Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final: Day 1 report

KARACHI: The first days play of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final concluded at National Stadium on Thursday with WAPDA restricting SNGPL to 215 runs for the loss of six wickets.

WAPDA took the advantage of winning the toss and sent SNGPL to bat first in early windy conditions of Karachi and took two wickets in the first session of play as the former champions were 50/2 at the lunch.

WAPDA’s disciplined bowling continued in the second session as they got two more wickets after the lunch, however, after losing four wickets for 94 SNGPL batsmen showed some resistance and took the score to 149/4.

Iftikhar Ahmad and Mohammad Rizwan added 89 runs for the partnership of the fifth wicket before Rizwan was caught at square leg by Khushdil off Wahab Riaz delivery after scoring 42.

SNGPL was 215 for 6 when the first-day of play was stopped due to bad lights. Iftikhar was on the crease with 71 while Yasir Shah was batting at 11.

Fast bowler Wahab Riaz got 3 wickets.

WAPDA would have had SNGPL on the backfoot but a couple of drop chances in the third session allowed SNGPL to settle down.

“We would have booked them all out if opportunities were not missed,” said Salman Butt, WAPDA’s captain after the match.

“I am satisfied with the performance so far, we bowled well and didn’t allow SNGPL to score big so I am happy and hopeful that we will get SNGPL all out in first session tomorrow,” he said.

SNGPL’s Mohammad Rizwan said that it is never easy to bat in the early hours of the match in Karachi’s conditions.

“First session is always important and we lost two wickets in the first session and then two more in initial hours of the second session,” said Rizwan after the match.