KARACHI: Fast bowler Asad Ali grabbed his second successive five-wicket haul in an innings as leaders Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) put themselves in the driving seat against Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) on the second day of their President’s Trophy Grade-I National Cricket Championship match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Thursday.
Asad, who claimed a career-best 7-42 against United Bank Limited (UBL) last week, bagged 5-39 in 14 overs as PIA nose-dived to 101 all out in reply to SNGPL’s first-innings tally of 234.
Left-arm seamer Samiullah Khan Niazi set the tone by dismissing openers Shahzar Mohammad (0) and PIA skipper Kamran Sajid (10) before finishing the innings by getting rid of last man Aizaz Cheema to finish with 3-35.
Test discard Faisal Iqbal was the top-scorer for the national carrier with a 35-ball 31 (five boundaries and one six), while paceman Anwar Ali struck an unbeaten 25.
Earlier, Ali Waqas completed a fine century after SNGPL resumed at 160-4 with the left-hander batting on 68. Ali’s 105 — the 22-year-old’s fifth three-figure knock in 40 first-class matches — came off 187 balls with the aid of 17 boundaries.
Former Pakistan captain Shoaib Malik picked four of the last six wickets to finish with 4-49 while Anwar took the remaining two to end up with 5-66.
Second-placed Habib Bank Limited (HBL) were also comfortably placed against UBL at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.
After dismissing the bottom-placed side for 141 to earn a lead of 52, HBL extended it further to 223 by reaching 175-4 in their second innings.
Number three batsman Imran Ali was left stranded on 50 (93 balls, nine fours) after UBL began the day at 58-5. Kashif Bhatti (34) helped Imran add 60 after their side found themselves reeling at 69-6.
Paceman Ehsan Adil continued his remarkable first season of first-class cricket with four for 28 with Umar Gul and Abdul Ameer claiming two wickets each.
Skipper Younis Khan then led from the front to strike an undefeated 65 with 10 boundaries and together with Asad Shafiq (30) shared a fourth-wicket partnership of 94 to put HBL in full control after opener Shan Masood scored 41.
Zulfiqar Babar stroked an unbeaten 78 to steer Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to a pretty strong position against National Bank of Pakistan at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.
Replying to the bankers’ 164, Wapda extended their overnight score from 44-0 to 286 all out just before stumps to secure a substantial 122-run lead on the first innings. Ali Azmat (60) and captain Aamir Sajjad (44) also made useful contributions while putting on 87 for the fifth wicket.
Fast bowler Mohammad Imran Khan returned figures of four for 70 with Pakistan limited-overs sow left-armer Raza Hasan bagging three for 86.
State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) also reached a position of strength by reducing Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) to 198-7 at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad.
Left-armer Saad Altaf continued his good form with analysis of 4-46, while fellow fast bowler Mohammad Naved took 3-49.
Earlier, SBP were bowled out for 298 after resuming at 261-7. Sohail Tanvir’s dismissal of Saad Altaf earned the Pakistan left-arm seamer excellent return of seven for 61 in 25.1 overs.
Out-of-favour Pakistan opener Khurram Manzoor slammed a fine 104 not out — the 26-year-old right-hander’s 19th first-class hundred in 94 matches — as Port Qasim Authority (PQA) collected 217-5 in reply to Khan Research Laboratories (KRL)’s 289 at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi.
Khurram’s 185-ball knock, which contained 13 fours, has thus far dominated the ongoing sixth-wicket stand of 89 with ex-Test wicket-keeper Mohammad Salman (31).
Close of play scores on Thursday (day two of four): At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: SUI NORTHERN GAS PIPELINES LIMITED 234 in 90.4 overs (Ali Waqas 105, Mohammad Hafeez 37; Anwar Ali 5-66, Shoaib Malik 4-49); PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES 101 in 35.5 overs (Faisal Iqbal 31, Anwar Ali 25 not out; Asad Ali 5-39, Samiullah Khan Niazi 3-35).
At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: NATIONAL BANK OF PAKISTAN 164 in 62.1 overs (Kamran Akmal 37; Zulfiqar Babar 4-86, Sarfraz Ahmed 3-28, Junaid Khan 3-31); WATER AND POWER DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 286 in 100.2 overs (Zulfiqar Babar 78 not out, Ali Azmat 60, Aamir Sajjad 44, Asif Khan 35; Mohammad Imran Khan 4-70, Raza Hasan 3-86).At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: HABIB BANK LIMITED 193 in 44.3 overs (Humayun Farhat 79; Rumman Raees Khan 5-70, Kashif Bhatti 3-51, Shabbir Ahmed 2-35) and 175-4 in 55.2 overs (Younis Khan 65 not out, Shan Masood 41, Asad Shafiq 30; Atif Jabbar 2-52); UNITED BANK LIMITED 141 in 37 overs (Imran Ali 50 not out, Kashif Bhatti 34; Ehsan Adil 4-38, Umar Gul 2-31, Abdul Ameer 2-34).
At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi: KHAN RESEARCH LABORATORIES 289 in 92.1 overs (Zulfiqar Jan 50, Hamza Paracha 42, Nauman Ali 41, M. Tayyab Riaz 34; Ahmed Jamal 3-46, Mohammad Talha 3-48, Tanvir Ahmed 2-86); PORT QASIM AUTHORITY 217-5 in 60 overs (Khurram Manzoor 104 not out, Mohammad Salman 31 not out; Ali Khan 2-29).
At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: STATE BANK OF PAKISTAN 298 in 88.1 overs (Gulraiz Sadaf 69, Kashif Siddique 53, Mohammad Saad 43, Rameez Raja 43; Sohail Tanvir 7-61, Rehan Riaz 2-79); ZARAI TARAQIATI BANK LIMITED 198-7 in 62 overs (Imran Nazir 63, Zohaib Khan 37 not out, Haris Sohail 35; Saad Altaf 4-46, Mohammad Naved 3-49).