KARACHI: Table-toppers State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) overcame Oil and Gas Development Company Limited’s (OGDCL) resistance to chase down a 124-run target with four wickets in hand and register their second victory in the President’s Trophy Grade-I at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad on Friday.
The victory strengthened SBP’s position at the top of the points table, while OGDCL suffered their first defeat after two draws and a victory in their opening three matches.
SBP had been reduced to 99-6 in pursuit of a modest target after losing five wickets for 81. Captain Mohammad Ghazi Ghori, who came in at 41-3, scored 32 off 27 balls with six fours to steady the chase.
Shahid Aziz then struck an unbeaten 24 off 23 balls, including three fours and two sixes, to take SBP across the line on the fifth ball of the 28th over.
Mohammad Amir Khan accounted for Abdullah Fazal, Haroon Arshad and Mubasir Khan, while Aftab Ahmed, who had taken five wickets in the first innings, dismissed Kamran Ghulam for 18 and Ghazi.
Niaz Khan removed opener Hasan Raza for 20.
At the Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar, Pakistan Television (PTV) mounted a strong response after being asked to follow on by Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).
Starting their second innings 194 runs behind, PTV slipped to 40-3 before left-handers Mohammad Taha and Mohammad Ammar put on 165 for the fourth wicket to take their side into the lead.
Taha was unbeaten on 142 off 213 balls, with 17 fours and a six, at stumps. It was his sixth first-class century and his third of the tournament.
The century took Taha’s aggregate to 614 runs from six innings. He has also scored 134, 225, 43 and 69 in the tournament, while his only failure came in the first innings of the ongoing match when he was dismissed for three.
Ammar was dismissed for 62 off 165 balls, having struck five fours and a six, by left-arm spinner Ahmed Safi Abdullah.
Sharoon Siraj was unbeaten on four from 32 balls at the close, with PTV 165 runs ahead. Seventh-placed PTV will resume on the fourth day seeking to avoid defeat against eighth-placed SNGPL.
At the National Ground in Islamabad, Kingsmen Academy were 167-3 in their second innings against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), having established an overall lead of 466 runs.
Openers Mohammad Huraira and Mohammad Tayyab Arif put Kingsmen in command with brisk half-centuries. Huraira made 62 off 53 balls, including four fours and two sixes, while Tayyab scored 53 off 47 balls with six fours.
Saud Shakeel was unbeaten on 29 off 25 balls and Daniyal Hussain Rajput on 15 off 19 at stumps.
Earlier, KRL, resuming on 175-2, were bowled out for 344 in 91 overs, with Mohammad Faiq scoring his maiden first-class century.
Faiq made 159 off 239 balls, hitting 21 fours and two sixes, and shared a 121-run fourth-wicket stand with Iftikhar Ahmed, who scored 63 off 105 balls with 10 fours.
KRL then lost eight wickets for 137 runs as the Kingsmen attack wrapped up the innings.
Mohammad Ilyas was the pick of the bowlers with 4-68 from 18 overs, taking his tally to 19 wickets in three matches.
Left-arm spinner Mehran Mumtaz claimed 2-96 from 28 overs and completed 100 wickets in first-class cricket.
Published in Dawn, October 3rd, 2026
