Ton-up Jamal, Amad power HBL to clinical rout of SSGCL

KARACHI: For the second day running, the knockout stage of the Quaid-i-Azam One-day Cup in Lahore saw another lopsided encounter on Sunday as the Umar Gul-led Habib Bank Limited (HBL) trounced Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) by 166 runs to storm into the semi-finals.

Saturday’s first quarter-final at the Gaddafi Stadium was deservingly won by Wapda who crushed National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) by eight wickets to put Salman Butt’s side in Thursday’s first-semi-final tie against winners of Monday’s last-eight round fixture between Khan Research Laboratories and Multan.

HBL’s reward is a last-four clash against either Pakistan Television (PTV) or Islamabad who face each other in the last quarter-final on Tuesday.

A maiden one-day century from wicket-keeper Jamal Anwar was the lynchpin of a dominating batting effort from HBL, who reached 320-8, before all-rounder Amad Butt and recently retired Pakistan spinner Abdur Rehman grabbed seven wickets between to send SSGCL reeling to154 all out in 34 overs.

Nullifying Umar Amin’s decision of bowling first, HBL lost Sajjad Ali (15) with 24 on the board to discarded international Sohail Khan. Imran Farhat then joined Jamal in a 40-run partnership before the ex-Pakistan left-hander was caught behind for 23.

The stage was set for Umar Akmal to make his presence felt with a big knock in the televised match but the out-of-favour Pakistan right-hander holed out to deep midwicket just after reaching an entertaining half century, while outscoring Jamal in their 89-run partnership. Umar’s 45-ball innings of 56 included seven fours and three sixes.

Ramiz Aziz, a highly underrated batsman who had played for Pakistan Under-19 in the past, then arrived to put SSGCL under further pressure in another productive stand that yielded 77 runs. The left-hander contributed run-a-ball 40 with the aid of five hits to the fence.

Jamal finally fell to Mohammad Amir after making a solid 119 from 124 deliveries when he was bowled by the Pakistan left-armer after having slammed 14 boundaries and a brace of sixes.

And although he finished with figures of 2-45 in nine overs, Amir still looked far from being at his menacing best, a prolonged malady that eventually led to the national selectors losing patience and sidelining from both Test and the T20 series against Australia in the UAE.

HBL accelerated in the final batch of 10 overs to score 90 runs with Zohaib Khan’s 13-ball cameo of 30 (three fours and two sixes) leading the onslaught.

Sohail was pretty expensive in taking 3-76 from 10 overs while left-arm seamer Zia-ul-Haq was also taken to the cleaners with 65 runs coming in his full quota.

SSGCL needed to score briskly upfront to stay with the strike rate but loss of wickets at regular intervals meant that they couldn’t keep pace at any stage of their chase.

Fawad Alam, the long forgotten man of Pakistan cricket, stayed long enough to post a half century but his 60-ball 59 (six fours) was the solitary ray of some hope. The 34-year-old southpaw was one of six wickets that incredibly fell in the space of 12 deliveries while just a single run was added to the dismal SSGCL total which looked respectable at 137-3 upon the completion of the 29th over.

The damage was inflicted by Amad’s medium-pacers that fetched him decent return of 4-42 in seven overs while the wily Rehman was tidy as ever in snaring three wickets for 31 runs in eight overs with his well-documented slow left-armers to complete a grand day for HBL with their proud head coach Saleem Jaffer smiling at his charges.

Scoreboard

HABIB BANK:

Sajjad Ali c Umar b Sohail 15

Jamal Anwar b Amir 119

Imran Farhat c Maqbool b Zia 23

Umar Akmal c Zia b Fawad 56

Ramiz Aziz c Amad b Sohail 40

Agha Salman c Awais b Sohail 15

Amad Butt c Asif b Amir 12

Zohaib Khan c Awais b Zia 30

Abdur Rehman not out 3

Umar Gul not out 1