Danish Kaneria, the Pakistan legspinner, bowled Habib Bank to a splendid 114-run victory in their Patrons Trophy match, at Karachi. Kaneria captured six wickets for 58 runs in the Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) second innings - after they'd been left chasing a target of 299 - and enabled Habib Bank to gain a win inside three days.
Habib Bank earlier added only 14 more to their overnight score of 220 for 7, with Humayun Farhat taking his score to 70 off 79 balls with six fours and a six in his team's 234. The ten wickets that ZTBL's medium-pacer Kashif Daud from Sialkot took were thus in vain. Kashif bagged 5 for 52 in 15 overs for a match-haul of 10 for 98.
The only innings of substance for ZTBL was Atif Ashraf's 76 at number three. The experienced 26-year-old from Islamabad stayed at the crease for ten minutes short of three hours, faced 110 balls and hit ten boundaries. But Kaneria had the last laugh.
The third day of the Patrons Trophy match between Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) and Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) ended on an exciting note at the Sheikhupura Stadium on Sunday. WAPDA slumped to 81 for 7, chasing a small target of 98, for what appeared at one stage an extremely easy triumph.
After the overnight batsmen Azhar Shafiq (37) and Misbah-ul-Haq (42), the captain, had added 71 for the third-wicket, the last eight SNGPL wickets managed only 66 more, to be all out for 224 in their second innings. Left-arm medium-pacer Sarfraz Ahmed contributed one of his incredibly economical and effective bowling performances once again, finishing with four wickets for 17 runs in 17.4 overs.
WAPDA started their quest for a win disastrously, losing their first three wickets at the same score of 10. Samiullah Niazi and Imran Ali took three wickets each. Pakistan batsman Mohammad Yousuf (1) failed once again after having made eight the first time. However, bowling hero Bilal Khilji with 34 not out was still at the crease. With him is none else than Inzamam-ul-Haq, the Pakistan captain, ho came in at number nine, and holding on with an unbeaten six.
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) required only 63 more runs to win their Patrons Trophy match against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL), with six second innings wickets still in hand, as play ended on the third day at the KRL Stadium on Sunday.
Although KRL took their second innings total to an eventual 264, after having resumed at the overnight 166 for 6, PIA were left with a target of 191 to start the tournament with a victory. They were 128 for 4 at the day's close yesterday. After having conceded a 74-run lead as they were dismissed for a pathetic 103 on Friday's opening day, KRL did much better the second time round. Although none of their batsmen crossed the fifty mark, three players got into the 40s.
Pakistan allrounder Yasir Arafat followed his figures of 5 for 66 with KRL's top-score of 48, that came off 86 balls with five fours. Wicketkeeper Zulfiqar Jan made 44 off 111 deliveries. PIA were rattled by paceman Abdur Rauf as they began their second innings. Yasir Hameed, hoping to regain his lost Pakistan place, failed to open his account and Usman Tariq's dismissal for eight made it two down for 12.
Kamran Sajid and Bazid Khan then got involved in an invaluable partnership of 89 for the third wicket. Bazid hit six fours in his exact 50 off 94 balls. But the third and fourth wickets fell in quick succession to pace bowler Mohammad Irshad. Faisal Iqbal and Shoaib Malik were still at the crease having taken the score to 128.
As was predicted, debutants Attock Group crashed to an innings and 46-run defeat at the hands of defending champions National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) on the third day of their Patrons Trophy match, here at Karachi.
Faced with the prospect of a follow-on on the second day, Attock Group were bowled out for 195, after resuming their overnight first-innings score of 131 for 7. They fell 187 runs behind but managed only a poor 141 in their second and succumbed to an innings defeat.
Discarded Pakistan pace bowler Mohammad Sami, under scrutiny by the selectors for a possible return to the national side, finally came good, taking three wickets each innings, adding to his unbeaten 34 with the bat. His new-ball partner Wasim Khan took 5 for 46 in 14.1 overs yesterday.
In the gloom of the defeat, the Attock Group eighth-wicket pair added an exact 100 in the first innings, which brought them close to saving the follow-on. Wicketkeeper Sajid Mahmood scored a career-best 42 while his partner Zohaib Ahmed also reached his highest score in first-class cricket with 44.