 37; Saeed Ajmal 4-53) and 166-3 in 47 overs (Abid Ali 81 not out).

Group ‘B’:

At Lahore Country Club, Muridke: LAHORE RAVI 328 in 131.4 overs (Kashif Siddique 178, Asim Naz 43, Ashraf Ali 40; Prince Abbas 3-49, Salman Ali 3-74); SIALKOT 235-7 in 115 overs (Ayaz Tasawwar 50, Nayyar Abbas 41 not out; Junaid Zia 3-41).

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: MULTAN 237 in 74.5 overs (Naved Yasin 43, Fayyaz-ul-Hasan 41; Ahmed Hayat 4-38) and 287 in 103.2 overs (Ghulam Fareed 88, Rameez Alam 51, Rizwan Haider 46; Zulqarnain 3-68); FAISALABAD 188 in 53.3 overs (Imran Ali 90 not out, Mohammad Salman 42; Abdur Rauf 5-76) and 22-1 in 10 overs.

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: Rawalpindi beat Hyderabad by an innings and 190 runs.

RAWALPINDI 531 in 99.4 overs (Naveed Qureshi 230 not out, Rashid Latif 50, Babar Naeem 46, Fawad Hussain 41, Yasim Murtaza 41, Adnan Mufti 38; Noman Khan 4-122, Pir Zulfiqar 3-123); HYDERABAD 96 in 36.3 overs (Mohammad Rameez 5-42, Haseeb Azam 3-20) and 245 in 65.5 overs (Faisal Athar 70, Sharjeel Khan 45, Nasrullah Memon 43; Rashid Latif 4-78, Yasim Murtaza 3-37).

At National Ground, Islamabad: Peshawar beat Quetta by 10 wickets.

QUETTA 207 in 53 overs (Sanaullah Khan 38; Nauman Habib 4-67, Imran Khan 3-47) and 62 in 23.1 overs (Imran Khan 6-29, Nasir Ahmed 3-23); PESHAWAR 213 in 103.2 overs (Mohammad Idrees 51; Nazar Hussain 4-80, Arun Lal 3-62) and 59-0 in 14.3 overs.

At Abbottabad Cricket Stadium: KARACHI BLUES 335 in 103.1 overs (Ali Asad 113, Khalid Latif 103; M. Junaid Khan 7-94) and 155-3 in 42.3 overs (Asad Shafiq 54 not out, Asim Kamal 52 not out); ABBOTTABAD 238 in 73 overs (Mohammad Kashif 49, Riaz Kail 42, Tanvir Ahmed 5-86, Mohammad Sami 4-65).