LAHORE: The league phase of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy concluded on Wednesday with Faisalabad succumbing to Bahawalpur and Peshawar falling short against Islamabad, while the remaining three fixtures of the ninth round wrapped up on the third day.

The final — featuring Karachi Blues and Sialkot — returns to Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium from Dec 1-5, the venue having hosted the 2022-23 and 2023-24 deciders as well.

Bahawalpur derailed Faisalabad’s push to join Karachi in the title clash, sealing a four-wicket win while chasing 310 at Islamabad’s Marghzar Cricket Ground.

The result ensured Sialkot’s passage to the final, with Faisalabad finishing outside the top two despite needing full points to edge ahead on the table.

Bahawalpur, who laboured deep into day three and then again on the fourth morning, registered only their second victory of the season. Yet the win could not prevent them from finishing ninth and being relegated to next year’s Hanif Mohammad Trophy alongside Abbottabad, who ended tenth with a solitary win.

Resuming on 124-2 and requiring another 186 runs, Bahawalpur wobbled to 142-5 before No.7 Mohammad Sheharyar (92 off 141 balls) and skipper Saifullah Bangash (76 not out off 136) steadied the innings.

Their 157-run stand decisively shut out Faisalabad, whose bowlers — Khurram Shahzad, Afaq Afridi, Ali Asfand and Ahmed Safi Abdullah — claimed a wicket each.

At the Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad, pacer Musa Khan produced a dazzling spell to complete a match haul of 10-149 — including his ninth first-class five-for (5-70) — as Islamabad crushed Peshawar by an innings and 77 runs.

Musa, who earlier became only the seventh bowler in Pakistan’s first-class history — and the first in a decade — to take four wickets in four balls, combined with Naqeebullah (4-39) to dismantle Peshawar on the final morning. Resuming on 183-2 in their follow-on, Peshawar were dismissed for 255 in 52.2 overs, with only three batters reaching double figures.

Waqar Ahmed (83 off 102) and Israrullah (41 off 58) had added 62 for the third wicket before Musa’s hat-trick accounted for Zubair Khan, Abbas Ali and Mohammad Haris — all first-ball dismissals.

Peshawar finished fourth with five wins and three defeats, while Islamabad secured seventh place with two wins and five losses.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2025