KARACHI, Feb 15: Defending champions Sialkot staged a comeback through their tail-enders on the third day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Gold League match against Karachi Harbour at the National Stadium here on Thursday.

Sialkot, already through to the final, recovered from the overnight 154 for seven to reach 222 in their first innings while to Karachi Harbour’s 293.

Tariq Mahmood batted patiently to compile 46 off 225 balls in a stay of 281 minutes. He hit six boundaries. Kashif Raza scored 33 off 84 balls with the aid of three fours and one six and helped Tariq put on 47 for the eighth wicket.

With Shahid Yousuf unable to bat because of injury in his right foot, Sialkot’s innings terminated at the fall of the ninth wicket. Pacer Anwar Ali Khan took both wickets to fall on Thursday to finish with three for 43.

Having taken a lead of 71 runs, Karachi Harbour lost three wickets for 64 before an unbroken partnership of 81 between Khalid Latif and Fawwad Alam took the score to 145 for three at close of play.

Opener Khalid’s 58 off 194 balls include six hits to the fence while Fawwad has also struck six boundaries in his 87-ball 43.

Karachi Harbour now have an overall lead of 217 going into final day of the four-day fixture.

Scoreboard

KARACHI HARBOUR (1st Innings) 293 (Sarfraz Ahmed 70, Anwar Ali Khan 59).

SIALKOT (1st Innings, overnight 154-7):

Atiq-ur-Rehman lbw b Anwar 0

Hafiz Majid Jahangir b Faraz 27

Shahid Yousuf retired hurt 0

Mansoor Amjad b Uzair 21

Ayub Dogar lbw b Faraz 30

Tahir Mughal c Ariz b Uzair 0

Tariq Mahmood c Ijaz b Anwar 46

Ijaz Ahmed Sr lbw b Faraz 13

Hafiz Khalid b Atif 12

Kashif Raza b Anwar 33

Sarfraz Ahmed not out 12

EXTRAS (B-8, LB-7, W-2, NB-11) 28

TOTAL (all out, 95 overs) 222

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-47, 3-63, 4-63, 5-106, 6-126, 7-145, 8-192, 9-222.

BOWLING: Anwar Ali Khan 15-7-43-4 (4nb); Faraz Ahmed 21-4-57-3 (4nb, 1w); Uzair-ul-Haq 23-7-38-2 (3nb, 1w); Atif Maqbool 33-14-62-1; Ijaz Ahmed 1-0-5-0; Fawwad Alam 2-1-2-0.

KARACHI HARBOUR (2nd Innings):

Khalid Latif not out 58

Wajihuddin b Tahir 0

Ariz Kamal c sub (K. Dawood) b Tahir 32

Naumanullah lbw b Mansoor 4

Fawwad Alam not out 43

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, NB-3) 8

TOTAL (for three wkts, 59 overs) 145

FALL OF WKTS: 1-10, 2-28, 3-64.

BOWLING (to-date): Kashif Raza 10-1-27-0 (2nb); Tahir Mughal 13-2-39-2; Sarfraz Ahmed 13-10-6-0; Mansoor Amjad 16-1-50-1; Tariq Mahmood 6-1-17-0; Hafiz Khalid 1-0-1-0 (1nb).