KARACHI: Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) qualified for the President’s Cup Grade-1 final despite suffering a humiliating 210-run defeat at the hands of State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) on the fourth day of the final round at the SBP Sports Complex on Thursday.
WAPDA finished second with 120 points behind Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in the final to be held at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore from February 12.
SBP resumed their second innings from 262/3 on the final day of the seventh innings with Ghazi Ghori and Kashif Ali taking a 244-run lead in their favour.
The duo extended their partnership to 106 runs for the fourth wicket overnight, with Sharon Siraj giving WAPDA the much-needed breakthrough as he hit 66 off 65 balls with the help of five sixes and several fours.
With the scoreboard reading 373/4 in 64 overs, captain Hasan Raza combined with Rameez Aziz for a fifth-wicket stand of 48 before declaring.
Ghori scored an unbeaten 128 off 114 balls with 14 fours and 3 sixes in the second innings, while Ramis scored an unbeaten 30 off 18 balls with 3 fours and a six.
For Wapda side, Mujtaba Khan took three wickets and Sharon took one wicket.
Chasing a target of 356 runs, WAPDA’s batting unit was dismantled by Kaship Bhatti in the second innings and managed to score 145 runs in 31.3 overs before being bowled out despite a brave half-century by Nabi Gul.
Gull stood up for WAPDA in the run chase with a gutsy 72 off 93 balls that included a dozen fours including two sixes.
Apart from him, captain Khalid Usman (21), Mohammad Ammar (17) and Bismilla Khan (13) can score double centuries.
Kashif led SBB’s bowling charge with sensational figures of 5/72 in 15.3 overs in the second innings. His efforts were supported by Qasim Akram who took three wickets while Shahid Aziz claimed one.