Karachi, 5 January 2024: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) beat Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) early on day three while the game between Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) entered day four with all results possible. Higher Education Commission (HEC) managed to hold their nerve against Ghani Glass but a tough challenge of saving the game awaits them on final day.
SNGPL vs KRL at National Bank Stadium, Karachi
KRL added valuable runs to their second-innings total as they ended up the day with 299-9 on the board and a vital lead of 231 runs. Continuing from their overnight score of 56-2, KRL managed to hold their innings together courtesy of half-centuries by Imran Rafiq (78, 160b, 9x4s) and Sharoon Siraj (52, 94b, 6x4s). Opening batter Ali Zaryab departed for 44 as Arif Yaqoob dismissed him. Rohail Nazir failed to impress again as he fell for 15.
Arif Yaqoob picked up four wickets while Mubasir Khan dismissed three batters. Bilawal Bhatti and Mohammad Awais Anwar bagged one wicket each.
KRL’s last pair of Mohammad Amir Khan (17 not out, 42b, 3x4s) and Kashif Ali (20 not out, 29b, 3x4s, 1×6) frustrated the SNGPL bowlers with an unbeaten 37-run partnership. Both will start the day for KRL on day four as SNGPL will look to wrap up the innings before starting the chase.
SBP vs WAPDA at State Bank Stadium, Karachi
SBP beat WAPDA by nine wickets as they took 7.1 overs to chase the 41-run target in the first hour of day three. WAPDA’s Irfanullah Shah managed to take the solitary wicket of Umar Amin, who fell for 12 comprising of two boundaries. Zain Abbas (18 not out, 16b, 3x4s) and Mohammad Mohsin (9 not out, 19 balls, 1×4) remained unbeaten as SBP raced to their third win of the tournament.
Earlier, SBP managed an 82-run first-innings lead and then dismissed WAPDA for a paltry total of 122 runs. SBP’s Nisar Ahmad and Afaq Afridi picked up five-fers in the first and second innings respectively, which put WAPDA on the back foot in the game.
SBP will face Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in their next game while SBP will face Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL).
Ghani Glass vs HEC at UBL Sports Complex, Karachi
HEC require 203 runs to win in pursuit of the target of 479 with four wickets in the bag against Ghani Glass on day four. Ghani Glass continued from their overnight score of 330-5 and added 116 more runs in their total before declaring the innings. Saeed Ali (118, 181b, 13x4s, 3x6s) brought up his maiden first-class hundred while Shahbaz Javed (50, 78b, 7x4s) chipped in with a valuable half-century.
Batting at number eight, Mohammad Irfan (64 not out, 54b, 9x4s, 2x6s) struck an unbeaten half-century to help Ghani Glass post a mammoth total on the board. Aqib Liaqat and Waseem Akram managed two wickets each while Asadullah Hamza and Haris Khan bagged dismissed one batter each.
HEC lost their opening batter Mohammad Mohsin Khan (8, 6b, 2x4s) early on as Shoaib Akhtar dismissed him. Saad Khan (104, 133b, 18x4s) struck a brilliant hundred to keep the flow of runs intact as wickets fell at regular intervals. With Awais Zafar (13, 19b, 1×4, 1×6) and Wahaj Riaz (6, 13b, 1×4) falling cheaply, Adeel Meo (75 not out, 70b, 9x4s, 1×6) took it upon himself to to score runs freely. Adeel and Haris Khan (16, 26b, 2x4s) will be on the crease for HEC to start day four.
Mohammad Rameez Jnr picked up three wickets. Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammad Irfan bagged two and one wickets respectively.
Scores in brief:
SNGPL vs KRL at National Bank Stadium
KRL 281-9, 80 overs (Imran Rafiq 67, Sarmad Bhatti 53, Maaz Sadaqat 42 not out; Arif Yaqoob 4-83, Mohammad Ali 2-40, Mubasir Khan 1-63) and 299-9, 102 overs (Imran Rafiq 78, Sharoon Siraj 52, Ali Zaryab Asif 44; Arif Yaqoob 4-108, Mubasir Khan 3-35, Bilawal Bhatti 1-26, Mohammad Awais Anwar 1-55)
SNGPL 349-7, 80 overs (Azhar Ali 140, Asad Shafiq 69, Abid Ali 61; Maaz Sadaqat 3-83, Umer Khan 1-163)
SBP beat WAPDA by nine wickets at State Bank Stadium
WAPDA 140 all out, 43.1 overs (Umar Abid Kayani 32, Umar Akmal 24; Nisar Ahmad 5-30, Afaq Afridi 2-22, Mohammad Ilyas 2-44, Mohammad Abbas 1-30) and 122 all out, 40.2 overs (Mohammad Saad 39, Umar Abid Kayani 19, Khalid Usman 17; Afaq Afridi 6-38, Aftab Ibrahim 3-24, Nisar Ahmad 1-22)
SBP 222 all out, 66.5 overs (Rameez Aziz 71, Mohammad Mohsin 59, Zain Abbas 37; Akif Javed 4-69, Naqeebullah Masood 2-68, Irfanullah Shah 1-40, Khalid Usman 1-31,) and 43-1, 7.1 overs (Zain Abbas 18 not out, Umar Amin 12, Mohammad Mohsin 9 not out; Irfanullah Shah 1-16)
Ghani Glass vs HEC at UBL Sports Complex
Ghani Glass 221 all out, 67.5 overs (Tayyab Tahir 103, Shahbaz Javed 71; Wahaj Riaz 4-39, Aqib Liaqat 3-75, Asadullah Hamza 2-18, Haris Khan 1-63) and 446-8, 100.3 overs (Saeed Ali 118, Saad Nasim 115, Mohammad Irfan 64 not out, Shahbaz Javed 50; Waseem Akram 2-83, Aqib Liaqat 2-110, Asadullah Hamza 1-46, Haris Khan 1-71)
HEC 189 all out, 38.5 overs (Ghazi Ghouri 66, Haris Khan 35; Mohammad Rameez Jnr 5-60, Shoaib Akhtar 4-49, Shiraz Khan 1-25) and 276-8, 58 overs (Saad Khan 104, Adeel Meo 75 not out, Mohammad Huraira 33; Mohammad Rameez Jnr 3-65, Shoaib Akhtar 2-49, Mohammad Irfan 1-54)