QEAT: Peshawar crush Bahawalpur in third-round clash

RAWALPINDI: Iftikhar Ahmed’s five-wicket haul in the second innings, followed by Muhammad Amir Barki’s unbeaten half-century, led Peshawar to a resounding eight-wicket victory over Bahawalpur in the third-round match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) here at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium on Monday.

Resuming their second innings from 218/7 in 62 overs, leading by 71 runs, Bahawalpur could add 43 more to their overnight score before being booked for a modest 261 in 73 overs.

Middle-order batters Mubasir Khan and Saad Khan, who scored half-centuries on day two, remained the top-scorer for Bahawalpur in the second innings with 64 and 61, respectively, while number nine batter Mohammad Junaid chipped in with 35.

Iftikhar led the bowling charge for Peshawar in the second innings, taking five wickets for just 52 runs in 20 overs, while Israrullah, Sufiyan Muqeem, Abuzar, Mohammad Amir Khan and Niaz Khan chipped in with one apiece.

Set to chase a modest 115, Peshawar comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of two wickets in just 16 overs, courtesy of opener Mohammad Amir Barki, who top-scored with an unbeaten 71 off 51 deliveries, studded with six fours and five sixes.

At the Marghzar Cricket Ground, top-order batter Raja Hamza Waheed’s unbeaten century on the penultimate day kept Islamabad in the hunt while chasing a mammoth 524-run target against Abbottabad.

The home side were comfortably placed at 234/2 at the end of third day’s play with Waheed and Mohammad Hammad Khan in the middle.

Waheed remained the top-scorer with an unbeaten 112 off 107 deliveries, laced with 15 fours and three sixes, while Hammad had made 27 not out.

Resuming their second innings from 45/1 with a 254-run lead in their favour, the visitors piled up 269 more to their before declaring at 314/9 in 55 overs.

Skipper Fakhar Zaman led Abbottabad from the front in the second innings, top-scoring with a 70-ball 74, comprising 10 fours and two sixes, while Ahmed Khan (57 not out), Yasir Khan (56) and Mohammad Bilal (54) lent notable support with respective half-centuries.

Jawad Ali was the standout bowler for Islamabad, taking three wickets, followed by Mohammad Nadeem with two, while Musa Khan and Kaleem Dil made one scalp apiece.

In turn, Islamabad got off to a shaky start as they lost opener Abdul Faseeh (eight) early before in-form Shamyl Hussain and Waheed launched an astounding recovery by putting together 124 runs for the second wicket.

The anchoring stand culminated with Hussain’s dismissal, who scored a brisk 81 off 84 deliveries with the help of 12 fours and two sixes.

At the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar, Karachi Blues were in a precarious position at the end of the penultimate day while chasing 296-run target against FATA.

The leaders were 67/4, needing a further 229, with skipper Rameez Aziz and middle-order batter Mohammad Asghar on strike, unbeaten on 10 and four, respectively.

Earlier in the day, FATA resumed their second innings from 56/0, with a 161-run lead in their favour, but could add a mere 124 runs for the loss of their remaining 10 wickets and were thus bowled out for 190 in 62.4 overs.

Opening batters Mohammad Usman and Mohammad Farooq remained the top-scorers with respective half-centuries, contributing 56 and 54, respectively.

For Karachi Blues, Mohammad Asghar and Saqib Khan picked up four wickets each, while Muhammad Umar struck once.

In another third-round QEAT match, underway at the Diamond Cricket Ground in Islamabad, Lahore Whites were 18/1 at the end of third day’s play while chasing a mammoth 390 against Sialkot.

Abid Ali and Ali Zaryab, unbeaten on 11 and four, respectively, will resume Lahore Whites’ pursuit on the final day.

Test pacer Mohammad Ali took the solitary Lahore Whites’ wicket to fall on the third day, dismissing Umar Siddiq, who could score two off 16 deliveries.

Earlier in the day, Sialkot resumed their second innings from 29/0, leading by 42 runs, and went on to declare their innings after accumulating a massive total of 402/7 in 88.3 overs.

Middle-order batter Mohsin Riaz remained the top-scorer with an unbeaten 100 off 99 deliveries, laced with 12 fours and a six.

His efforts were adequately backed by opening batter Mohammad Huraira (90), Aashar Mehmood (79) and Ayaz Tasawar (59), who scored anchoring half-centuries.

Ubaid Shah was the pick of the bowlers for Lahore Whites in the second innings, taking three wickets, followed by Haseeb-ur-Rehman, Mohammad Abbas and Ahmed Bashir with one apiece.

At the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, Arafat Minhas scored his maiden first-class century to help Multan declare their innings after a amassing a monumental total of 551/9 in 126 overs.

The left-handed batter top-scored with 152 off 163 deliveries, smashing 22 fours and three sixes.

Besides him, Imran Rafiq (70), Waqar Hussain (67), Sharoon Siraj (64), and Ali Usman (63) made handy contributions to Multan’s mammoth total.

Shahid Ali led the bowling charge for Faisalabad, taking three wickets for 139 runs in 30 overs, followed by Jahandad Khan and Ahmed Safi Abdullah with two each, while Ibtisam Rehman and Muhammad Irfan Khan chipped in with one apiece.

At the stumps on the penultimate day, Faisalabad were 223/5, trailing by a further 116 runs.

Top-order batter Asim Ali Nasir remained Faisalabad’s top-scorer, having made an unbeaten 85 off 173 deliveries with the help of 12 fours and a six, and will resume their second innings alongside wicketkeeper batter Ali Shan, who had made 11 not out.