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KARACHI Karachi Whites were brink of a comprehensive victory over National Bank of Pakistan in the RBS Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship at the NBP Sports Complex after paceman Zohaib Shera achieved the rare distinction of claiming a hat-trick on first-class debut here on Friday.
National Bank, facing a huge first-innings deficit of 288 runs, were reeling at 184-8 at stumps on the third day after the 19-year-old left-arm paceman Zohaib virtually killed off their faint hopes of putting up a good show in the second innings.
Zohaib became just the second Pakistani - in a group of 18 bowlers worldwide — to mark his entry into first-class cricket with a hat-trick of dismissals.
His unfortunate victims were Pakistan opener Nasir Jamshed (caught at second slip by Behram Khan for five), Imran Javed (held in the leg gulley position by Murtaza Majeed) and National Bank skipper Naumanullah whose off-stump was spectacularly uprooted out of the ground.
The only other Pakistani to take hat-trick on debut was Arshad Khan, a right-arm medium-pacer who played for Dacca University against East Pakistan in an East Zone fixture of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy at the Dacca Stadium in 1957-58.
Barring Mansoor Amjad (70 not out) and Amin-ur-Rehman (49), who added 81 for the seventh wicket, it was a regular procession of batsmen coming and going as Zohaib (3-49 in 17 overs) received good support from all-rounder Babar Rehman (3-58).
Earlier, Babar narrowly missed out scoring a maiden century by only two runs as Karachi Whites were all out for 486. Babar's fine 121-ball knock included 16 fours and a brace of sixes while his seventh-wicket partnership with skipper Afsar Nawaz (121 not out off 185 balls, 13 boundaries) realized 162 runs.
Meanwhile, Karachi Blues were eight wickets away from chalking up their seventh win in nine games as Quetta reached 93-2 after being set an improbable target of 495 at the National Stadium.
Earlier, the Group 'B' leaders declared their second innings at 324-3 as soon as Ali Asad completed a richly-deserved century (100 off 182 balls, 10 fours) after Khalid Latif had simply toyed with the Quetta bowlers to blast 158 off only 149 deliveries.
The talented right-handed opener, who didn't open the innings since he was troubled by a stiff neck on Thursday, showed no mercy as he clubbed 17 fours and four sixes while dominating the third-wicket stand of 225 with Ali Asad.
Hyderabad were heading for defeat despite an improved batting performance to reach 291-7 against Sialkot at the Niaz Stadium. The hosts hold a slim eight-run lead with just three wickets left.
Upcoming opener Azhar Ali slammed an undefeated 153 (309 balls, 17 fours) as KRL moved into a strong position against SSGC at the KRL Stadium.
Replying to the visitors' 137, KRL declared their first innings at 352-5. SSGC were 96-2 in the second innings at draw of stumps.
Our Sports Reporter adds from Lahore Multan's slow left-armer Zulfiqar Babar made cricketing history by grabbing 10 all wickets that feel in Islamabad's first innings of the Group 'B' fixture at the Multan Cricket Ground.
Zulfiqar, who celebrated his 21st birthday on Thursday with five wickets, finished with remarkable figures of 10-143 in 39.4 overs as Islamabad made 418 to take a lead of 66 runs after resuming at 229-5.
Zulfiqar, one of the leading performers this season with 66 wickets, joined Shahid Mahmood (10-58, Karachi Whites v Khairpur at National Stadium, Karachi, 1969-70), Imran Adil (10-92, Bahawalpur v Faisalabad at Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, 1989-90) and Naeem Akhtar (10-28, Rawalpindi 'B' v Peshawar at Arbab Niaz Stadium, Peshawar, 1995-96) as one of four Pakistanis in a list of 87 bowlers to take all 10 wickets in an innings.
Despite Zulfiqar's heroics, Ashar Zaidi struck an unbeaten 130 (173 balls, 14 fours) to give the visitors ascendancy.
Multan were 100-2 in their second innings when play ended early because of poor light.
The match between Lahore Ravi and Peshawar was heading for close finish after the latter made 199 in the second innings at the LCCA Ground.
On the final day, Lahore Ravi, who conceded a first-innings lead of 29 runs, will begin their chase for 229 runs. Lahore Ravi's star was fast bowler Mohammad Irshad who took 6-62 to end up with match figures of 11-92.
Meanwhile, PIA were course of victory after reducing Lahore Shalimar to 76-3 in the second innings of the Group 'A' fixture at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Earlier, PIA obtained 126-run lead on the first innings by making 303. Shehzar Mohammad, son of former Test batsman Shoaib Mohammad, celebrated his first-class debut by becoming the top-scorer with 70 (124 balls, 10 boundaries) after PIA resumed their innings at 161-4.
