LAHORE, May 12: Azam Hussain claimed six wickets as his team Port Qasim Authority (PQA) overwhelmed the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) by 98 runs in the Patron’s Trophy Grade II final at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad on Monday.

The PQA, after becoming the Grade-II champions, also qualified for the next Patron’s Trophy Grade-I.

Azam finished with figures of six for 78, as the SBP, who were chasing a victory target of 336, were dismissed for 237 in 76.4 overs.

Earlier in the day, the PQA, who had conceded a 10-run lead on the first innings, set the winning target as they posted 345 in their second innings after resuming at the overnight score of 327 for nine.

For the SBP, only Shahbaz Butt (71), who scored 56 in the first innings, could offer some resistance.

Openers Shoaib Khan (41) and Faisal Athar (45) gave a fine opening stand of 87. But after Shoaib was caught and bowled by Azam, the bankers’ innings collapsed, descending to 100 for six, with Azam capturing four wickets.

Besides Azam, off-spinner Tabish Nawab (3-72) was the other key wicket taker.

Asim Kamal (PQA), for his productive scores of 75 and 100, was declared the man-of-the-final.

PQA’s winning team was honoured with a cash prize of Rs100,000 while the SBP received a cheque of Rs50,000.

PQA’s Shadab Kabir (673 runs), Azam Hussain (34 wickets), SBP’s Jalat Khan (ten catches) and PQA’s Mohammad Salman (17 catches, three stumps) were declared as the tournament’s best batsman, bowler, fielder and wicket-keeper, each getting a cash prize of Rs10,000.

Summarised scores:

Port Qasim Authority 305 (Asim Kamal 75, Rashid Latif 70; Jalat Khan 5-75) and 345 (Asim Kamal 100, Kamran Younis 52, Azam Hussain 47 not out, Shadab Kabir 42; Ansar Javed 5-76); State Bank of Pakistan 315-8 (Ansar Javed 89, Shahbaz Butt 56, Shoaib Khan 43; Abdur Rauf 3-59, Mohammad Talha 3-98) and 237 (Shahbaz Butt 71, Faisal Athar 45, Shoaib Khan 41; Azam Hussain 6-78, Tabish Nawab 3-72).

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