KARACHI: Habib Bank Limited (HBL) are now almost certain to make the Super Eight phase of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship after National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) struggled to 161-6 on day two of their Pool ‘A’ clash in Faisalabad.

If Friday’s opening day of the last-round fixture at the Iqbal Stadium was dominated by Pakistan discard Umar Akmal (129) and company as HBL reached 334-4, Saturday was generally dominated by the bowlers while a modest 231 runs were scored for the loss of 12 wickets.

Zohaib Khan was left high and dry on 36 not out as HBL lost their last six wickets for the addition of only 61 runs to be dismissed for 404. Seamer Atif Jabbar finished with five wickets for 100 runs in 28 overs while his new-ball partner Ataullah grabbed 3-60.

But NBP soon found themselves in heaps of trouble when they lost half their side for 25 runs to an inspired spell of pace bowling from Khurram Shahzad, who returned figures of 5-32 in 16 overs.

While wickets continued to tumble at one end, opener Ali Asad held the falling innings together with an undefeated knock of 66 while sharing partnerships of 64 with ex-Pakistan Test left-hander Qaiser Abbas (38) and an unbroken 72 with all-rounder Hammad Azam (41).

Fata’s hopes of progressing to the next round came to a halt when Peshawar bowled them out for 171 to secure a first-innings lead of 66 as paceman Mohammad Ilyas picked up 4-63 at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium in Abbottabad.

Nabi Gul then struck a brilliant 103 (116 balls, 13 fours and four sixes) to put Peshawar in command at 309-5 with an overall lead of 375. Israrullah, who scored 133 on Friday, contributed a 109-ball 83 (eight fours and three sixes) while opener Ashfaq Ahmed hit up a 63-ball 64 with 11 boundaries and a six.

Lahore Blues need eight wickets to hand Karachi Whites their first defeat in the championship after the visitors closed at 27-2 while chasing 285 at the LCCA Ground in Lahore.

If the Blues emerge victorious they’ll join Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL), last season runners-up Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Karachi Whites in the Super Eight from Pool ‘B’.

Lanky paceman Abdullah Mukaddam earlier claimed 5-70 as Lahore Blues collected 267 in their second innings.

Pakistan Television (PTV), who are battling to avert relegation, conceded Wapda a lead of 44 on the first innings at the Marghazar Cricket Ground in Islamabad when they were dismissed for 245.

Pacemen Waqar Malik (4-62) and Arshad Iqbal (3-60) caused most of the damage with former Pakistan slow left-armer Zulfiqar Babar taking 3-70 in 29 overs.

Wapda, however, got their second innings to a sluggish start as they reached draw of stumps at 42-3.

Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) added only 38 runs to their overnight tally of 231-6 before seeing Pool ‘B’ leaders SSGCL post 255-4 at the Diamond Club Ground in the federal capital.

Adil Amin was SSGCL’s star performer by striking an unconquered 91 (155 balls, nine boundaries), while his unrelated namesake and SSGCL skipper Umar Amin struck a breezy 78 off 80 deliveries with 14 fours.

The race for Super Eight’s remaining spot from Pool ‘B’ is still wide at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi as hosts Rawalpindi mustered a disappointing 178 in reply to fellow contenders Multan’s 212 as the new-ball duo of Sajjad Hussain (5-58 in 18.5 overs) and Mohammad Ali Khan (4-79 in 20) shared nine wickets between them.

Rawalpindi hit back strongly to leave Multan struggling at 110-5 in their second innings.

Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) obtained the lead against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) by closing at 230-6 in response to 216 all out in response to the champions’ first-innings total of 216 at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi.

In the battle of avoiding demotion at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, hosts Lahore Whites made a fitting reply to Islamabad’s 425.

Islamabad, who resumed at 273-4, benefitted from a fifth-wicket stand of 110 between Pakistan Under-19 captain Rohail Nazir (75) and Faizan Riaz (81).

Nauman Anwar, renowned for explosive style of batting, was Lahore Whites’ unlikely bowling hero with career-best analysis of 5-30 in 12.3 overs with his military medium deliveries.

