QEAT: Peshawar’s Rizwan, Haris hit tons as first-round matches end in draws

PESHAWAR: Centuries from Peshawar’s Mohammad Rizwan and Mohammad Haris against Sialkot remained in the spot as all five matches of the first round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) 2025-26 ended in draws across venues on Thursday.

The first-round match of the premier first-class tournament here at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium, where two days of action could not be possible due to rain, saw Sialkot score 156/3 in response to the home side’s 376/5 declare.

At the start of the final day, Peshawar resumed their first innings from 154/4 through skipper Mohammad Rizwan and Adil Amin and went on to add 222 more to their overnight score before ultimately declaring at 376/5 in 102.4 overs.

Rizwan remained the top-scorer for the home side with an unbeaten 123 off 203 deliveries, followed by wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris, who made 100 not out. The duo also shared an undefeated 163-run partnership for the sixth wicket.

For Sialkot, skipper Amad Butt and Mehran Mumtaz picked up two wickets each, while Mohammad Ali took one.

In response, Sialkot were 156/3 in 29 overs when the stumps were drawn.

Middle-order batter Mohsin Riaz remained the top-scorer with 67, followed by opening batter Azan Awais, who made an unbeaten 52 off 78 deliveries.

For Peshawar, Abuzar took two wickets, while Sufiyan Muqeem chipped in with one.

At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Bahawalpur’s Muhammad Imran made the home side follow on by taking a five-wicket haul, but his efforts were insufficient to help his side force a result.

Earlier in the day, Abbottabad resumed their first innings from 30/0 in response to Bahawalpur’s 399 all out, but were booked for a meagre 166 in 44.3 overs, succumbing to a 233-run deficit.

Middle-order batter Mohammad Suleman remained the top-scorer with a gutsy 41, followed by skipper Fakhar Zaman and all-rounder Khalid Usman, who mustered 38 and 31, respectively.

Imran was the standout bowler for Bahawalpur in the first innings, taking five wickets for just 26 runs in 14 overs. He was amply supported by Mohammad Azab, who picked up three, while Mehran Sanwal bagged one.

Bahawalpur captain Saifullah Bangash made Abbottabad to follow on, and the home side’s batting unit responded well in the second innings, accumulating 155/3 before the game ended in a draw.

Fakhar remained the top-scorer for the home side in the second innings with a brisk half-century, making 61 off 79 deliveries, laced with five sixes and four fours.

For Bahawalpur, Gulfam Aziz, Mubasir Khan and Saad Khan could claim a wicket apiece in the second innings.

At the Marghzar Cricket Ground in Islamabad, the first-round QEAT fixture between Karachi Whites and Faisalabad also ended in a stalemate, after the former had acquired a massive first-innings lead of 296 runs despite Hasan Raza’s monumental knock.

At the start of the final day, Faisalabad resumed their first innings from 198/4 in response to Karachi Whites’ 477 all out, and added 156 more to their overnight score to eventually get bowled out for 354, succumbing to a 123-run deficit.

Opening batter Hasan remained the top-scorer with a marathon 172 off 239 deliveries, studded with 22 fours and two sixes. He was supported by skipper Irfan, who made a handy contribution with a 120-ball 78.

For Karachi Whites, Mir Hamza and Mushtaq bagged three wickets each, while skipper Rameez Aziz made a double strike.

With a handy 123-run lead in their favour, Karachi Blues accumulated 173/6 in 40 overs before the fixture ended in a draw.

Left-handed opener Saim Ayub remained the top-scorer in the second innings with an 84-ball 79, studded with 12 boundaries, including three sixes.

Ahmed Safi Abdullah led the bowling charge for Faisalabad in the second innings with a four-wicket haul, while Atiq-ur-Rehman and Mudasar Zunair chipped in with a strike apiece.

Another first-round QEAT match, played at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, also ended in a draw after Hussain Talat’s unbeaten century helped Lahore Whites topple Islamabad’s first-innings tally of 301 all out.

Resuming their response from 152/3, Lahore Whites went on to pile 301 all out, with Talat top-scoring with 106 not out from 161 deliveries, laced with nine fours and two sixes.

Nusratullah was the pick of the bowlers for Islamabad, taking three wickets for 71 runs in 16 overs, followed by Musa Khan, Mohammad Nawaz and Jawad Ali with two each, while Haris Rauf chipped in with one.

In turn, Islamabad converted the 45-run deficit into a 113-run advantage as they amassed 158/3 before the stumps were drawn on the final day.

Opener Abdul Faseeh remained the top-scorer with a quickfire half-century, mustering 75 off 88 deliveries, laced with nine fours and two sixes.

For Lahore Whites, Salman Ali Agha took two wickets, while Ubaid Shah could claim one in the second innings.

The remaining first-round QEAT match, played at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad, saw FATA and Multan settling for a stalemate after Bismillah Khan’s century.

At the commencement of the final day, Multan resumed their first innings from 88/3 in response to 273 all out and eventually secured a 121-run lead as they finished at 394 all out in 102.5 overs.

Leading the way for them was wicketkeeper batter Bismillah, who top-scored with 138 off 158 deliveries, laced with 20 boundaries, including four sixes.

Besides him, middle-order batter Sharoon Siraj made a notable contribution, scoring 61 off 91 deliveries.

Zahid Mehmood led the bowling charge for FATA with a five-wicket haul, while Shahid Aziz and Sameen Gul chipped in with two scalps each.

In turn, FATA were 39/1, trailing by 82 runs, before the stumps were drawn on the final day’s action.

Opener Mohammad Naeem (25 not out) remained the top-scorer for FATA in the second innings, while Ali Usman claimed the solitary wicket to fall for Multan.

For the unversed, the second round of the QEAT will run from October 12 to 15 across five venues in four cities.