Day 2 of QeA Trophy 2019/20 round eight concludes

The left-arm pacers had Balochistan reeling at 19 for four in reply of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 385 all-out.

Junaid took four wickets for 36 while Usman picked up three wickets for the same amount of runs.

The pair only faced resistance from Hussain Talat (25) and Bismillah Khan (35) as they stitched a 62-run partnership for the sixth-wicket.

Ahmed Jamal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Fakhar Zaman were the other bowlers to have checked their wickets’ column with a wicket each.

As the day concluded with the last wicket of Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will take a call on enforcing the follow-on this morning.

If Fakhar decides to put Balochistan in, the Imran Farhat-led side would be confronted with an arduous task of surmounting 239-run first innings deficit.

Earlier in the day, Zohaib Khan cracked his second century of the tournament and Usman Shinwari recorded his second first-class half-century.

After resuming his innings on 76, the all-rounder smashed 16 fours in his 133 off 232 balls.

Usman, batting at 10, hit four sixes and three fours in his 136-ball 51.

Mohammad Asghar picked another wicket on day two to record the figures of six for 121.

Sindh vs Central Punjab:

Pacer Tabish Khan took a five-wicket haul while Khurram Manzoor and Jahid Ali scored half centuries to give Sindh the upper hand against leaders Central Punjab on day two of the four-day eight round Quaid-e-Azam Trophy first-class match being played at the National Stadium in Karachi on Tuesday.

Sindh enjoyed a slender nine runs lead on the first innings after they ended the day on 255 for four with Fawad Alam (42) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (39) having put on 65 for the unbeaten fifth wicket partnership.

Earlier Tabish took five wickets for 85 to help bowl out Central Punjab for 246 in the morning session. It was Tabish’s 37th five wicket haul in a first-class career of 126 matches and 565 wickets.

Punjab had resumed on 216 for seven before Tabish picked two wickets and Sohail Khan one to dismiss the visitors.

Sindh collected full three bowling points for bowling Central Punjab out inside 110 overs, while Central Punjab had to settle for one batting point.

Sindh winless in the tournament were given a solid start by openers Khurram (85 from 118 balls) and Jahid (72 from 175 balls) who put on 140 runs.

Khurram in particular after a cautious start opened up to play some big shots against the pace bowlers and spinners, Zafar Gohar and off-spinner Bilal Asif who finished with three for 64. But his eagerness to get boundaries also led to Khurram’s downfall when he holed out to long on to give Bilal his first wicket, the right-hander smashed 11 fours and one six.

Bilal also bowled Shehzar Mohammad for two to rock the home side and his third victim was Jahid who went after a patient knock bowled by a straight one.

Seasoned pacer, Aizaz Cheema was the only Central Punjab pacer to enjoy success when he had Saad Ali caught behind by Kamran Akmal for seven. The experienced duo of Fawad and captain, Sarfaraz took control in the final session for a

productive partnership with the latter hitting five fours in his unbeaten 52 balls innings.

Northern vs Southern Punjab:

Batsmen continued to dominate on the second day of the four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture between Northern and Southern Punjab at Rawalpindi’s KRL Stadium.   

Hammad Azam’s sixth first-class century propelled Northern to 463 for seven, scored at an impressive run-rate of 4.22, and, in their reply, the tourists made 149 runs for the loss of two wickets at the back of half-centuries from Umar Siddiq and Zeeshan Ashraf.

Hammad scored an unbeaten 100 after resuming his innings on 48. The all-rounder crafted a 109-run stand for the sixth-wicket with his overnight partner Jamal Anwar, who made 44 from 106 balls.

The 28-year-old cracked six fours and two sixes in his 154-ball stay at the crease and also knitted a 66-run partnership with his side’s captain, Nauman Ali (37). The Northern declared their innings with the fall of Nauman’s wicket.

Left-arm spinner Mohammad Irfan returned his second five-wicket haul of the tournament taking five wickets for 158 runs in 38.4 overs.   

Southern Punjab, in reply, lost Sami Aslam early but Umar and Zeeshan stitched a timely 116-runs stand until the latter perished for a 101-ball 57 – which was studded with nine boundaries.

Opener Umar and Irfan (15) were at the crease when curtains were drawn on the second day’s play. For Northern, Waqas Ahmed and Shadab Khan took a wicket each.