KARACHI: Fickle weather in the Punjab disrupted play on the opening day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Grade-II Cricket Tournament on Thursday with one game failing to start at all.
Karachi Blues, fielding a star-studded line-up that includes Test batsmen Asad Shafiq and Fawad Alam, were 198-7 in the 63 overs possible at the Multan Cricket Stadium where Multan skipper Zulfiqar Babar opted to field bowl first after Asad called incorrectly at the toss.
In-form opener Mohammad Waqas (43) and Mohtashim Ali (34) provided the Group ‘A’ leaders a fine start of 77 before the latter was run out.
Sad himself scored 29 from 68 balls with two fours while Fawad was still batting with 41 (off 42 balls with four boundaries).
Left-arm fast bowler Majid Ali and Zulfiqar claimed two wickets apiece.
In the other Group ‘A’ fixture at the Dring Stadium in Bahawalpur, Larkana were struggling at 9-2 after Quetta recovered from 71-6 to collect 215 in their first innings after opting to bat first.
Shoaib Khan (81 off 139 balls, six fours) and all-rounder Arun Lal (59 off 123, six fours) added 86 for the seventh wicket.
Paceman Imtiaz Leghari picked up four wickets for 41 runs in 18 overs while slow left-armer Ali Asghar captured 3-50.
Just 19 overs could be delivered in the Group ‘B’ clash at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad during which Sialkot made 68-1 after Faisalabad skipper Imran Khalid decided to insert the visitors into bat.
Naeemuddin (27) and Nauman Anwar (34 not out) put on 64 for the opening wicket before Naeemuddin was run out.
The first day of the inconsequential match between Dera Murad Jamali and Azad Jammu Kashmir was completely washed out at the Sports Stadium in Sargodha.
Close of play scores on Thursday (day one of three):
Group ‘A’:
At Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan: KARACHI BLUES 198-7 in 63 overs (Mohammad Waqas 43, Fawad Alam 41 not out, Mohtashim Ali 34, Asad Shafiq 29, Saifullah Khan Bangash 26; Majid Ali 2-38, Zulfiqar Babar 2-70) vs MULTAN. At Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur: QUETTA 215 in 75 overs (Shoaib Khan 81, Arun Lal 59, Shahzad Tareen 26; Imtiaz Leghari 4-41, Ali Asghar 3-50); LARKANA 9-2 in 3 overs (Gohar Faiz 2-5).
Group ‘B’:
At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: SIALKOT 60-1 in 19 overs (Nauman Anwar 34 not out, Naeemuddin 27) vs FAISALABAD.
At Sport Stadium, Sargodha: DERA MURAD JAMALI vs AZAD JAMMU KASHMIR — no play on day one due to rain.
Published in Dawn, March 18th, 2016