KARACHI, Jan 10: Another crucial contribution by Pakistan batsman Misbah-ul-Haq on Thursday took Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) closer to winning the coveted Quaid-i-Azam Trophy after Habib Bank Limited conceded a big lead on the first innings.

Starting their second innings with the comfort of 159-run advantage after HBL were dismissed for 192, SNGPL lost three wickets in quick successions to left-arm paceman Kamran Hussain. But Misbah then arrived to repair the damage in his now familiar role of a saviour to chalk up his second half century of the game.

By stumps on the penultimate day of the five-day final at the National Stadium, SNGPL had reached 145-4 to extend their overall lead to 304 with the reliable Misbah going great guns with 71 under his belt.

In a replica of the first innings, Khurram Shahzad (batting on 29) provided steadfast support to his senior partner as the pair frustrated the bankers by adding 73 thus far.

But HBL had their moments of glory when Kamran scalped Mohammad Hafeez and the left-handed Azhar Shafiq, both for first-ball ducks, as well as the reckless Umar Akmal to leave SNGPL in tatters at 14-3 in the fifth over of the innings.

However, the arrival of Misbah, who has so far hit 11 boundaries in 148-ball knock in 168 minutes, stopped the rot as he and Yasir Arafat Junior, the left-handed opener, joined hands to add 58.

Earlier in the day, HBL succeeded in averting the follow on, but they could muster only 86 more runs before they lost the remaining wickets after resuming at 106-5.

Hasan Raza, who was 37 overnight, departed for 50 (95 balls, seven fours) when he became the third straight leg-before-wicket victim for the left-arm seamer Samiullah Niazi.

But the Pakistan discard looked decidedly unhappy with the verdict as he trudged off the field in disgust.

Kamran, who was associated in the sixth-wicket 81-run partnership with Hasan, a 95-ball 38 with six boundaries while Sajid Shah (23) was only the third batsman to pass double figures in the HBL innings.

Asad Ali, the opening bowler, saw off Sajid and Fahad Masood to finish with excellent figures of five for 67.

A draw will be enough on Friday for SNGPL to claim their maiden trophy on the virtue of first-innings lead, while HBL need a last-day miracle to pull off an unlikely victory.

Scoreboard

SNGPL (1st Innings) 351 (Mohammad Hafeez 69, Misbah-ul-Haq 64, Adnan Akmal 54; Kamran Hussain 4-99).

HABIB BANK (1st Innings, overnight 106-5):

Riffatullah Mohmand c Adnan b Asad 8

Humayun Farhat lbw b Sami 7

Younis Khan lbw b Sami 5

Hasan Raza lbw b Sami 50

Shahid Afridi b Asad 9

Aftab Khan b Asad 4

Kamran Hussain c Khurram b Imran 38

Abdul Rehman lbw b Imran 3

Sajid Shah lbw b Asad 23

Fahad Masood c Adnan b Asad 3

Danish Kaneria not out 9

EXTRAS (B-5, LB-1, W-1, NB-26) 33

TOTAL (all out, 61.1 overs) 192

FALL OF WKTS: 1-11, 2-24, 3-27, 4-41, 5-48, 6-129, 7-134, 8-162, 9-165.

BOWLING: Samiullah Niazi 20-2-48-3 (6nb); Asad Ali 22.1-9-67-5 (8nb, 1w); Adil Raza 4-0-24-0 (4nb); Imran Ali 14-2-46-2 (4nb); Mohammad Hafeez 1-0-1-0.

SNGPL (2nd Innings):

Mohammad Hafeez lbw b Kamran 0

Yasir Arafat Jr c Fahad b Kaneria 31

Umar Akmal c Kaneria b Kamran 4

Azhar Shafiq lbw b Kamran 0

Misbah-ul-Haq not out 71

Khurram Shahzad not out 29

EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-6) 10

TOTAL (for four wkts, 46 overs) 145

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-14, 3-14, 4-72.

BOWLING (to-date): Kamran Hussain 9-3-26-3; Fahad Masood 6-0-23-0 (3nb); Danish Kaneria 15-4-39-1; Younis Khan 4-2-14-0; Sajid Shah 6-1-22-0 (3nb); Abdul Rehman 2-0-6-0; Shahid Afridi 4-1-11-0.