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

Seventh round:

Pool ‘A’:

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: HBL 404 in 85 overs (Umar Akmal 129, Ramiz Aziz 69, Mohammad Waqas 57, Imran Farhat 54, Zohaib Khan 36 not out; Atif Jabbar 5-100, Ataullah 3-60, Hammad Azam 2-12); NBP 161-6 in 52 overs (Ali Asad 66 not out, Hammad Azam 41 not out, Qaiser Abbas 38; Khurram Shahzad 5-32)

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: ISLAMABAD 425 in 82 overs (Ali Sarfraz 102, Faizan Riaz 81, Rohail Nazir 75, Rizwan Ali 56, Arsal Sheikh 21; Nauman Anwar 5-30, Waqas Ahmed 4-143); LAHORE WHITES 127-1 in 30 overs (Ali Rafiq 61 not out, Nauman Anwar 48).

At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi: SNGPL 216 in 65.2 overs (Misbah-ul-Haq 66, Naeemuddin 40, Samiullah Khan Niazi 29, Bilawal Bhatti 25, Imran Khalid 20; Haris Asif 4-66, Sadaf Hussain 3-48, Ahmed Bashir 2-61); KRL 230-6 in 96 overs (Shoaib Ahmed Minhas 51 not out, Jaahid Ali 49, Usman Arshad 32, Sardar Hasan Raza 26; Samiullah Khan Niazi 3-35, Bilawal Bhatti 2-60).

At Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Abbottabad: PESHAWAR 235 in 62 overs (Israrullah 133, Sajid Khan 30; Asif Afridi 3-32, Mohammad Talha 3-83, Abdul Rauf 2-49) and 309-5 in 64 overs (Nabi Gul 103, Israrullah 83, Ashfaq Ahmed 64, Musadiq Ahmed 21 not out; Abdul Rauf 2-77); FATA 171 in 43.2 overs (Basit Afridi 47, Asad Afridi 35, Mohammad Arif 21, Samiullah 20; Mohammad Ilyas 4-63, Sajid Khan 3-26, Taj Wali 2-28).

Pool ‘B’:

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: LAHORE BLUES 128 in 39 overs (Saad Nasim 31; Waqar Anwar 3-35, Adeel Malik 2-18, Mohammad Sami 2-24, Abdullah Mukaddam 2-32) and 267 in 79 overs (Irfan Haider 74, Rizwan Hussain 32, Bilawal Iqbal 28, Fahad-ul-Haq 26, Saad Nasim 24; Abdullah Mukaddam 5-70, Waqar Anwar 2-60); KARACHI WHITES 111 in 23.4 overs (Mohammad Hasan 32, Saad Ali 28, Mohammad Sami 23; Aizaz Cheema 6-40, Bilawal Iqbal 4-32) and 27-2 in 8.4 overs.

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: MULTAN 212 in 57.1 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 101, Yousuf Babar 41, Hasnain Bukhari 29, Usman Liaquat 27; Syed Tauseeq Shah 5-75, Saad Altaf 4-70) and 110-5 in 40 overs (Imran Rafiq 43, Usman Liaquat 21; Haseeb Azam 2-31); RAWALPINDI 178 in 50.5 overs (Zeeshan Malik 39, Tayyab Riaz 29, Naved Malik 20; Sajjad Hussain 5-58, Mohammad Ali Khan 4-79).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: ZTBL 269 in 98.3 overs (Anas Mustafa 75, Munir-ur-Rehman Tanzil 46, Aaqib Shah 36, Saadullah Ghauri 30, Haseeb-ur-Rehman 21; Azhar Attari 3-41, Zia-ul-Haq 3-58, Umar Amin 2-49, Mohammad Amir 2-62); SSGCL 255-4 in 67 overs (Adil Amin 91 not out, Umar Amin 78, Sami Aslam 41, Asif Zakir 23 not out; Haseeb-ur-Rehman 3-47).

At Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad: WAPDA 289 in 65.4 overs (Bismillah Khan 75, Ayaz Tasawwar 58, Kamran Akmal 50, Ehsan Adil 29; Azharullah 5-96, Aamir Jamal 3-50) and 42-3 in 10.3 overs (Tabish Khan 2-20); PTV 245 in 76.3 overs (Mohammad Irfan Jr 73, Ali Khan 52, Faisal Khan 32, Adnan Mahmood 31, Umair Khan 30; Waqar Malik 4-62, Arshad Iqbal 3-60, Zulfiqar Babar 3-70).

Published in Dawn, October 21st , 2018