KARACHI, Dec 13: Skipper Azhar Shafiq led from the front to steer Pakistan Customs to an impressive seven-wicket victory in their opening Patron’s Trophy Grade-I cricket championship match against KRL at NBP Sports Complex on Tuesday.
The left-handed Azhar hit 12 boundaries and two sixes in his 91-ball 87 as Customs, set a target of 238 in 76 overs, eased to victory in 51.1 overs.
Openers Kashif Siddique and Hanif Malik gave Customs a rousing start of 74. The left-handed Kashif was run out after making 41 with three fours and a six and Hanif fell to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal after making 32.
Azhar and Afsar Nawaz then added 97 for the third wicket. Afsar contributed 40 off 54 balls with five boundaries.
Youngster Fawad Alam made 28 not out which included five fours in the unbroken 53-run stand for the fourth wicket.
Earlier KRL skipper Mohammad Wasim carried his bat with 104 as his side added 12 runs before being bowled out for 183. Wasim batted for 238 minutes and struck ten fours.
Off-spinner Murtaza Hussain dismissed last man Saeed Ajmal to end with five for 46.
Scoreboard
KRL (1st Innings) 277.
PAKISTAN CUSTOMS (1st Innings) 223.
KRL (2nd Innings (overnight 171-9):
Saeed Anwar lbw b Imran 6
Mohammad Wasim not out 104
Mohtashim Ali run out 30
Ali Naqvi lbw b Murtaza 2
Usman Saeed c Sajid b Azam 4
Abdul Rauf c Azhar b Murtaza 7
Saeed bin Nasir b Azam 3
Zulfiqar Jan b Azam 2
Alamgir Khan c Hanif b Murtaza 3
Shahzad Butt c Imran b Murtaza 10
Saeed Ajmal b Murtaza 0
EXTRAS (B-5, LB-3, NB-4) 12
TOTAL (all out, 60.5 overs) 183
FALL OF WKTS: 1-14, 2-83, 3-89, 4-104, 5-135, 6-138, 7-148, 8-151, 9-167. BOWLING: Imran Ali 7-0-25-1; Murtaza Hussain 23.5-5-46-5; Stephen John 4-0-21-0; Azhar Shafiq 2-0-7-0; Azam Hussain 21-4-61-3; Fawad Alam 3-0-15-0.
PAKISTAN CUSTOMS (2nd Innings):
Kashif Siddique run out 41
Hanif Malik c sub b Saeed Ajmal 32
Azhar Shafiq not out 87
Afsar Nawaz c Zulfiqar b Rauf 40
Fawad Alam not out 28
EXTRAS (B-5, NB-7) 12
TOTAL (for three wkts, 51.1 overs) 240
FALL OF WKTS: 1-74, 2-90, 3-187.
BOWLING: Abdul Rauf 10-0-63-1; Shahzad Butt 7-0-28-0; Saeed Ajmal 18-2-63-1; Alamgir Khan 11-3-44-0; Ali Naqvi 3-0-19-0; Saeed Anwar 2-0-14-0; Saeed bin Nasir 0.1-0-4-0.
UMPIRES: Shakeel Khan and Salim Badar.
MATCH REFEREE: Anwar Khan.—APP