KARACHI: Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) rode on a gritty Zain Abbas century to come perilously close to an unforeseen victory against fancied Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in their Group-I Super Eight fixture of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship here on Thursday.

Down on their knees at draw of stumps on Wednesday’s third day at the National Stadium at 202-6 with a lead of just 61 runs, KRL clawed their way back into the match thanks to 24-year-old Zain who was last out for 133 while his team added 159 priceless runs before losing those remaining wickets.

A target of 221 in 41 overs at a manageable run-rate of 5.39 was definitely within SNGPL’s compass given their star-studded status. What followed next was simply fascinating cricket as the pendulum swung time and again from one side to the other.

SNGPL shuffled their batting order in a clear sign that they wanted to win. But the early dismissal of Pakistan star Mohammad Hafeez (LBW to Rahat Ali for 4) was a big setback. Young Imran Butt played a fine innings of 77 (off 70 balls, three fours and one six) to keep SNGPL very much in the hunt.

However, KRL kept picking wickets to leave their rivals in some bother at 60-3 with first-innings century-maker Naeemuddin (16) and Mohammad Rizwan (7) also gone.

Umar Akmal played a good hand of 41 (33 balls, three fours and one six) as and Imran Butt added 68 in 47 minutes before spinner Nauman Ali sent back Umar. Imran Khalid, promoted to No 6, struck 29 off 21 balls in the fifth-wicket stand of 41.

Three quick wickets in the space of two runs made KRL favourites to seal a dramatic win but fading light had the final say when play was called off at 5:27pm with SNGPL, now battling for survival, at 193-8 in 33.4 overs. Azhar Ali, who held himself back until six wickets were down, was on four when the match finished in a draw.

As the match drew to a close, words were exchanged as KRL resorted to the old tricks of time-wasting by taking ages to set the field. But the timely intervention of umpires Mohammad Sajid and Zameer Haider diffused a potentially explosive situation.

Earlier, it was Zain’s resolute batting that frustrated SNGPL as the left-hander scored 106 out of the 159 runs added by team. Zain’s second first-class century – his maiden was also on this ground, 178 against Karachi Whites exactly a month ago – couldn’t have come at a better time for KRL.

Laid low by fever, Zain didn’t open the innings on Wednesday and only came out to bat at the fall of the fourth wicket 148. Lady luck also smiled on him in the post-lunch session when the discarded Test wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal spilled a relatively simple catch off Bilawal Bhatti when Zain was on 72.

That miss proved very costly for SNGPL, who earned three points, as Zain and Rahat (18 off 54 balls) ate up 104 minutes together before the stubborn eight-wicket partnership of 59 was terminated by Bilawal.

Mohammad Abbas scored just one (off 33 balls) but crucially hung in there for 66 minutes while helping the well-set Zain put on 62 priceless runs.

Zain, who batted for 309 minutes and hit 17 boundaries and a six during his 198-ball knock, fell to a splendid low catch by a diving Adnan off Azizullah, who took 3-56. Asad Ali didn’t add to his overnight tally and ended up with 5-84, while Bilawal claimed 2-62.

The other Group-I fixture at the NBP Sports Complex petered out in a draw with Lahore Blues taking three points despite forcing Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda).

Replying to Lahore Blues’ 511, Wapda added a further 89 runs to Wednesday’s total of 228-7 before being dismissed for 315 with Zulfiqar Babar contributing 45. Slow left-armer Haider Ali, 18, playing just his second first-class game, finished with 5-68 in 24.4 overs while Test reject Aizaz Cheema took 3-45 in 28 overs.

Batting again, Wapda batted through 42 overs to reach 105-3.

The Group-II clash at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad was almost a repeat of SNGPL-KRL encounter when Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) finished at 275-9 after a very sporting declaration from Karachi Whites skipper Faisal Iqbal left them chasing 282 from 53 overs.

