Sialkot clinch thrilling one-wicket win to bag Quaid Trophy title

Sialkot clinch thrilling one-wicket win to bag Quaid Trophy title

• Amad Butt-led Sialkot chased 173 with one wicket left to seal their third QeA title

• Sialkot awarded prize money of PKR 7.5 million while runners-up Peshawar got PKR 4 million

Karachi, 5 January 2025:

Sialkot beat Peshawar by a solitary wicket in a thrilling contest on Sunday, the day four of the five-day final, at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi to bag their third Quaid-e-Azam Trophy title. Sialkot did not lose a single match in the tournament with their eight matches yielding five wins and three draws.

Chasing 173 to win, Sialkot were 59-5 in 15 overs at the beginning of day four. They completed the chase in 46.2 overs with skipper Amad Butt starring with a match-winning half-century and Shahzaib Bhatti (32 not out) hitting the winning runs, which came off a boundary.

Skipper Amad anchored the chase with poise as he notched 65 runs off 94 balls hitting nine fours and one six during his stay on the crease. After Sialkot lost wicketkeeper-batter Afzal Manzoor with scorecard reading 69-6, Amad partnered with Shahzaib for a crucial 48-run seventh-wicket to take their team out of dire straits.

Sajid Khan castled Amad to bring Peshawar back to the game but Shahzaib stuck around to finish the game with 51-ball 32 inclusive of four boundaries. Shoaib Akhtar Jnr departed in the 46th over with one run required to win and one wicket left for Sialkot before the sealed the game in next over.

For Peshawar Niaz Khan picked up four wickets while Mohammad Amir Khan returned figures of 3-60. Israrullah and Sajid Khan dismissed one batter each.

Scores in brief

Final – Day 4 of 5 – Sialkot Region beat Peshawar Region by one wicket at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi

Peshawar 258 all out, 80.1 overs (Zubair Khan 47, Nabi Gul 44, Maaz Sadaqat 32, Mehran Ibrahim 31, Niaz Khan 31, Sajid Khan 23; Amad Butt 4-51, Ali Raza 3-62, Shoaib Akhtar Jr 2-60) and 159 all out, 59.5 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 57, Mehran Ibrahim 32; Ali Raza 7-48, Amad Butt 2-66)

Sialkot 245 all out, 85 overs (Mohsin Riaz 57, Mohammad Huraira 55, Shahzaib Bhatti 40, Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti 26; Niaz Khan 5-61, Mohammad Amir Khan 3-38) and 176-9, 46.2 overs (Amad Butt 65, Shahzaib Bhatti 32 not out; Niaz Khan 4-61, Mohammad Amir Khan 3-60)

Player of the match – Amad Butt (Sialkot) – 4-51 & 2-66 and 10 & 65

Best batter of the tournament – Azan Awais (Sialkot) – 844 runs in eight matches

Best bowler of the tournament – Musa Khan (Islamabad) – 38 wickets in five matches

Best wicketkeeper of the tournament – Afzal Manzoor (Sialkot) – 39 dismissals in eight matches

Player of the tournament – Niaz Khan (Peshawar) – 39 wickets in eight matches