LAHORE: The race for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final heated up on Thursday as top and third-placed teams, Sialkot and Peshawar respectively, bagged wins on day three of their seventh-round matches while second-placed Faisalabad face a challenge to prevent Islamabad from recording a come-from-behind win on the last day.

Peshawar bagged a crucial 85-run victory over fifth-placed Lahore Whites at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad, stirring up the race for the final with their fourth victory on the back of Test off-spinner Sajid Khan’s superb match figures of 10-142. He deservedly got the player-of-the-match honours.

Lahore Whites, in pursuit of a 253-run target, were bowled out for 167 as Sajid registered his 21st first-class five-wicket haul to match his first innings outing of 5-82 with 5-60.

At one point, Lahore Whites slipped to 31-5 before no.7 batter Khawaja Mohammad Abdullah (52) and opener Ali Zaryab (43) added 56 runs for the sixth wicket before both were dismissed by Sajid, who then cleaned up the tail as well.

Earlier, Peshawar resumed their second innings from overnight score of 108-2 — leading by 123 runs — before Test spinner Noman Ali’s 33rd first-class five-for (5-112) reined them in at 237 all out. Noman finished with nine wickets in the game.

Opener Israrullah (76) and wicket-keeper/batter Moham­mad Haris (45) were the main contributors for Peshawar.

Sialkot cemented their position on the top of the table by handing Multan a thumping 204-run defeat as they registered their fourth win in the tournament at the

Marghzar Cricket Stadium in Islamabad.

Requiring another 288 runs to win and 103-2 at the start of the day, Multan again fell prey to Sialkot’s spin web as off-spinner Hamza Nazar (5-64) — his maiden first-class five-for — and Mehran Mumtaz (4-70) shared the wicket-taking exploits.

Sialkot just took 24 overs on day three to wrap up Multan’s innings for 186 as they lost eight wickets for 83 runs. Mehran claimed nine wickets in the match and was declared player-of-the-match.

Fata reaped a crushing innings and 86-run win over Bahawalpur to bag their second triumph in the event at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar.

Bahawalpur began following-on after incurring a 250-run first-innings deficit on day two, and were bundled out for 164.

For Fata, pacer Sirajuddin and Hayatullah picked up three wickets apiece while player-of-the-match Khushdil Shah and Asif Afridi dismissed two batters each. Off-spinner Hayat ended up with nine wickets in the match.

Islamabad’s Shamyl Hussain struck an unbeaten century (101 not out) to take his team to 159-1 at stumps against Faisalabad in pursuit of a 449-run target at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium.

The left-handed opener, who has so far peeled off five first-class centuries in his 18 outings including three in the ongoing tournament, also put on a 159-run opening stand with Abdul Faseeh (57).

Earlier in the day, Faisalabad started their second innings with eight runs on the board and 235 runs ahead of Islamabad before declaring at 221-2 courtesy opening batter Hasan Raza’s 106 not out, his third century in the tournament and seventh of the career.

Hasan also shared a 99-run stand with Asim Ali Nasir (42) and an unbeaten 93-run stand with first innings centurion Muhammad Awais Zafar (52 not out).

Shan Masood’s 250 not out — Pakistan Test captain’s highest first-class score — helped fourth-placed Karachi Blues set up a marathon 519-run target for Abbottabad at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.

Karachi Blues resumed day three with overnight score of 202-3 with Shan at 114 not out, only to declare at 451-5 as Shan shared a 181-run stand with Rameez Aziz (78).

In turn, Abbottabad skipper Kamran Ghulam (47 not out) held the fort after walking in at 80-2 as his team went to stumps at 147-4, losing Zain Ishaq (37) and Umair Badshah (34) to left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti.

Mohammad Asghar then dismissed the experienced Mohammad Suleman for 14 before Ahmed Khan (five not out) accompanied his skipper to close of play unscathed as they required another 372 runs and possibly 90 more overs to survive.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2025