SSGC launched chase in brilliant fashion when captain Umar Amin (91 off 100 balls, 16 boundaries) and Usman Liaquat (81 off 108, 10 fours and one six) began with an opening stand of 146.

But Karachi Whites hit back with regular wickets to keep their rivals under check as slow let-armer Sohaib Khan grabbed four vital wickets for 27 runs in nine overs.

Left-arm paceman Ghulam Mudassar was quite expensive as his 19 overs went or 117 runs but to his credit he picked up three wickets and Adeel Malik took 2-81 in 16 overs as SSGC grabbed three points for taking lead on the first innings.

Earlier, Faisal completed his 26th first-class hundred before closing his team’s second innings at 323-5. The long-discarded Test right-hander made 107 (135 balls, 15 fours) while putting on 189 for the fourth wicket with Mohammad Waqas, who remained unbeaten with 164 (212 balls, 20 fours and two sixes).

In the Group-II game finishing in less than three days on Wednesday, United Bank Limited (UBL) beat National of Pakistan of Pakistan (NBP) by 67 runs at the UBL Sports Complex to emerge as the only winners of the first round.

The second round of matches will start from Sunday instead of Monday due to the Eid-ul-Milad Nabi celebrations next Thursday (Dec 24).

Scores and results on Thursday (final day of four):

Super Eight:

First round:

Group-I:

At National Stadium, Karachi: Match drawn.

KHAN RESEARCH LABORATORIES 208 in 60 overs (Shoaib Ahmed Minhas 77, Luqman Butt 60, Rahat Ali 26; Imran Khalid 4-41, Asad Ali 3-39, Bilawal Bhatti 2-42) and 361 in 112.1 overs (Zain Abbas 133, Usman Arshad 85, Ali Nadeem 55; Asad Ali 5-84, Azizullah 3-56, Bilawal Bhatti 2-62); SUI NORTHERN GAS PIPELINES LIMITED 349 in 113 overs (Naeemuddin 108 not out, Umar Akmal 66, Imran Khalid 44, Bilawal Bhatti 35, Azhar Ali 23; Sadaf Hussain 4-85, Rahat Ali 3-84, Mohammad Abbas 2-79) and 193-8 in 33.4 overs (Imran Butt 77, Umar Akmal 41, Imran Khalid 29; Sadaf Hussain 3-58).

At NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: Match drawn.

LAHORE BLUES 511 in 159.3 overs (Raza Ali Dar 133, Agha Salman 115, Haris Nazar 103, Bilawal Iqbal 53, Farhan Khan 43; Naseer Akram 4-103, Haziq Habibullah 2-115, Zulfiqar Babar 2-140); WATER AND POWER DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 315 in 127.4 overs (Mohammad Saad 56, Zahid Mansoor 52, Zulfiqar Babar 45, Adnan Raees 41, Aamir Sajjad 31, Naseer Akram 28; Aizaz Cheema 3-31, Haider Ali 5-68, Aizaz Cheema 3-45) and 105-3 in 42 overs (Zahid Mansoor 39, Aamir Sajjad 20 not out).

Group-II:

At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: Match drawn.

KARACHI WHITES 269 in 99 overs (Jaahid Ali 74, Saud Shakeel 67 not out, Saad Ali 48, Faisal Iqbal 20; Adnan Ghaus 6-72, Rajesh Ramesh 4-65) and 323-5 declared in 75.5 overs (Mohammad Waqas 164 not out, Faisal Iqbal 107; Mohammad Irfan 2-59, Tabish Khan 2-91); SUI SOUTHERN GAS COMPANY 311 in 102.1 overs (Asif Zakir 107, Awais Zia 86, Umar Amin 30, Tabish Khan 27; Adeel Malik 5-101, Abdullah Muqaddam 2-57, Ghulam Mudassar 2-79) and 275-9 in 53 overs (Umar Amin 91, Usman Liaquat 81, Asif Zakir 33; Sohaib Khan 4-27, Ghulam Mudassar 3-117, Adeel Malik 2-81).

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2015