Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, the Pakistan fast bowler, turned in a superb allround performance at his home ground, the Sheikhupura Stadium, as Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) gained a 72-run lead over Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), on the second day of their second-round match.
Having taken 5 for 46 in 15.4 overs in PIA's first innings of 166, Naved-ul-Hasan hammered 62 off 53 balls as WAPDA replied with 238 for 7. Aamer Sajjad also contributed a worthy 68, including nine fours after both opening batsmen had perished without making any runs. Later in the order, youngsters Jahangir Mirza (32) and Ali Azmat (29) chipped in before Naved boosted the total with a superb knock.
PIA were without the services of their captain Faisal Iqbal, opening batsman Yasir Hameed and allrounder Shoaib Malik, who are among the 15 players chosen by Pakistan for the first two Tests against West Indies.
WAPDA, in the previous match against Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL), were assisted by Pakistan skipper Inzamam-ul-Haq and star batsman Mohammad Yousuf. Both are now playing in the first Test against West Indies in Lahore.
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Defending champions National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) were in grave trouble against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), on the second day at the NBP Sports Complex Stadium in Karachi.
Facing a mammoth 440 posted by ZTBL, NBP crashed to 83 for 5 in reply. They still required another whopping 207 runs just to save the follow-on. None of the players in the ZTBL batting line-up crossed the three-figure mark, but as many as four made half-centuries with three others and the extras getting past 30.
After ZTBL scored 267 for 5 on the first day, Lahore's left-handed teenager Adnan Raza contributed 89 and top-scored for ZTBL in their total of 440. He faced 167 balls in a little over three-and-a-half hours and hit 10 fours and two sixes. His sixth-wicket partnership with Naved Ashraf (39) was worth 88 and he added another 69 for the seventh wicket with skipper Rao Iftikhar (31).
Mohammad Sami, the Pakistan fast bowler, captured 4 for 87 in 22 overs while offspinner Irfanuddin ended with 4 for 104. Rao Iftikhar and budding medium-pacer Kashif Daud then rattled NBP with two wickets apiece. The fourth-wicket partnership between Shahid Yousuf (26) and Fawad Alam, still at the crease with 28 not out, lifted NBP from 26 for 3 to 73 but then two more wickets fell at the same score.
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After 16 years and 127 matches, Murtaza Hussain scored his maiden first-class century on the second day of Pakistan Customs' second-round match. More famous as an offspinner, Hussain compiled 117 against the Attock Group at the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex Ground No1 at Karachi.
After Shahid Qambrani had taken his overnight 118 to 128, Murtaza, a 31-year-old from Bahawalpur, managed 117 off 229 balls. His seventh-wicket partnership with Shahid produced 181 after Customs had slumped to 90 for 6. Resuming at their overnight 251 for 6, they were all out for 379. Attock Group replied with 108 for 2 after having lost two wickets for only 24 runs.
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Former Pakistan wicketkeeper Atiq-uz-Zaman hammered 121 off 100 balls on the opening day of the three-day Patron's Trophy Grade-II Cricket Championship match, for SSGC against Dewan Farooq Motors Limited (DFML), at the PCB Academy Ground in Rawalpindi.
In their allotted 83 overs, SSGC had reached a healthy first-innings score of 344 for 7. Opener Asif Zakir scored 68 and Atiq shared a 176-run sixth-wicket stand with Mansoor Ali (63). Atiq, who last played for Habib Bank in 2003-04, has since married and settled in England. He is visiting Pakistan this winter and playing on the non first-class circuit as the SSGC captain. Yesterday, he batted for two-and-a-half hours and smashed 17 fours and two sixes. For DFML, Mohammad Naved took 3 for 86 and Yasir Shah chipped in with 3 for 116 in 22 overs.