KARACHI: Defending champions Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) steamrolled Lahore Blues inside two days in their second-round Super Eight fixture by innings to sail into the final of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship here on Wednesday.

Currently out-of-favour Pakistan paceman Mohammad Amir claimed his second five-for since being dropped from the national side for indifferent form but despite capturing 5-44, Sui Southern Gas Company Limited (SSGCL) failed to prevent Habib Bank Limited (HBL) from earning a vital first-innings lead of 63 runs.

Misbah-ul-Haq’s SNGPL initially built a commanding first-innings lead of 136 by extending their overnight tally of 167-4 to 258 at the NBP Sports Complex. The highlight of the innings being Iftikhar Ahmed’s fine knock of 125.

Karachi Whites lose ground against Peshawar

The discarded Test right-hander, who began the day on 77, overall negotiated 226 balls and struck seven boundaries during his stay of 336 minutes.

Lahore Blues’ slow left-armer Zafar Gohar eventually trapped Iftikhar LBW to finish with 4-93 in 41.1 overs. Zafar was upstaged by fellow southpaw Imran Khalid who snared five for 25 in 11.3 overs to bowl out Lahore Blues for only 108 in the second innings as the champion sealed — their second on the trot — victory of this round by an innings and 28 runs.

SNGPL now have an unassailable lead atop Group-I with 19 points. Second-placed Khan Research Laboratories are the brink of being crushed by Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) after seeing their ruthless opponents take a massive 186-run advantage at the SBP Sports Complex.

Replying to KRL’s 110, Wapda reached 296 after resuming day two at 127-3. KRL then limped to 25-1 in their second innings at draw of stumps.

The Group-II race to make the final, HBL edged ahead when they totalled 274 in response to SSGCL’s 211 at the UBL Sports Complex.

Zohaib Khan, the talisman for the bankers, once again produced a knock of great value as the right-hander top-scored with a 121-ball 67 that featured five fours and one six.

From Pakistan’s perspective, the good sign being Amir returning to wicket-taking ways as the left-armer took five of them for 44 runs in 20 overs. Fellow Pakistan left-armer Usman Khan Shinwari claimed 2-51 in 16 overs while slow left-armer Kashif Bhatti picked up 3-66 in 20.1 overs.

SSSGCL captain Umar Amin played a series of lovely drives in the closing stages of the day to strike seven boundaries and one six in a captivating undefeated knock of 44 as his side went to stumps at 84-1 in their second innings.

Karachi Whites literally wasted the opportunity of posting a big score as they nosedived from 135-0 to 230-6 after Peshawar had been bowled out for 311 at the Southend Club.

Khurram Manzoor (80 off 140 balls, nine fours and one six) and Omair Bin Yousuf 961 off 133, seven boundaries) did nothing wrong upfront but off-spinner Sajid Khan led Peshawar’s comeback with three wickets, including both openers.

Close of play scores and result on Wednesday (day two of four):

Super Eight stage, second round:

Group-I:

At SBP Sports Complex, Karachi: KRL 110 in 44.4 overs (Nayyar Abbas 42, Shoaib Ahmed Minhas 27; Zahid Mansoor 4-37, Wahab Riaz 2-15, Khalid Usman 2-23) and 25-1 in 18 overs; WAPDA 296 in 112.5 overs (Mohammad Abubakar 67, Kamran Akmal 52, Zahid Mansoor 45, Wahab Riaz 30, Salman Butt 28, Ali Shan 25; Sadaf Hussain 3-75, Ahmed Bashir 2-43, Yasir Ali 2-45, Nauman Ali 2-71).

At NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: SNGPL beat Lahore Blues by an innings and 28 runs.

LAHORE BLUES 122 in 35 overs (Jahangir Mirza 38, Farhan Khan 23; Imran Khalid 4-28, Iftikhar Ahmed 3-38, Mohammad Musa Khan 2-42) and 108 in 34.3 overs (Hasan Qadir 37, Irfan Haider 21; Imran Khalid 5-25, Mohammad Imran 2-13, Mohammad Musa Khan 2-40); SNGPL 258 in 92.1 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 125, Misbah-ul-Haq 45, Hussain Talat 36; Zafar Gohar 4-93, Aizaz Cheema 2-51).

Group-II:

At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: SSGCL 211 in 54.2 overs (Aamir Yamin 80, Saifullah Khan Bangash 48, Fawad Alam 22; Khurram Shehzad 5-57, Abdur Rehman 4-40) and 84-1 in 19 overs (Umar Amin 44 not out, Sami Aslam 38 not out; HBL 274 in 85.1 overs (Zohaib Khan 65, Imran Farhat 44, Umar Akmal 32, Abdur Rehman 29, Ramiz Aziz 26, Umar Gul 25, Saad Khan 22; Mohammad Amir 5-44, Kashif Bhatti 3-66, Usman Khan Shinwari 2-51).

At Southend Club, Karachi: PESHAWAR 311 in 98.3 overs (Akbar Badshah 84, Israrullah 80, Nabi Gul 43, Mohammad Mohsin Khan 24, Sahibzada Farhan 23, Gohar Ali 20; Mohammad Sami 4-75, Faraz Ahmed Khan 3-70, Abdullah Mukaddam 3-84); KARACHI WHITES 230-6 in 79 overs (Khurram Manzoor 80, Omair Bin Yousuf 61, Kashif Iqbal 27; Sajid Khan 3-69).

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2018