LAHORE: Najeebullah Achakzai took a five-fer for the first time in his career to help Balochistan grab a 16-run first innings lead against ATF Southern Punjab, while Saud Shakeel and Omair Bin Yousuf stroked their second centuries of the tournament to help Sindh earn first-innings lead points against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on day three of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy on Monday.
At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, 31-year-old Najeebullah, who played four matches in his maiden season last year, recorded figures of 23.5-0-90-5 in his first game of this season to skittle out ATF Southern Punjab for 330 after they had resumed this morning at 109 for two in reply to Balochistan’s 346.When play ended, Balochistan had reached 36 for one.
Najeebullah accounted for Umar Siddiq (17), Sharoon Siraj (73), Mohammad Imran Randhawa (53), Ali Usman (8) and Ahmed Bashir (0). While Sharoon’s 132-ball 73 included 12 fours, Usman Salahuddin was the innings’ top scorer with 88 (184 balls, 10×4). Usman had started the day at 32, while Sharoon began at 46.
At the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Sindh secured a 105-run first innings lead over defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following centuries by captain Saud Shakeel and Omair Bin Yousuf. On Sunday, opener Khurram Manzoor had hit a rapid 130-ball 116 to provide his side a solid start.
Saud, who started the day at 43 and Omair, who began at 5, scored 105 runs apiece and put on 144 runs for the third wicket after Sindh had resumed their innings at 214 for two in reply to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 384. Saud faced 251 balls and hit 13 fours in his second century of the season and 13th overall, while Omair hit eight fours and a six in his 216 innings. It was also Omair’s second successive century of this year’s Quaid-e-Azam Trophy and seventh in 32nd match.
Later in the innings, Mohammad Hasan (47) and Asif Mahmood (31) added 60 runs for the seventh wicket to help Sindh finish the day at 489 for nine.
For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Test off-spinner Sajid Khan picked up three for 127, while Ihsanullah added one more wicket to his overnight tally to finish with three for 108.
At the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, an unbeaten century by Sarmad Bhatti and half-centuries by Faizan Riaz, Mubasir Khan and Umar Amin took Northern to 425 for four in reply to Central Punjab’s 509 for nine declared. Northern had commenced their day at 107 for one.
Sarmad was batting on 102, his seventh career century and first of the season, and with him was Mubasir Khan, who was 70 not out. Sarmad has faced 217 balls and hit 11 fours, while Mubasir’s 97-ball innings includes 10 fours and a six as the two batters have put on 124 runs for the unfinished fifth wicket.
Huraira added nine more runs to his overnight score and was dismissed for 62, while Umar scored 68 after beginning the day at 35. Faizan Riaz, who had stroked a double-century in the previous match, was out after scoring a 167-ball 74 with nine fours.
Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (fourth round, day three):
Central Punjab vs Northern at the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad
Central Punjab 509-9d, 140 overs (Azhar Ali 219, Tayyab Tahir 114, Ali Shan 55, Abdullah Shafique 32, Mohammad Saad 27; Mehran Mumtaz 3-111, Nauman Ali 3-173, Mubasir Khan 2-76)
Northern 425-4 (overnight 107-1) (Sarmad Bhatti 102 not out, Faizan Riaz 74, Mubasir Khan 70 not out, Umar Amin 68, Mohammad Huraira 62; Ahmed Safi Abdullah 2-95)
Sindh vs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 384, 115.2 overs (Mohammad Sarwar Afridi 148, Kamran Ghulam 93, Sahibzada Farhan 53, Rehan Afridi 47; Mohammad Umar 4-87, Abrar Ahmed 4-130, Mir Hamza 2-51)
Sindh (overnight 214-2) 489-9, 137 overs (Khurram Manzoor 116, Saud Shakeel 105, Omair Bin Yousuf 105, Mohammad Hasan 47, Saim Ayub 42, Asif Mahmood 31; Ihsanullah 3-108, Sajid Khan 3-127)
ATF Southern Punjab vs Balochistan at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium
Balochistan 346, 127 overs (Asad Shafiq 106, Ali Waqas 45, Haris Sohail 37, Haseebullah 33, Imran Butt 30, Khurram Shahzad 26 not out; Sameen Gul 5-84, Muhammad Imran Randhawa 3-75) and 36 for one
ATF Southern Punjab (overnight 109-2) 330, 96.5 overs (Usman Salahuddin 88, Sharoon Siraj 73, Mohammad Imran Randhawa 53, Salman Ali Agha 44; Najeebullah Achakzai 5-90, Kashif Bhatti 2-78, Khurram Shehzad 2-83)
