KARACHI: Inspired by brilliant knocks from Asif Zakir and Shoaib Malik, Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) upstaged United Bank Limited (UBL) by 79 runs in the first round of the National One-day Cup for Departments on Saturday.

Habib Bank Limited (HBL), bounced back just two days after failing to stop Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) lifting the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship for the first time by sealing a workmanlike six-wicket defeat of the newly-crowned first-class champions at the SBP Sports Complex.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) ran out winners by 66 runs against Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at the National Stadium, while National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) beat Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) by 74 runs at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad.

Put into bat on a UBL Sports Complex pitch, dedicatedly prepared by curator Wazir Nabi, which provided ideal ingredients for stroke-making, SSGC ran up a commanding total of 333-9 in their 50 overs.

The foundation was laid by opener Awais Zia, who contributed a crisp 43 from 44 balls with six boundaries before the in-form Asif (103 off 98 balls, eight fours and three sixes) and skipper Malik (94 off 78, 10 fours and two sixes) took over to share a rollicking fourth-wicket partnership of 178 in 156 deliveries.

Awais might have also got a meaningful score but rather unwisely opted to smash Sohaib Maqsood out of the park while only managing to offer a simple catch to Hammad Azam, stationed at midwicket.

Asif registered his ninth List A century while continuing a purple patch in the current domestic season which has seen the 33-year-old prolific right-hander amass 893 runs in nine Quaid-i-Azam Trophy matches.

The national selection committee, headed by Inzamam-ul-Haq and including Tauseef Ahmed, Wajahatullah Wasti and Wasim Haider, have been keeping a close eye on Asif of late. On Saturday, Asif nudged them yet again with an innings of substance as he and Malik dominated the UBL bowlers.

Asif hoisted off-spinner Junaid Ilyas over midwicket boundary for successive sixes in the 43rd which yielded 17 runs and also deposited Akbar-ur-Rehman straight for another six, while Malik didn’t lag behind with a six each against leg-spinner Karamat Ali and Akbar.

Malik fell just six short of his 16tyh one-day hundred when he played onto Karamat.

Left-arm seamer Rumman Raees Khan, easily the pick of all bowlers in this game with figures of 4-48 in 10 overs, deceived Asif with a slower delivery to castle him.

UBL needed a good start but they never got it. Adil Amin had Umar Siddique taken in the covers for 16 before Zia-ul-Haq struck twice in three balls to have Sohaib Maqsood (11) and Akbar (0) well caught by wicket-keeper Saifullah Khan Bangash to leave UBL in tatters at 49-3 in the 10th over.

Shan Masood, the captain, posted his second List A ton but an undefeated 103 off 137 balls (eight boundaries) was never going to threaten SSGC’s iron-like grip on the match.

Saeed bin Nasir (67 off 68, three fours and two sixes) offered a belated fight as he and Shan engaged themselves in a fifth-wicket stand of 121 only to delay the inevitable as UBL finished at 254-8.

Imam-ul-Haq, fresh from his unbeaten 200 in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy final, struck a splendid 93 as HBL extracted sweet revenge against Wapda. The 20-year-old’s 126-ball effort included nine fours and one six as HBL sealed victory in 42 overs by totalling 162-4.

Earlier, Wapda found the going extremely hazardous after captain Salman Butt chose to bat first. His decision backfired so badly that Wapda slumped to 43-4 by the 16th over.

And although the skipper, who scored a 92-ball 55 (three fours) and fellow left-hander Ayaz Tasawwar (65 off 92, two sixes and two fours) added 60, Wapda only got 161 in 49.1 overs with debutant paceman Ali Shafiq grabbing 3-27 in nine overs.

SNGPL rode on a second-wicket partnership of 105 between opener Imran Butt (73 off 89, six fours and one six) and skipper Mohammad Hafeez (58 off 73, 10 boundaries) to collect 284-8 after PIA captain Anwar Ali elected to bowl first.

PIA’s response fizzled out at 218 in the 47th over despite Agha Sabir striking 11 boundaries in a breezy 73 off 76 balls.

Kamran Ghulam starred with bat and ball as NBP overpowered KRL in a low-scoring fixture. The bankers made 217 in 48.4 overs after slipping to 18-3 thanks to Usman Salahuddin (39) and the right-handed Kamran (61 off 79 balls, four fours and two sixes) who put on 75.

KRL then mustered only 143 all out in 44.4 overs as slow left-armer Kamran returned career-best figures of 5-30 in 9.4 overs.

The second round of action takes place on Monday.

Results on Saturday:

First round:

At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: Sui Southern Gas Company beat United Bank Limited by 89 runs.

SUI SOUTHERN GAS COMPANY 333-9 in 50 overs (Asif Zakir 103, Shoaib Malik 94, Awais Zia 43, Fawad Aam 26; Rumman Raees Khan 4-48, Sohaib Maqsood 2-24, Sadaif Mehdi 2-69); UNITED BANK LIMITED 254-8 in 50 overs (Shan Masood 103 not out, Saeed bin Nasir 67, Hammad Azam 27; Zia-ul-Haq 2-38, Zafar Gohar 2-44, Adnan Ghaus 2-48)

At National Stadium, Karachi: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited beat Pakistan International Airlines by 66 runs.

SUI NORTHERN GAS PIPELINES LIMITED 284-8 in 50 overs (Imran Butt 73, Mohammad Hafeez 58, Imran Khalid 47, Mohammad Imran 33; Anwar Ali 3-55, Majid Khan 2-56); PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES 218 in 46.2 overs (Agha Sabir 73, Majid Khan 22, Saadullah 21, Shahzar Mohammad 21, Fahad Iqbal 20, Faisal Iqbal 20; Imran Khalid 2-34, Mohammad Imran 2-35, Sadaqat Ali 2-39).

At SBP Sports Complex, Karachi: Habib Bank Limited beat Water and Power Development Authority by six wickets.

WATER AND POWER DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 161 in 49.5 overs (Ayaz Tasawwar 65, Salman Butt 55; Ali Shafiq 3-27, Abdur Rehman 2-23, Fahim Ashraf 2-30); HABIB BANK LIMITED 162-4 in 42 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 93, Aftab Khan 26; Mansoor Amjad 2-42).

At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: National Bank of Pakistan by Khan Research Laboratories by 74 runs.

NATIONAL BANK OF PAKISTAN 217 in 48.4 overs (Kamran Ghulam 61, Usman Salahuddin 39, Faizan Khan 32, Bilal Asif 25, Ahsan Hafeez 21; Sadaf Hussain 3-41, Ahmed Bashir 3-51, Mohammad Abbas 2-31); KHAN RESEARCH LABORATORIES 143 in 44.4 overs (Saeed Anwar Jr 30, Hasan Raza Jr 27; Kamran Ghulam 5-30, Atif Jabbar 2-9).

Published in Dawn December 18th, 2016