Karachi (Sports Report):-Central Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa registered contrasting wins on day-four of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2021-22 sixth-round matches in Karachi. Central Punjab thumped Southern Punjab by an innings and 56 runs while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa won a closely fought encounter against Northern by four wickets.
Central Punjab recorded their first win of the ongoing season as they defeated the table-toppers heading into the sixth-round Southern Punjab by a massive margin at the State Bank of Pakistan Stadium Karachi.
Resuming their second innings at the overnight score of 105 for five, Southern Punjab were dismissed for 175 in 47.3 overs. Yousuf Babar who was unbeaten on 30 when play began fell for 47.
All-rounder Aamer Yamin who took a five-wicket haul in Central Punjab’s lone innings hammered a quickfire 32 off 16 balls (four fours, one six) but failed to take his side past an innings defeat.
Pacer Bilawal Iqbal took five wickets for 23 runs, the 10th five-fer of his first-class career, Mohammad Ali and Nasir Ahmed took three and two wickets each as the pace bowlers dominated the proceedings.
Central Punjab collected 26 points while Southern Punjab had to be content with four.
Over at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex, Karachi, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chased down 223 runs in the final hour of play against Northern to also record their first win of the season. Resuming their second innings at the overnight score of 240 for six, Northern were bowled out for 256, setting Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a 223-run chase.
Northern batters could only add 16 runs on the fourth morning, left-arm-spinner Asif Afridi took three wickets while pacers Irfanullah Shah, Arshad Iqbal and Sameen Gul two wickets each for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
After a 60-run first-wicket stand, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa crashed to 149 for five as Northern fought back. Nabi Gul (34 not out, 69 balls, four fours) and captain Khalid Usman (16 not out, 16 balls, three fours) took the team past the target. Ashfaq Ahmed top-scored with 45 (75 balls, two fours), opener Musadiq Ahmed scored 35 off 36 balls (six fours).
Zaid Alam and Raza Hassan took two wickets each for Northern.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa collected 23 points while Northern tallied six points from the match.
Scores in brief:
Central Punjab beat Southern Punjab by an innings and 56 runs –State Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi
Southern Punjab 228 all out, 77 overs (Umar Siddiq 85, Salman Ali Agha 61, Waqas Maqsood 4-52, Muhammad Ali 4-57) and 175 all out, 47.3 overs (Yousuf Babar 47, Aamer Yamin 32; Bilawal Iqbal 5-23, Mohammad Ali 3-40, Nisar Ahmed 2-49)
Central Punjab 459 all out, 116.4 overs (Rizwan Hussain 253, Muhammad Saad 61, Nisar Ahmed 54; Aamer Yamin 5-122, Muhammad Imran 2-74)
Match points: Central Punjab - 26, Southern Punjab - four.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa beat Northern by four wickets – National Bank of Pakistan Stadium, Karachi
Northern 250 all out, 83.4 overs (Mubasir Khan 96, Muhammad Huraira 70; Arshad Iqbal 2-38, Sameen Gul 2-41) and 256 all out, 78.2 overs (Umar Amin 110, Mubasir Khan 52; Asif Afridi 3-60, Irfanullah Shah 2-33, Arshad Iqbal 2-49)
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 284 all out, 93.4 overs (Adil Amin 128 not out, Asif Afridi 62; Kashif Ali 5-45, Zaid Alam 3-34) and 225 for 6, 60.5 overs (Ashfaq Ahmed 45, Musadiq Ahmed 35, Nabi Gul 34 not out; Zaid Alam 2-29, Raza Hasan 2-62)
Match points: Northern - six, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa - 23.
