KARACHI: Former national U-19 team-mates Umair Masood and Zeeshan Malik slammed stunning centuries to lead a remarkable Pakistan Air Force comeback against PIA on day two of their Pool ‘C’ fixture of the Patron’s Trophy Grade-II cricket tournament on Monday.

Replying to the national carrier’s imposing 394-6 declared at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad, PAF blasted their way to 451 all out in 82.5 overs after resuming at the overnight score of 24-0 from eight overs. On Monday, PAF added 427 runs in just 74.5 overs.

Wicket-keeper/batsman Umair hit 122 off 120 balls (15 boundaries), while Zeeshan bludgeoned an 82-ball 120 with the aid of 21 fours and three sixes. Mohammad Naqqash made an 80-ball 74.

In the same group, State Bank secured a first-innings lead of 35 by dismissing Army for 297 at the Army Cricket Ground in Rawalpindi. Mohammad Fahad excelled for the soldiers with a fine 127 (176 balls, 10 fours and three sixes).

Long-discarded Test fast bowler Mohammad Talha grabbed 52 to enable Port Qasim Authority (PQA) to bowl out CandyLand for 178 to earn a lead of 99 runs in the Pool ‘B’ tie at the Rana Naved-ul-Hasan Academy in Sheikhupura.

PQA extended their overall lead to 292 by reaching 193-7 in the second innings with former Test wicket-keeper Mohammad Salman making 54.

Opener Ashfaq Ahmed scored run-a-ball 116 (13 boundaries) as Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) collected 303-9 in the stipulated 83 overs while responding to Navy’s 210 in the Pool ‘A’ encounter at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi.

The sailors then found themselves in deep water as they slid to 97-6 in their second innings.

Omar Associates took a handy 118-run lead by posting 276 in response to Haideri Traders’ 158 at the SBP Sports Complex.

Karachi Port Trust finished 130 runs behind on the first innings when they were restricted by Pakistan Railways to 276-8 in the Pool ‘D’ game at the Railways Stadium in Lahore.

K-Electric mustered only 163 while replying to 136 totalled by Sabir’s Poultry at the LCCA Ground.

First round:

Pool ‘A’:

At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: NAVY 210 in 52.5 overs (Wasim Ahmed 66 not out, Hamza Ghanchi 37, Owais Ahmed Rehmani 27; Mirza Ahsan Jamil 6-62, Shahid Nawaz 2-44) and 97-6 in 24.1 overs (Mirza Ahsan Jamil 3-43, Usman Usmani 2-24); CIVIL AVIATION AUTHORITY 303-9 in 83 overs (Ashfaq Ahmed 116, Haris Ali 56, Akbar Badshah 31, Mohammad Asim 26; Raza-ul-Hasan 6-86)

At SBP Sports Complex, Karachi: HAIDERI TRADERS 158 in 67.1 overs (Mohammad Usman 34, Jalat Khan 33, Ali Anjum Naqvi 25; Mohammad Irfan 4-39, Shah Faisal 3-33, Bilawal Iqbal 2-47) and 60-2 in 28 overs (Syed Aminuddin 31 nit out, Adnan Bhatti 22); OMAR ASSOCIATES 276 in 70 overs (Yasir Mushtaq 71, Usman Khan 65, Arsalan Bashir 64, Saad Nasim 33; Syed Ali Mustafa Naqvi 6-81, Jalat Khan 2-60)

Pool ‘B’:

At Rana Naved-ul-Hasan Academy, Sheikhupura: PORT QASIM AUTHORITY 277 in 79.1 overs (Khurram Manzoor 67, Daniyal Ahsan 56, Atif Ali Zaidi 42, Ali Jawwad 34; Tayyab Riaz 5-65, Marwan Muhammad 3-50) and 193-7 in 33 overs (Mohammad Salman 54, Mohammad Waqas 51, Khurram Manzoor 41; Marwan Mohammad 4-34, Mirza Bilal Baig 2-54); CANDYLAND 178 in 48.3 overs (Tayyab Riaz 39, Fawad Ali 27, Mirza Bilal Baig 21; Mohammad Talha 6-52, Mohammad Ibtisam 2-55)

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: HIGHER EDUCATION COMMISSION 282-5 in 83 overs (Fahad Usman 107, Sharoon Siraj 40 not out, Arsalan Zia 38, Muhammad Faiq 37, Hamza Akbar 24 not out; Ali Usman 2-93) and 68-1 in 15 overs (Fahad Usman 27 not out, Mohammad Faiq 25 not out); GHANI GLASS 212 in 62.5 overs (Zeeshan Ashraf 64, Yousuf Babar 52, Hasnain Bukhari 43; Asfand Mehran 3-14, Bilal Anwar 3-31, Mamoon Riaz 2-36, Rana Kashif 2-45)

Pool ‘C’:

At Army Cricket Ground, Rawalpindi: STATE BANK 332 in 82.1 overs (Usman Salahuddin 97, Rizwan Hussain 66, Hamza Nadeem 42, Saad Ali 37, Mohammad Nawaz 27; Hamza Khan 5-84, Arshadullah 2-40) and 36-0 in 8 overs (Israrullah 31 not out); ARMY 297 in 74.4 overs (Mohammad Fahad 127, Qadir Khan 76, Mohammad Usman 54; Mohammad Ilyas 3-63, Mohammad Nawaz 3-63.

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: PIA 394-6 declared in 75.2 overs (Shahzar Mohammad 157, Agha Sabir 104, Fahad Iqbal 47, Mohammad Nadeem 22; Imran Khan 3-106, Tauseeq Shah 2-62) and 15-0 in 5 overs; PAF 451 in 82.5 overs (Umair Masood 122, Zeeshan Malik 120, Mohammad Naqqash 74, Imran Khan 41, Awais Iqbal 29, Salman Chaudhry 27; Ghulam Mohammad 4-115, Ali Imran Pasha 3-104)

Pool ‘D’:

At Railways Stadium, Lahore: PAKISTAN RAILWAYS 406-7 in 83 overs (Bilal Irshad 157, Hamza Nazar 75, Hasan Sardar 72, Hasan Mahmood 31, Mohammad Waqas 24; Husban Javed 3-79, Khalid Mahmood 3-89) and 35-0 in 8 overs (Bilal Irshad 25 not out); KPT 276-8 in 83 overs (Faraz Patel 75 not out, Taimur Ali 60, Babar Rehman 34, Nadeem Javed 33; Hasan Mahmood 5-66, Ali Zubair 2-28)

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: SABIR’S POULTRY 136 in 59.3 overs (Imran Dogar 28, Ali Zaryab 26, Sajid Khan 4-11, Asad Raza 3-34) and 232-3 in 55 overs (Imran Dogar 119, Hasan Dar 49, Tariq Nawaz 38); K-ELECTRIC 163in 35.2 overs (Hassaan Khan 34, Nasir Nawaz 28, Bahadur Ali 27; Nisar Ahmed 4-59, Inam Javed 3-28, Ghulam Rehman 2-62).

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2019