KARACHI: Khurram Shehzad led another strong batting display as Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) forced Lahore Whites on the defensive in their Super Eight fixture of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Meanwhile, on an action-packed day one at the UBL Sports Complex no less than 14 wickets stumbled in the clash between Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) and Khan Research Laboratories (KRL).

Elsewhere, Wapda toiled through 87 overs to make 206-6 against United Bank Limited (UBL) at the NBP Sports Complex while Lahore Blues restricted Habib Bank Limited (HBL) to a modest first-innings score of 252 at the SBP Sports Complex.

Khurram marked his 99th first-class match with a second successive century to help SNGPL pile up 314-5 at the Niaz Stadium after Lahore Whites skipper Usman Salahuddin elected to field. The 35-year-old right-hander followed up his 133 against HBL in the opening-round tie at the NBP Sports Complex by scoring 115.

Paceman Umaid Asif vindicated the decision to bowl first by dismissing both skipper Mohammad Hafeez (10) and Azhar Ali (18) within the first hour of play but Khurram and Asad Shafiq then weathered the early storm in a partnership of 90 in 96 minutes.

Asad batted enterprisingly to hit 59 off 79 balls with eight boundaries before Umaid took his third wicket by trapping the Pakistan right-hander LBW.

However, Khurram found another reliable ally in Iftikhar Ahmed as the duo combined to put on 147 for the fourth wicket.

Khurram fell to paceman Waqas Ahmed after striking 15 fours and two sixes during his 178-ball knock in a stay of 248 minutes.

Waqas then bagged his second wicket quickly when Mohammad Rizwan perished for just one run.

But Iftikhar (77 off 121 balls, nine fours) and Hussain Talat (20) survived until close of play with their ongoing stand already worth 40.

Slow left-armer Kashif Bhatti snared five wickets for 71 runs and paceman Azhar Attari captured 3-47 to send KRL crashing to 177 all out after SSGC skipper Fawad Alam opted to bowl first.

Usman Arshad was the main contributor for KRL with a 114-ball 59 featuring 10 fours.

KRL then hit back strongly to reduce SSGC to 21-4 in 15 overs by stumps.

After Sadaf Hussain had sent back Zain Abbas for two, his new-ball partner Ahmed Bashir claimed the prized wickets of Sami Aslam (1) and Babar Azam (6) before removing nightwatchman Adnan Ghaus (3) to return figures of 3-11 in seven fours so far.

Many have not heard much about Salman Afridi. But on Saturday the 25-year-old from Khyber Agency stole the limelight by carrying his bat to strike his maiden first-class century to rescue HBL from a precarious situation after Lahore Blues skipper Saad Nasim inserted the opposition into bat.

The right-handed batsman, who also keeps wickets, had compiled just 131 runs from four previous games at an average of 18.71 and a highest score of only 39 — against SNGPL earlier in the week. But he made amends on Saturday by scoring 126 — exactly 50 per cent of the runs his team managed in their first innings — while sharing a priceless ninth-wicket stand of 104 in 111 minutes with Abdur Rehman.

Salman, who occupied the crease for 350 minutes, adorned his 245-ball effort with 11 boundaries. Rehman, the former Pakistan slow left-armer, scored 46 off 103 balls with two fours and a six.

Left-arm seamer Saif-ur-Rehman polished the tail with three quick wickets to finish with 5-69 in 19.3 overs while Bilawal Iqbal took 3-63.

Lahore Blues ended the day at 9-1.

Wapda made sluggish progress after Salman Butt chose to bat against UBL. Opener Zahid Mansoor (46) excelled at the top of the order before Mohammad Saad (57) and Aamir Sajjad (51) came together to add 110 for the fourth wicket.

Left-arm paceman Mir Hamza dismissed both Saad and Aamir to end a threatening partnership after having got Salman (19) early in the day.

Close of play scores on Saturday (day one of four):

Super Eight:

Second round:

Group-I:

At SBP Sports Complex, Karachi: HBL 252 in 84 overs (Salman Afridi 126 not out, Abdur Rehman 46, Jamal Anwar 23; Saif-ur-Rehman 5-69, Bilawal Iqbal 3-63); LAHORE BLUES 9-1 in 4 overs.

At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: SNGPL 314-5 in 85 overs (Khurram Shehzad 115, Iftikhar Ahmed 77 not out, Asad Shafiq 59, Hussain Talat 20 not out; Umaid Asif 3-81, Waqas Ahmed 2-93) vs LAHORE WHITES.

Group-II:

At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: KRL 177 in 72.3 overs (Usman Arshad 59, Said Badar 30, Jaahid Ali 26, Abdul Rehman Muzammil 24; Kashif Bhatti 5-71, Azhar Attari 3-47); SSGC 21-4 in 15 overs (Ahmed Bashir 3-11).

At NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: WAPDA 206-6 in 87 overs (Mohammad Saad 57, Aamir Sajjad 51, Zahid Mansoor 46; Mir Hamza 3-29) vs UBL.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2017