LAHORE: The opening day of the Hanif Mohammad Trophy produced six centuries across four venues on Friday, with Faisalabad’s Abdul Samad leading the way with an unbeaten 152 against Lahore Blues at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

Samad, batting at number, struck nine fours and six sixes in his 182-ball knock to anchor Faisalabad’s innings to 338-5 at stumps. Skipper Mohammad Irfan Khan chipped in with a brisk 52 off 60 balls, while wicket-keeper Ali Shan was also unbeaten on 54, keeping his side in command at the close.

At the Abbasia Sports Complex in Rahim Yar Khan, Hyderabad piled up 397-4 against Karachi Whites thanks to Mohammad Suleman’s fluent 159. The left-hander faced 185 balls, striking 24 boundaries and a six, and put on 143 runs with Saad Khan, who fell one short of a century. Rizwan Mehmood added further impetus with an unbeaten 86 off 109 balls.

In Bahawalpur, Quetta captain Abdul Wahid Bangalzai fought a lone battle with a defiant 104 against Azad Jammu and Kashmir at the Dring Stadium. His 168-ball effort lifted Quetta to 213 before they were bowled out inside 59 overs, with Aqib Liaqat and Zaman Khan sharing seven wickets. AJK replied strongly to reach 69-1 by stumps, with Hasan Raza unbeaten on 55.

The UBL Sports Complex in Karachi saw twin hundreds from Larkana batters Sabit Ali and Mohsin Raza. Sabit made 115 off 180 balls while Mohsin compiled a patient 100 from 197 deliveries, steering their side to 311 against Dera Murad Jamali.

Multan too enjoyed a solid outing at the SBP Sports Complex, with skipper Zain Abbas leading from the front. His 124, decorated with 11 fours and three sixes, was complemented by Waqar Hussain’s 85 in a 214-run partnership that carried their team to 323-5 against Karachi Blues. Sharoon Siraj was unbeaten on 45 at stumps.

At the National Bank Stadium, Rawalpindi reached 290-5 against Fata. Abdul Faseeh top-scored with 70, while Atif Khan and Affan Ishaq added 54 each in steady contributions.

Scores in brief:

Faisalabad vs Lahore Blues at Multan Cricket Stadium

FAISALABAD 338-5 in 84 overs (Abdul Samad 152 not out, Ali Shan 54; Abubakar 2-57, Qasim Akram 2-92)

Hyderabad vs Karachi Whites at Abbasia Sports Complex, Rahim Yar Khan

HYDERABAD 397-4 in 85 overs (Mohammad Suleman 159, Saad Khan 99; Mohammad Raza 2-49)

Quetta vs Azad Jammu & Kashmir at Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur

QUETTA 213 in 58.1 overs (Abdul Wahid Bangalzai 104; Aqib Liaqat 4-59, Zaman Khan 3-36); AJK 69-1 in 14 overs (Hasan Raza 55 not out)

Rawalpindi vs Fata at National Bank Stadium, Karachi

RAWALPINDI 290-5 in 89 overs (Abdul Faseeh 70, Atif Khan 54; Sameen Gul 2-53)

Karachi Blues vs Multan at SBP Sports Complex, Karachi

MULTAN 323-5 in 83.2 overs (Zain Abbas 124, Waqar Hussain 85; Mir Hamza 3-55)

Dera Murad Jamali vs Larkana at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi

LARKANA 311 in 89.4 overs (Sabit Ali 115, Mohsin Raza 100; Mohammad Shahid 3-61, Abu Huraira 3-84)

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2025