Bad light forces draw at Gaddafi Stadium

Lahore: Bad light allowed only 26.3 overs on the final day of the four-day first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy seventh-round fixture between Central Punjab and Balochistan as the contest at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium ended in a draw.

A total of 217.2 overs were bowled in the match as for the fourth day straight play was called-off early due to fading light.

Central Punjab were 324 for nine in 93.1 overs – in reply of Balochistan’s 450 all-out – when stumps were drawn.

Central Punjab and Balochistan bagged three points each for batting and bowling, respectively.

Middle-order batsman Usman Salahuddin, who resumed his innings on 74 on Thursday, fell six runs short of recording his first century of the tournament.

The 28-year-old faced 177 balls – dispatching 11 of them for fours – before he was trapped LBW by Imran Farhat, the only bowler to take wickets on day four.

The Balochistan captain took two wickets for 16 runs in eight overs.

Usman’s overnight partner Zafar Gohar added 31 runs to his tally before getting caught and bowled. Waqas Maqsood (16) was the third wicket to fall as he was run out by Umar Gul.

Earlier in the match during Balochistan’s first innings, the visitors had bagged five points for batting, while Central Punjab gained two points for bowling.

In the eighth round of the tournament, which commences from 18 November, Central Punjab will be hosted by Sindh at the National Stadium, Karachi. Balochistan will play Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at Karachi’s UBL Sports Complex.

Scores in brief

Balochistan 450 all-out, 124.1 overs (Imran Butt 137, Imran Farhat 87, Azeem Ghumman 72, Awais Zia 44, Taimur Khan 37, Hussain Talat 24; Aizaz Cheema 5-100, Mohammad Ali 3-72)

Central Punjab 324-9, 93.1 overs (Usman Salahuddin 94, Umar Akmal 78, Salman Butt 47, Zafar Gohar 39; Mohammad Asghar 3-109, Imran Farhat 2-16)