KARACHI: Imam-ul-Haq and Imran Farhat shared a double century partnership to give Habib Bank Limited (HBL) early superiority in their Super Eight fixture while the inspirational Kamran Akmal came to Wapda’s rescue with another century on Saturday.
Four teams are battling out to qualify for the final of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship and the first day’s Group-I honours definitely belonged to HBL recovered from 23-2 to post 280-3 against fellow contenders and last season’s runners-up United Bank Limited on a batting paradise dished out at the NBP Sports Complex.
Pakistan discard Abdur Rehman made no mistake when he won the toss and chose to bat. Initially, his decision backfired when the impressive left-arm seamer Mir Hamza sent back Fakhar Zaman (10) and Zohaib Khan (1) to leave HBL struggling at 25-2.
However, Imam-u-Haq, the talented left-handed opener, and the vastly experienced Imran Farhat then came together to dig their team out trouble with a solid stand of 248 before UBL finally managed to separate the pair.
Imam reached his career’s second century while compiling a career-best 129 when he was caught behind by Umar Siddique off slow left-armer Mohammad Asghar. Imam’s 269-ball knock spanned five hours and 29 minutes and included 13 boundaries.
But Imran carried on unscathed to remain undefeated with 128 — the 34-year-old Pakistan reject’s 32nd three-figure innings in 190 first-class appearances — with fellow left-hander Ramiz Aziz keeping him company on 3. Imran has so far occupied the crease for 314 minutes while striking 14 fours and three sixes.
Sensing the nature of the NBP pitch, UBL inducted off-spinner Junaid Ilyas, son of former first-class player Ilyas Khan, and leg-spinner Karamat Ali in their line-up to support Asghar. But the duo had a fruitless day as suggested by their respective figures of -81 in 26 overs and 0-68 from 16 overs, while Asghar took 1-57 in 31 overs and Hamza 2-41 from 16 overs of toil.
Shoddy fielding from Sui Southern Gas Company SSGC) allowed Wapda to escape from being bowled out for a low total on a green-tinged track at the Niaz Stadium.
The three-pronged pace attack of Zia-ul-Haq, Aamir Yamin and Ahmed Jamal made captain Fawad Alam’s decision to bowl first upon winning the toss justified as Wapda wobbled to 25-4 with skipper Salman Butt (11) also dismissed.
But the arrival of Kamran brought a visible change in Wapda’s fortunes. Despite being badly let-off by SSGC’s second-choice wicket-keeper Maqbool Ahmed, who came into the side after Saifullah Khan Bangash reported ‘unfit’, on 13 off the luckless Aamir Yamin, Kamran prospered to his fifth ton of the championship.
Makeshift opener Adnan Raees, who had watched four partners desert him, also had a narrow shave when Mohammad Irfan floored a slip catch off Ahmed Jamal, combined with Kamran to put on 148 f0or the fifth wicket in 235 minutes before falling to Fawad’s spin for an obdurate 57, a 229-ball knock lasting 306 minutes.
Kamran, however, not only registered his 29th first-class hundred but serenely sailed 900 runs in the season. The right-hander’s 131 from 222 balls included just six fours but his grand effort put SSGC on the defensive.
But inexplicably Fawad didn’t opt to take the second new ball to create opportunities for more wickets and when play ended it was already 10 overs overdue.
Meanwhile, in the other two matches that have no bearing other than personal glory for the remaining teams, Khan Research Laboratories did well to post 244 all out after being reduced to 7-4 against National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at the UBL Sports Complex.
Fielding a revamped XI, KRL owed their comeback of sort to stand-in skipper Usman Arshad who hit 121 from 216 deliveries with the aid of 12 boundaries. Mohammad Abbas also made a vital contribution of 38 as he partnered Usman in an eighth-wicket partnership of exactly 100 in 99 minutes.
In-form pace bowler Atif Jabbar grabbed five wickets for 43 runs in 15 overs, His new-ball partner Mohammad Irfan took 3-27 from 17 tidy overs.
Facing five overs before stumps, NBP collected 16-0.
In the day-night encounter at the National Stadium, Iftikhar Ahmed nudged the selectors with a career-best 172 as the outgoing champions Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) overcame a stuttering start to reach 339-7 after Mohammad Hafeez won the toss.
Iftikhar, who struck 20 boundaries during his 262-ball knock in 355 minutes, shared a sixth-wicket partnership of 151 in 99 minutes with Adnan Akmal (79 off 99 balls, 11 fours) after SNGPL slumped to 144-5 with Hafeez making just two before being caught behind off Tabish Khan who has taken 4-61 thus far.
Close of play scores on Saturday (day one of four):
Super Eight stage third and final round:
Group-I:
At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: WATER AND POWER DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 226-5 in 90 overs (Kamran Akmal 131 not out, Adnan Raees 57; Ahmed Jamal 2-33) vs SUI SOUTHERN GAS COMPANY.
At National Stadium, Karachi (day-night): SUI NORTHERN GAS PIPELINES LIMITED 339-7 in 90 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 172, Adnan Akmal 79, Khurram Shehzad 24, Abubakar Khan 22; Tabish Khan 4-61) vs KARACHI WHITES.
Group-II:
At NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: HABIB BANK LIMITED 280-3 in 97 overs (Imam-ul-Haq 129, Imran Farhat 128 not out; Mir Hamza 2-41) vs UNITED BANK LIMITED.
At UBL Sports Complex, Karachi: KHAN RESEARCH LABORATORIES 244 in 84 overs (Usman Arshad 121, Mohammad Abbas 38, Luqman Butt 32, Shoaib Ahmed Minhas 20; Atif Jabbar 5-43, Mohammad Irfan 3-27); NATIONAL BANK OF PAKISTAN 16-0 in 5 overs.
Published in Dawn December 4th, 2016