KARACHI, Dec 21: Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) secured a last-ball victory by four wickets over Pakistan Customs in the Patron’s Cup Pool ‘A’ fixture at UBL Sports Complex on Sunday.
All-rounder Yasir Arafat, on strike with the scores tied at 271, pulled part-timer Aamir Bashir to the mid-wicket boundary in what should have been an easy victory but for a late flurry of wickets.
Skipper Ali Naqvi, the former Test opener, had put the match beyond Customs’s reach with a superb stroke-filled knock of 98. His 97-ball knock, spiced with 11 boundaries, was ended by a good, low return catch by his Customs counterpart Aamir Bashir.
Saeed Anwar Jr, the left-hander, also had an excellent match. After taking two for 50, he then anchored the KRL’s innings with 76 off 100 deliveries, including only three fours but as many as 28 singles.
Earlier, left-handers Kashif Siddique (76 off 89 balls, six fours and two sixes) and Naseem Khan (87 off 113 balls, five fours) shared a second-wicket partnership of 160 in 180 balls that laid the foundation of a sound total.
Young Fawwad Alam, the left-hander playing his first game, hammered four fours in scoring 40 off 35 deliveries.
The main damage was done by medium-pacer Yasir Arafat, who grabbed four for 52. Off-spinner Saeed Ajmal chipped in with two for 50.
Scoreboard
PAKISTAN CUSTOMS:
Kashif Siddique c Intikhab b Saeed Jr 76
Fahad Iqbal lbw b Yasir 1
Naseem Khan c Faisal b Azhar 87
Aamir Bashir c Zulfiqar b Saeed Jr 8
Kamran Hussain st Zulfiqar b S. Ajmal 22
Fawwad Alam c Ramzan b Yasir 40
Shahbaz Butt run out 3
Nisar Abbas b S. Ajmal 0
Atif Maqbool lbw b Yasir 7
Stephen John not out 1
Uqaab Khan b Yasir 0
EXTRAS (LB-13, W-10, NB-3) 26
TOTAL (all out, 49 overs) 271
FALL OF WKTS: 1-8, 2-168, 3-190, 4-196, 5-235, 6-253, 7-253, 8-267, 9-269.
BOWLING: Mohammad Asif 7-0-33-0 (3nb, 2w); Yasir Arafat 9-0-52-4 (2w); Saeed Ajmal 10-0-50-2 (1w); Faisal Afridi 5-0-39-0; Saeed Anwar Jr 10-0-50-2 (4w); Azhar Ali 8-0-34-1 (1w).
KRL:
Ali Naqvi c and b Aamir 98
Mohammad Ramzan lbw b Kashif 29
Saeed Anwar Jr run out 76
Intikhab Alam st Shahbaz b Nisar 44
Asif Mahmood b Aamir 1
Yasir Arafat not out 10
Faisal Afridi run out 4
Zulfiqar Jan not out 1
EXTRAS (W-5, NB-7) 12
TOTAL (for six wkts, 50 overs) 275
FALL OF WKTS: 1-80, 2-176, 3-255, 4-258, 5-262, 6-267.
DID NOT BAT: Azhar Ali, Mohammad Asif, Saeed Ajmal.
BOWLING: Stephen John 2-0-17-0 (1nb); Uqaab Khan 8-0-54-0 (5nb); Aamir Bashir 10-0-65-2 (1nb, 1w); Atif Maqbool 10-1-30-0; Kashif Siddique 10-0-42-1; Nisar Abbas 8-0-49-1 (2w); Naseem Khan 2-0-18-0 (1w).
RESULT: KRL won by four wickets.