President's Trophy Grade-I: PTV salvage draw against SNGPL in fourth round

PESHAWAR: Mohammad Taha's unbeaten century, coupled with Sharoon Siraj's fifty, helped Pakistan Television (PTV) salvage a draw against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in their fourth-round President's Trophy Grade-I match here at the Iman Khan Cricket Stadium on Saturday despite being forced to follow-on.

At the commencement of the pulsating final day, PTV resumed their second innings from 227/4 through overnight centurion Taha and Sharoon, leading by 33 runs.

Taha went on to top-score for PTV in the second innings with 166 off 292 deliveries, studded with 18 fours and a six, while Sharoon made a cautious 155-ball 67.

Besides them, lower-order batters Muhammad Shahzad (22), Ali Usman (14 not out) and Haris Rauf (35 not out) made notable contributions to help PTV breach the 400-run barrier, following which their captain Taimur Khan called for the declaration and set SNGPL a formidable 207-run target.

Athar Mahmood was the standout bowler for SNGPL as he picked up three wickets for 106 runs in his 26 overs, followed by Shahnawaz Dahani with two, while Ahmed Safi Abdullah made one scalp.

SNGPL could only bat 23 overs after being set to chase a 207-run target, in which they accumulated 86/3, before the stumps were drawn at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium here.

Test opener Azan Awais remained the top-scorer for SNGPL in the second innings with a 33-ball 34, closely followed by his opening partner Sameer Minhas, who made an unbeaten 32 off 62 deliveries.

Besides the two openers, only captain Shan Masood (10) could amass double figures against SNGPL's bowling attack, led by Israr Hussain, who bagged two wickets for 21 runs in his five overs.

At the National Cricket Ground in Islamabad, KRL had to settle for a draw against Kingsmen Academy despite an unbeaten century by their captain Iftikhar Ahmed in the daunting 467-run pursuit on the final day, which they finished at 236/4 in 76 overs.

The final day of the aforementioned fourth-round President's Trophy Grade-I match got underway with Kingsmen Academy declaring their second innings at 167/3 in 24.5 overs, setting KRL a daunting target.

KRL got off to a shaky start to the pursuit as they lost opener Asim Ali Nasir (11) early with just 11 runs on the board, but a half-century from another opener, Shahzaib Khan and an unbeaten century by captain Iftikhar eventually helped them recover.

Iftikhar remained the top-scorer with 104 not out off just 109 deliveries, studded with 11 fours and five sixes, while Shahzaib made a 206-ball 74 with the help of 13 fours.

Besides them, top-order batter Mohammad Faiq also made a notable contribution with a 115-ball 36, laced with five fours.

For Kingsmen Academy, Mohammad Faizan Ghani bagged two wickets each, while Mohammad Ilyas and Mehran Mumtaz could claim one apiece.

For the unversed, the fifth round of the President's Trophy Grade-I will run from October 6 to 9 across four venues in three cities.