KARACHI: Central Punjab are only eight wickets away from sealing an emphatic victory over Northern in the First XI final of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy after Umar Akmal struck a double century at the National Stadium here on Sunday.

With their backs firmly pushed to the wall after Central Punjab extended their lead to a mammoth 421 by posting 675-8 declared in the first innings, Northern went to stumps on day three at 109-2 — and still requiring 312 to avert an agonising defeat by innings.

With two days still to go, Northern now braced themselves for strong-minded resistance with the bat on a pitch that has neither anything for the bowlers nor showing signs of wear and tear. But the loss of Zeeshan Malik and Umar Amin, the latter in the dying moments on Sunday have surely added huge pressure on the current pair Haider Ali and Faizan Riaz.

Haider, who made his first-class debut at the start of the revamped championship last September, has to bat as long as he can when the 19-year-old opener resumes on 50. Faizan —Northern’s batting hero on the opening day — needs to repeat his brilliant display of first innings during which he made 116.

Haider and Zeeshan encountered no problems at the start of second innings and posted 75 in 86 minutes after Babar Azam closed Central Punjab’s innings in the afternoon session. But a rush of blood against off-spinner Bilal Asif saw Zeeshan (38) holed out to long on.

Umar Amin, the discarded Pakistan left-hander, avoided a king pair but after scoring 17 he was brilliantly held behind the stumps by a diving Kamran Akmal off Faheem Ashraf.

But the day literally belonged to Umar Akmal, who registered his second double century only for the second time in his haphazard career. In fact, it was a day of joy and despair for Central Punjab. Their dressing-room was ecstatic when Umar reached the coveted landmark, but felt anguish at Zafar Gohar missing out on only a second first-class hundred by just one run.

Resuming at 466-5 with Umar on 123 with the left-handed Zafar partnering him on nine, Central Punjab added exactly 100 in the first session. Umar looked a different batsman on Sunday as he curbed the natural instinct to go after the bowling as he did the second day, when he brought up his first 100 in 86 deliveries.

But Umar was more circumspect in terms of shot selection and needed as many as 171 deliveries for the second hundred. That was a notable milestone because his only other multiple ton came way back in December 2007 — 248 for SNGPL against Karachi Blues at the Asghar Ali Shah Stadium in Karachi — when he was just 17.

Umar’s accomplishment was the eighth instance of a double century recorded in the championship this year with all of them scored by different batsmen.

Zafar, meanwhile, had helped Umar put on 215 for the sixth wicket in 207 minutes before he was left heartbroken. An attempt to clear the mid-on region was aborted by Sadaf Hussain as part-time leggie Faizan celebrated a rare wicket. Zafar’s 99 from 68 balls included 12 fours and a brace of sixes.

Umar finally departed for 218 (off 265 balls, 20 fours and eight sixes) after a stay of 374 minutes as a flick was well caught by substitute Shoaib Ahmed Minhas at short midwicket off the hardworking Mohammad Musa Khan.

Faizan then picked up another wicket thanks to fantastic catch in the deep by Hammad Azam who paddled back before diving to grab the ball.

Scoreboard

NORTHERN (1st Innings) 254 (Faizan Riaz 116, Rohail Nazir 80; Faheem Ashraf 5-54, Bilal Asif 3-37, Aizaz Cheema 2-56).

CENTRAL PUNJAB (1st Innings, overnight 466-5):

Salman Butt b Musa 74

Ahmed Shehzad c Umar b Nauman 20

Azhar Ali c Rohail b Nauman 119

Babar Azam c Zeeshan b Sadaf 69

Umar Akmal c sub b Musa 218

Kamran Akmal c Ali b Hammad 41

Zafar Gohar c Sadaf b Faizan 99

Faheem Ashraf not out 0

Bilal Asif c Hammad b Faizan 17

EXTRAS (LB-8, W-8, NB-2) 18

TOTAL (for eight wkts decl, 155.1 overs) 675

FALL OF WKTS: 1-30, 2-125, 3-250, 4-343, 5-441.

DID NOT BAT: Ehsan Adil, Aizaz Cheema.

BOWLING: Waqas Ahmed 28-5-121-0; Sadaf Hussain 17-1-79-1 (2w); Nauman Ali 45-5-183-2; Mohammad Musa Khan 30-6-115-2 (1nb, 1w); Hammad Azam 18-2-83-1 (1nb, 1w); Faizan Riaz 14.1-0-62-2; Umar Amin 3-0-24-0.

NORTHERN (2nd Innings):

Haider Ali not out 50

Zeeshan Malik c Faheem b Bilal 38

Umar Amin c Kamran b Faheem 17

Faizan Riaz not out 0

EXTRAS (B-4) 4

TOTAL (for two wkts, 36 overs) 109

FALL OF WKTS: 1-75, 2-109.

BOWLING (to-date): Ehsan Adil 8-3-15-0; Aizaz Cheema 3-1-11-0; Zafar Gohar

11-1-34-0; Faheem Ashraf 7-2-21-1; Bilal Asif 7-0-24-1.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2019