ISLAMABAD, Feb 2: Multan’s hopes of making the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Silver League final receded on Friday after Islamabad took a first-innings lead of 161 runs at the Diamond Club Ground on Friday.

Replying to the hosts’ 314, Multan were all out for 153 after resuming at 26 for one. Islamabad opted against the follow-on option and reached 163 for three in the second innings to extend their overall lead to 324 at the halfway stage of the four-day tie.

Azhar Mahmood, the ex-Pakistan all-rounder, followed his century on Thursday with three wickets. But the main damage was caused by Bilal Asad who claimed four for 13 in 11.2 overs with his brisk medium-pacers.

If Abbottabad, who have already taken lead over Lahore Ravi, win outright they will qualify for the final despite having the same of number of points as Multan against whom they drew with a first-innings lead.

Scoreboard

ISLAMABAD (1st Innings) 314 (Azhar Mahmood 105).

MULTAN (1st Innings, overnight 26-1):

Yasir Arafat Jr b Yasin 26

Usman Tariq c and b Bilal 2

Majid Majeed lbw b Yasin 0

Bilal Khilji c Kashif b Bilal 38

Kashif Naved c Fayyaz b Azhar 18

Saeed Anwar Jr c Kashif b Zohaib 20

Kamran Hussain b Bilal 0

Atiq Ahmed c Kashif b Azhar 6

Abdur Rauf c sub b Bilal 26

Mohammad Irshad lbw b Azhar 0

Qaiser Shahzad not out 11

EXTRAS (B-3, W-2, NB-1) 6

TOTAL (all out, 48.2 overs) 153

FALL OF WKTS: 1-8, 2-51, 3-84, 4-98, 5-102, 6-106, 7-109, 8-127, 9-127.

BOWLING: Azhar Mahmood 15-4-45-3; Yasin Bari 9-2-43-2; Bilal Asad 11.2-4-13-4 (2w); Zohaib Ahmed 7-0-29-1; Immad Wasim 6-0-20-0.

ISLAMABAD (2nd Innings):

Raheel Majeed lbw b Majid 71

Afaq Raheem lbw b Qaiser 27

Fayyaz Ahmed c Bilal b Majid 31

Bilal Asad not out 13

Azhar Mahmood not out 12

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-8) 9

TOTAL (for three wkts, 40 overs) 163

FALL OF WKTS: 1-60, 2-132, 3-141.

BOWLING (to-date): Abdur Rauf 9-1-33-0; Mohammad Irshad 7-1-38-0; Kamran Hussain 10-1-36-0; Qaiser Shahzad 6-0-20-1; Bilal Khilji 1-0-18-0; Majid Majeed 7-4-9-2.—Agencies