Sui Northern Gas Pipelines (SNGPL) and Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) defeated Ghani Glass and Pakistan Television (PTV) respectively on the third day of the second round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I.
Arif Yaqoob of the SNGPL had an incredible day, taking 10 wickets in a first-class match for the first time, and he was a major factor in the team’s win over PTV.
PTV started their second inning with a 66-0 lead from the previous night. Hasan Nawaz (69, 92 balls, 9 boundaries) and Nasir Nawaz (62, 100 balls, 9 boundaries, 1 six) both played outstanding innings to establish a 130-run partnership as the opening batters.
In his first-class debut, leg-spinner Arif Yaqoob grabbed an impressive 10-177, removing Nasir and starting PTV’s collapse. He promptly followed it up with ducks when he took out Daniyal Hussain Rajput and captain Uzair Mumtaz. Before the squad was removed for 189, Hasan Mohsin (21, 29 balls, 4 boundaries) and Taimur Khan (7, 25 balls, 1 boundary) put up a brief fight.
Six wickets were taken by Arif Yaqoob, two by Muhammad Ali, one each by Bilawal Bhatti and Mohammad Awais Anwar.
With eight wickets remaining, SNGPL had 21 overs to reach PTV’s goal of 85. Sahibzada Farhan led the chase with an outstanding half-century (51 runs off 61 balls, 4 boundaries, 4 sixes). State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and SNGPL will now play on December 28 at SBP Stadium.
Ghani Glass vs KRL (Karachi’s State Bank Stadium)
This round, KRL’s close one-wicket victory over Ghani Glass was noteworthy. They chased 123 in the last seconds of the third day and won by only one wicket, making it an unforgettable victory. KRL’s attempt to catch 123 was derailed early on when they were down to 67-6.
The last four batsmen faced a total of 100 balls and added 52 significant runs to the total: Kashif Ali (30 not out off 40 balls, including 2 boundaries and 1 six), Shayan Sheikh (9 runs off 11 balls, with 1 boundary), Sirajuddin (5 runs off 14 balls), and Arshadullah (8 not out off 25 balls, with 1 boundary).
Batting at number eight, Kashif Ali became the KRL’s leading scorer. He played a vital role in the middle, ensuring that his team won even though wickets dropped often. The Ghani Glass bowling attack was unable to take the winning wicket even though Ghulam Mudassar and Niaz Khan each claimed four wickets.
Ghani Glass had started their second innings of the day with a 43-run advantage, but they were quickly bowled for just 79 runs in 26.2 overs. Arshadullah provided help with two wickets, while Kashif Ali and Sirajuddin both claimed four wickets.
On December 28 at UBL Sports Complex, KRL will play HEC, while on the same day, Ghani Glass will play Pakistan Television in the President’s Trophy quarterfinals.
HEC vs WAPDA (National Bank Stadium)
The clash between the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi is gearing up for an exciting day four after a challenging day three.
WAPDA heads into the final day requiring 106 runs to secure victory with six wickets still in hand, having closed day three at 114-4 while chasing a target of 220.
Their pursuit had a shaky start as both opening batsmen, Mohammad Saleem and Hassan Abid Kiyani, departed early, leaving WAPDA at 2-2 on the scoreboard. Umar Akmal held firm with an unbeaten 61 off 138 balls, showcasing skilled batting. HEC managed to grab two more crucial wickets, dismissing experienced players Iftikhar Ahmed (20 runs off 63 balls) and Mohammad Saad (15 runs off 47 balls, including 3 boundaries). Ayaz Tasawar, at 8 not out off 16 balls with 1 boundary, will resume alongside Umar on day four in WAPDA’s pursuit.
During day three, HEC built on their overnight score of 111-2, adding 172 runs to reach a total of 283 before getting dismissed.
Ghazi Ghouri, batting at number seven, played a stunning innings, scoring 110 runs off 118 balls, including 17 boundaries, contributing significantly to HEC’s competitive total. Supported by Mohammad Mohsin Khan, who scored 60 runs off 87 balls with 9 boundaries, they set a challenging target for WAPDA. WAPDA’s skipper Iftikhar led the bowling attack, claiming three wickets. Irfanullah Shah also secured three scalps, while Naqeeb Masood and Asif Afridi took two wickets each.
