RAWALPINDI: Abdullah Shafique provided a solid start to Central Punjab (CP) with a magnificent double century before bowlers helped the side restrict Sindh to 270/5 on the second day of their ongoing fixture in Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) at Pindi Cricket Stadium here on Wednesday.
Resuming at an overnight score of 358/6, CP extended their domination over Sindh as the side added a crucial 70 runs on the second day.
CP’s star with the bat on the opening day, Abdullah, who bolstered his side to a massive total with his unbeaten knock of 189, carried on his exceptional form on the second day and went on to smash a brilliant double century. He scored 232 off 262 deliveries, laced with 28 boundaries and four sixes.
Sindh bowlers, however, held their nerves calm to decimate the lower order and bowled out CP for 428. Abdullah top-scored for the side with 232, while Aamer Yamin scored an important 70.
In response to CP’s massive total, Sindh had a dismal start to their inning as the side lost three wickets at a paltry score of 94 with skipper Saud Shakeel falling for a mere two.
Sindh’s opening batter Saim Ayub held his ground firm amid his side’s poor start and anchored the inning with a gritty knock. The left-handed batter joined hands with Fawad Alam following the slump and added 40 runs before falling victim to Usama Mir. He scored 71 off 96 deliveries, laced with nine boundaries and a six.
Following Saim’s departure, Saad Khan charged on CP bowlers and scored a quick 30 amid his 50-run stand with Fawad. The left-handed batter, however, could not continue his heroics for long and fell prey to CP captain Qasim Akram, causing his side to slip to 184/5.
Sindh wicketkeeper batter Sarfaraz Ahmed then joined Fawad in the middle and put on a valiant unbeaten partnership that powered the side to a rather comfortable position. The duo added 86 runs for the sixth and Sindh, as a result, finished at 270/5 at the stumps.
The pair will now resume the proceedings for Sindh with the side trailing by 158 runs.
Aamer led the bowling attack for CP as he bagged two wickets, while Qasim, Usama Mir, and Mohammad Saad made one scalp each.
In another first-round match, Mubasir Khan followed Abdul Faseeh’s brilliance as he powered Northern to 529/5d against Southern Punjab (SP) with his magnificent knock of 170, while Sarmad Bhatti chipped in with a gritty 81 before the Northern captain opted to declare the inning.
Mubasir top-scored for his side with 170 off 236 balls with the help of 22 boundaries and a six. Whereas, Sarmad scored 81 off 206 deliveries.
For SP, Hassan Khan led the way with three wickets, while Ali Usman bagged two.
In response to Northern’s mammoth 529, SP finished at 128/2 on the conclusion of the second day despite a dismal start as their opener Zain Abbas fought hard with a valiant knock of 69* while Agha Salman scored a supportive 35.
The pair will now resume the proceedings for SP on the third day of their first-round match with a 401-run deficit.
In the first match of the tournament, however, Balochistan strengthened their domination over defending champions Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as the side posted a massive 473 before restricting KP to 151/5.
Resuming at an overnight score of 324/5, Balochistan were off to a dismal start as they lost three wickets after adding 42 runs.
Following the early slump, Kashif Bhatti and Khurram Shahzad stood up for their team and put on an astounding 99-run partnership for the ninth wicket. Kashif scored 71 off 84, while Sarmad scored a valiant 47.
For KP, Arshad Iqbal bagged four wickets, while Mohammad Sarwar and Ihsanullah claimed two each. Khalid Usman, on the other hand, made one scalp.
In response to a mammoth 473, KP had a poor start as the side lost three quick wickets for a mere 34.
Kamran Ghulam and Adil Amin then added 67 runs for the fourth wicket and put on a fightback for the defending champions. The pair appeared solid and were looking to bolster them to a decent position before Kashif trapped the latter in his legs to break the important partnership. He scored 39 off 60 deliveries.
Sarwar’s stay at the crease remained brief he fell for a mere four after falling to Khurram and KP as a result, slipped to 108/5.
KP’s hero with the bat Kamran then joined hands with Rehan Afridi and put on an unbeaten 43 runs partnership that lasted till the conclusion of an eventful second day.
Kamran (64*) and Rehan (20*) will now resume the proceedings for KP at 151/5 with a 322 runs deficit.
For Balochistan, Khurram bagged two wickets, while Akif Javed, Hussain Talat, and Kashif made one scalp each.
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