KARACHI, Oct 22: Pakistan Customs, aided by centuries from Imraan Mohammad, Aamir Bashir and Asim Kamal, piled a formidable 604 for seven declared in their first innings against PWD on the second day of the Patron’s Trophy Grade-I match at UBL Sports Complex here Monday.
Requiring 455 to avert the possibility of a follow-on, PWD lost two wickets in three balls to young off-spinner Tabish Nawab after Bilal Asad and Azam Khan had put on 72 for the opening stand in under an hour.
Bilal played some fine strokes in his unbeaten 38 off 40 deliveries as PWD reached 82 without further loss.
Azam perished for a 56-ball 37 when he attempted to lift Tabish over mid-on but found Azhar Shafiq instead. Nightwatchman Haaris Ayaz was caught at the wicket in the same over for a second-ball duck.
Earlier, Customs applied the closure once Asim Kamal had completed a superb 102 with his 11th boundary. In what was easily the quickest century in the innings, the 25-year-old Asim negotiated 124 deliveries to reach his fifth — all unbeaten — three-figure first-class score in a knock that spanned three hours.
Asim and all-rounder Tariq Haroon were associated in a blazing 100-run seventh-wicket stand in just 74 minutes as they flogged a visibly tired PWD bowling attack to all corners of the ground. Tariq blasted two huge sixes besides six fours in his 56-ball 50.
The overnight pair, Imraan Mohammad (50) and captain Aamir Bashir (68) had earlier completed their centuries in contrasting styles after Customs had started the day on 305 for two.
Aamir struck 15 fours in his 115 off 216 balls until he was caught at mid-on off part-time medium-pacer Bilal Asad shortly before lunch. The third wicket partnership realized 215 in 285 minutes.
Imraan, who like his captain scored his fourth first-class hundred, batted painstakingly for 107. The right-handed son of former Test opener, and now umpire, Sadiq Mohammad, stayed at the crease for 16 minutes short of six hours. His 260-ball marathon effort included seven fours.
Customs’ cause was greatly assisted by PWD skipper Saad Wasim, whose lacked leadership skills on the field lacked imagination. Time and again, easy runs were given away. All Customs batsmen got themselves out rather than being forced into mistakes.
PAKISTAN CUSTOMS (1st Innings, overnight 305-2):
Kashif Siddique c Saad b Riaz 98
Shadab Kabir c Ramesh b Haaris 62
Imraan Mohammad lbw b Riaz 107
Aamir Bashir c Bazid b Bilal 115
Asim Kamal not out 102
Naseem Khan c Bilal b Iqbal 18
Azhar Shafiq c Afsar b Riaz 16
Tariq Haroon b Nadeem 50
Aamir Iqbal not out 3
EXTRAS (B-10, LB-19, W-1, NB-3) 33
TOTAL (for seven dec, 167.1 overs) 604
FALL OF WKTS: 1-166, 2-178, 3-393, 4-432, 5-467, 6-494, 7-594.
DOD NOT BAT: Salman Fazal, Tabish Nawab.
BOWLING: Nadeem Iqbal 22-6-63-1; Rajesh Ramesh 23-2-89-0 (3nb, 1w); Iqbal Imam 27-1-77-1; Bilal Asad 9-0-35-1; Haaris Ayaz 40-3-126-1; Riaz Shaikh 44.1-4-179-3; Saad Wasim 2-0-6-0.
PWD (1st Innings):
Bilal Asad not out 38
Azam Khan c Azhar b Tabish 37
Haaris Ayaz c A. Iqbal b Tabish 0
Afsar Nawaz not out 4
EXTRAS (LB-2, W-1) 3
TOTAL (for two wkts, 17 overs) 82
FALL OF WKTS: 1-72, 2-72.
TO BAT: Bazid Khan, Saad Wasim, Iqbal Imam, Riaz Shaikh, Mutahir Shah, Rajesh Ramesh, Nadeem Iqbal.
BOWLING (to-date): Azhar Shafiq 3-0-19-0; Tariq Haroon 3-0-7-0; Tabish Nawab 6-1-30-2; Salman Fazal 5-0-24-0.