KARACHI: Niaz Khan’s 5 wickets and Abdullah Fazal’s unbeaten century gave State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) a massive first innings lead over Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL).
OGDCL captain Imam-ul-Haq’s decision to bat first as his side were bundled out for 76 runs in just 26 overs.
No.10 batsman Mushtaq Ahmed top-scored with 19 off 20 balls, while wicket-keeper batsman Umar Siddiqui (10) scored a double.
Nias led SBB’s bowling charge with a five-wicket haul, followed by Qasim Akram with three scalps and Sirajuddin and Kaship Bhatti chipping in with one scalp each.
In reply, SBP ended the first day at 246 in 59 overs, taking a 170-run lead, courtesy of an unbeaten 242-run partnership between Abdullah and Mohammad Huraira, who scored a century for the second wicket.
Abdullah top-scored with an unbeaten 140 off 187 balls while Huraira scored an unbeaten 95 off 164 balls. The duo will resume on day two as the sixth-placed side look to extend SBB’s lead.
A six-wicket haul from fast bowler Khan Zaib led Sahir Associates to a touching lead against Ghani Glass on the opening day of the finals at the SBP Sports Complex.
Opting to bat first, Ghani Glass managed to amass 155 runs before being dismissed in 42.2 overs. Veteran opener Sharjeel Khan continued to top it with 45 off 44 balls, followed by skipper Noman Ali’s 33 off 32 balls.
Zaib bowled brilliantly for Sahir Associates, taking 6 for 86 in his 19 overs, while Razaullah, Mohammad Mohsin Khan and skipper Hafiz Mohammad Suleman chipped in with a scalp each.
In turn, Sahir Associates ended the day in a commanding position, reducing the opening day to 83 runs as they piled on 75/2.
However, as Sahir Associates reduced their first innings to 21/2, their openers Asim Ali Naseer (three) and Fahad Usman (seven) fell victim to Noman Ali and Ali Shabbir respectively.
After an early stumble, Mohammad Faiq and Mohammad Saleem cemented their innings with an unbeaten 54-run partnership of 36 and 24 not out respectively.
The sixth-round President’s Cup Grade-I match between holders Pakistan Television (PTV) and Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) hung in the balance after a hectic opening day at the UBL Sports Complex here.
Batting first, defending champions Usman Salahuddin and captain Shamil Hussain’s fifties saw them all out for 269 in 79.3 overs.
Salahuddin top-scored with 54 off 143 balls while Hussain scored 51 off 34 balls with 4 sixes and several fours.
Apart from them, top-order batsmen Waqar Hussain and Mohammad Taha scored 40 and 47 respectively.
On the WAPDA side, captain Khalid Usman took 4 wickets, Mohammad Naveed and Mohammad Asghar took 2 wickets each and Naqeebullah took one wicket.
In reply, WAPDA amassed 29/0 in eight overs before stumps were drawn at the UBL Sports Complex.
Openers Usman Iqbal and Muhammad Iqbal remained unbeaten on 21 and 7 respectively, leaving PTV another 240 runs behind to begin their reply on day two.
On the opening day of the remaining sixth round President Cup Grade-I tournament, Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) won against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) with the help of their spinners.
KRL’s spinner trio of Hamza Nasser (3/40), Iftikhar Ahmed (2/53) and Subian Mukeem (1/25) ran through SNGPL’s batting unit, which was all out for 199 in 61.3 overs.
Middle-order batsmen Muhammad Awais Jaffer and Mubasir Khan jointly topped the scoring with 38 runs each, while veteran opener Abid Ali (24) made significant contributions.
In turn, KRL reached 61/2 in 28 overs before stumps were drawn, reducing the deficit to 138 runs.
Opener Shazaib Khan, who led their batting charge with an unbeaten 29 on the opening day, will begin his reply with Imran Rafiq on 10 not out the next day.
For the SNGPL team, Shehzad Gul and Sajid Khan could claim a wicket each on the opening day.