Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2020: Balochistan's Akbar, Ayaz score half-centuries

Half-centuries by Akbar-ur-Rehman and Ayaz Tasawar gave Balochistan a 169-run first innings lead over Northern on day two of their ninth round first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi.

Balochistan were bowled out for 372 as Northern captain Nauman Ali recorded his season’s sixth five-wicket haul when he returned six for 107 from 46.1 overs. The 34-year-old left-arm orthodox now has 61 scalps at an average of 21.79.

Balochistan provided a solid start as their captain Imran Farhat and Ali Rafiq put a 101-run stand for the opening wicket. Imran added 24 runs to his overnight score before he became one of Nauman’s victims on 77.

A firm 139-run alliance for the fourth wicket between Akbar (82 off 155, four fours and five sixes) and Ayaz (69 off 105, nine fours and two sixes) set Balochistan, who are at the bottom of the points table, to post an imposing total and helped them achieve three batting points for being 330 for six at the completion of 100 overs.

They have now gathered as many as eight bonus points from the contest after they pocketed five bowling points for dismissing Northern for 203 in 62.1 overs yesterday.

Northern pacer Waqas Ahmed took three wickets for 63 runs, while the remaining wicket was taken by all-rounder Mohammad Nawaz.

Second-ranked Northern will begin their second innings on Tuesday, the penultimate morning of the match.

At the State Bank Stadium, a consolidated bowling performance from Sindh allowed Southern Punjab a slender 30-run lead and bagged them five bowling points that took their bonus points tally from the match to six.

Left-arm orthodox Mohammad Asghar was the pick of the bowlers with four for 81, while young pacer Shahnawaz Dhani continued to impress as he returned three for 67.

Veteran fast bowler Tabish Khan took two wickets for 39 runs, while Test bowler Mir Hamza took one wicket for 55 runs.

Overnight batsman and Southern Punjab opener Zain Abbas converted his overnight 25 into 39 before Imran Rafiq made 67 from 152 balls, which included five fours and two sixes.

All-rounder Aamer Yamin and Saif Badar scored 35 and 33, respectively.

An 80-run unfinished partnership for the first wicket between Khurram Manzoor (28) and Sharjeel Khan (45) had put Sindh 50 runs ahead before the close of play.

Central Punjab’s Saad Nasim became the second batsman from his side to register a century this season as he turned his overnight score of 81 into an undefeated 136 not out against table-toppers Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in front of broadcast cameras at the National Stadium.

Saad smashed 12 fours and six sixes from the 189 balls he faced in his 275-minute-long stay at the crease, which helped Central Punjab post 351 for seven before Hasan Ali made a brave declaration. The title defenders in the process gathered three batting bonus points.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Ali Shan contributed 43 (seven fours). Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s pacer Irfanullah Shah dismissed three batsmen for 53 runs.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, in reply, were 171 runs behind as they had scored 180 for three from 67 overs.

Adil Amin posted his fourth half-century of the season as he was not out on 50 after Fakhar Zaman (42) and Israrullah (40) contributed 79 for the first wicket.

All three wickets were taken by off-spinner Qasim Akram.

On third morning of the match, Adil will be joined by Zohaib Khan (23 not out) when the play resumes.

Scores in brief (day two of four):

At UBL Sports Complex, Northern elected to bat against Balochistan

Northern 203 all out, 62.1 overs (Ali Sarfraz 38, Nasir Nawaz 31, Mohammad Nawaz 26, Waqas Ahmed 26, Sarmad Bhatti 25, Mubasir Khan 25; Kashif Bhatti 5-75, Raza-ul-Hasan 3-67)

Balochistan 372 all out, 116.1 overs (Akbar-ur-Rehman 82, Imran Farhat 77, Ayaz Tasawar 69, Ali Rafiq 36, Kashif Bhatti 35; Nauman Ali 6-107, Waqas Ahmed 3-63)

First innings points: Northern 3 (one batting, two bowling), Balochistan 8 (three batting, five bowling)

At State Bank Stadium, Southern Punjab elected to bowl (toss uncontested) against Sindh

Sindh 217 all out, 64.4 overs (Mohammad Hasan 111, Saad Ali 79; Aamer Yamin 3-31, Zahid Mahmood 3-49, Zia-ul-Haq 3-63) and 80-0, 17 overs (Sharjeel Khan 45 not out, Khurram Manzoor 28 not out)

Southern Punjab 247 all out, 81.1 overs (Imran Rafiq 67, Zain Abbas 39, Aamer Yamin 35, Saif Badar 33; Mohammad Asghar 4-81, Shahnawaz Dhani 3-67, Tabish Khan 2-39)

Points to date: Sindh 6 (one batting, five bowling), Southern Punjab 6 (one batting, five bowling)

At National Stadium, Central Punjab elected to bat against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

Central Punjab 351-7, 107.5 overs (Saad Nasim 136 not out, Mohammad Saad 78, Usman Salahuddin 53, Ali Shan 43, Qasim Akram 25; Irfanullah Shah 3-53)

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 180-3, 67 overs (Adil Amin 50 not out, Fakhar Zaman 42, Israrullah 40, Zohaib Khan 23 not out, Kamran Ghulam 20; Qasim Akram 3-26)

Points to date: Central Punjab 4 (three batting, one bowling), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 1 (all bowling)

Source: PCB