KARACHI: While United Bank Limited (UBL) merrily continued their winning spree, a brilliant double century from Wapda’s Kamran Akmal extended Habib Bank Limited (HBL)’s misery in the fourth-round of matches in the One-day Departmental Cup on Wednesday.

UBL staved off a strong challenge from last season’s runners-up Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) to pull off a 53-run victory at the UBL Sports Complex. With four straight wins, UBL are almost certain to qualify for the semi-finals.

But the day rightly belonged to Kamran who powered Wapda to a rousing seven-wicket success with a career-best 200 at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad where heavy dew again curtailed the match to a 47-over affair.

Kamran, who turns 36 on Jan 13, registered the 18th century of his 318-match career while surpassing his previous highest one-day score of 134 with a blistering attack on the toothless HBL bowling.

After capitulating to their third defeat on the trot, defending champions HBL now cannot afford to lose the remaining three matches to come if they aspire to make the knockout stage.

Pakistan Television (PTV) considerably brightened their hopes of a place in the semi-finals after they handed Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) a close but stunning defeat by nine runs at the SBP Sports Complex. PTV — led by young Karachi all-rounder Saud Shakeel and coached by former Pakistan batsman Mohammad Wasim — are second in the eight-team standings behind UBL with six points this consecutive success.

Meanwhile, National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) are still searching for an elusive first win with Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) becoming the latest opponents to beat them, although the winning margin at the NBP Sports Complex was just seven runs.

Younis Khan’s astute leadership qualities were clearly evident as the now retired 40-year-old Pakistan batting legend, who is leading UBL on and off in the ongoing competition, created doubts in the mind of the opposition batsmen after SSGC had seemingly been well-placed for victory.

Chasing 266, SSGC had advanced to 182-2 in the 37th over. But then game dramatically turned UBL’s way as the last eight wickets fell for the addition of just 30 runs as SSGC were sent packing for 212 at the start of the 47th over.

Sami Aslam and Umar Amin — entrusted with the task of captaincy after Fawad Alam stood down to solely concentrate on his batting — had set a good platform with an opening stand of 66 before the new skipper (36 off 49 balls, seven boundaries) swung spinner Mohammad Asghar into the lap of Ashiq Ali at deep midwicket.

Asghar, who had an eventful day in front of national selector Tauseef Ahmed and ex-selector Saleem Jaffer, trapped Muzammil Nizam (7) in front but Sami carried on serenely to 88 until he, unwisely, tried to cut off-spinner Ashiq and was caught behind by Umar Akmal for a 105-ball 88 (seven fours and one six).

Fawad was run out for 47 (off 67 balls, four fours) as the rot stem in. Asghar grabbed four wickets for 31 runs in 10 overs while Sohaib Maqsood utilized his occasional off-spin to good effect with 2-34 in 10 tidy overs.

Earlier, Asghar, with little batting credentials, surprised all onlookers with four successive fours against paceman Adnan Ghaus in the last over of the innings before smashing a six off the fifth and then being caught inside the boundary while attempting another meaty blow.

Asghar’s 11-ball 27 followed up an 80-run partnership in 114 balls between Saad Ali (38) and Ashiq, who hit a career-best 41 with his unbeaten knock including four fours helped UBL engineer a recovery from 135-5.

Put into bat, UBL made a good start but it was Umar Akmal who dominated early play with a belligerent 82 off 90 balls with seven fours and six sixes.

Shan Masood, coming to the match on the back of 145, 59 and 105, was dismissed for the first time on Wednesday, flicking a simple catch to backward square-leg off Adnan for 15, to have a neat average 324 ahead of Friday’s fixture against SNGPL.

After two collapses, HBL posted 314-8 upon winning the toss in Hyderabad with skipper Ahmed Shehzad scoring 110 — the Pakistan discard’s second century in four outings — from 107 (14 boundaries) after deciding to open again. Imran Farhat (run-a-ball 63, six fours) partnered Shehzad in a third-wicket stand of 165, while Zohaib Khan hit a 46-ball 59 (five fours and one six).

Zahid Mansoor took 4-52 in nine overs before Kamran took over to smash 27 boundaries and four sixes in his 148-ball knock. Skipper Salman Butt (run-a-ball 59, 10 fours) added 139 upfront with Kamran.

Aamir Sajjad, who made an unbeaten 40, joined Kamran, who was eventually stumped off Zohaib in the 33rd over, to put on 150 for the third wicket before coasting to their third win with 17 balls to spare.

PTV, put into bat, collected 258-8 with opener Nihal Mansoor (58 off 66 balls, five sixes) the major run-scorer.

SNGPL never managed a decent partnership in their chase and despite the efforts of opener Asad Shafiq (75 off 89, six fours and one six) and Hussain Talat (70 off 55, five fours and two sixes) folded up for 244 in 44.3 overs. Teenaged paceman Athar Mahmood marked his second List appearance with five wickets for 28 runs in 9.3 overs.

KRL, in the meantime, successfully defended a modest tally of 177 by bowling out the luckless NBP for 168 to celebrate their first win.

Results on Wednesday:

Fourth round:

At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: UBL beat SSGC by 53 runs.

UBL 265-8 in 50 overs (Umar Akmal 82, Ashiq Ali 41 not out, Saad Ali 38, Mohammad Asghar 27; Kashif Bhatti 2-27, Usama Mir 2-66, Adnan Ghaus 2-68); SSGC 212 in 46.1 overs (Sami Aslam 88, Fawad Alam 47, Umar Amin 36; Mohammad Asghar 4-31, Sohaib Maqsood 2-34).

At SBP Sports Complex, Karachi: PTV beat SNGPL by nine runs.

PTV 258-8 in 50 overs (Nihal Mansoor 58, Saud Shakeel 41, Hasan Raza 39, Taimur Khan 27, Mohammad Irfan 26, Hasan Mohsin 23; Mohammad Abbas 2-33, Imran Khalid 2-47); SNGPL 244 in 44.3 overs (Asad Shafiq 75, Hussain Talat 70, Khurram Shehzad 32, Imran Khalid 25; Athar Mahmood 5-28, Saud Shakeel 3-41).

At NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: KRL beat NBP by nine runs.

KRL 177 in 48 overs (Nauman Ali 31, Sardar Hasan Raza 23, Junaid Ali 21, Jaahid Ali 20; Bilal Asif 3-43, Kamran Ghulam 2-36); NBP 168 in 47.4 overs (Usama Ali 40, Kamran Ghulam 36, Hamza Paracha 32, Raza Hasan 20; Sadaf Hussain 3-22, Ali Shafiq 2-30).

At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: Wapda beat HBL by seven wickets.

HBL 314-7 in 47 overs (Ahmed Shehzad 110, Imran Farhat 63, Zohaib Khan 59, Ramiz Aziz 47; Zahid Mansoor 4-52, Mohammad Irfan 2-55, Waqas Maqsood 2-57); Wapda 318-3 in 45.1 overs (Kamran Akmal 200, Salman Butt 59, Aamir Sajjad 40 not out; Mohammad Bilal 2-55).

Friday’s fixtures: UBL vs SNGPL (UBL Sports Complex, Karachi); HBL vs KRL (SBP Sports Complex, Karachi); NBP vs SSGC (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi); Wapda vs PTV (Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad).

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2018