Multan, 11 September 2023: After bowling out the AJK batting line-up for 279 runs, the momentum of the Islamabad bowlers carried on to their batting. Thoroughly dominating them from the get-go, Islamabad played attacking cricket during their innings. A magnificent 94 produced by Ali Imran reflected the batting onslaught on display at the Muzaffarabad Cricket Stadium.
Islamabad vs AJK
AJK started their day with 257 runs and just a wicket in hand. Making use of the last-wicket partnership, they scraped 20 more runs and got to 279 before being bowled out. Muhammad Shayan Sheikh’s five-wicket haul and Muhammad Musa’s three-wicket haul helped Islamabad keep AJK’s score in control.
Islamabad began their batting on a strong note. The openers Ali Imran and Hassan Nawaz had an unbeaten partnership of 112 runs, with each getting a half-century, before it was broken by Faizan Saleem. It was followed by a 72-run partnership between Ali and Syed Khizer Shah. Although denied a century, Ali’s 94 reflected how Islamabad’s batting dominated over AJK’s bowling.
At the end of the day, Islamabad stood comfortably at 375-6 with Syed Muzammil Shah and Arsal Sheikh on the crease.
Larkana vs Sialkot
Sialkot’s scorecard read 24-2 at the start of the day, with Tahir Baig and Bilal Asif on the crease, and a score deficit of over 150 runs. In the first session, both Tahir and Bilal were removed as well. This brought the veteran Haris Sohail on crease, who joined Ayaz Tasawwar there.
Sialkot’s batting refused to settle; the 70 runs produced during the partnership between Haris and Ayaz was the most stable phase in their batting. Their respective scores of 45 and 42 remained the highest ones on the scorecard. The Larkana bowlers had the batting line-up bowled out for just 177. A four-wicket haul by Aamir Ali Taheem especially helped the Larkana side.
Larkana’s second innings mirrored their first with the frequent fall of wickets. The 34-run stand between Faraz Aziz and M Aqeel Danish was the steadiest phase of the innings.
They ended the day with just 98 on the board at the expense of five wickets.
Hyderabad vs Karachi Blues
After bowling out Karachi Blues the previous day, Hyderabad started their day in a commanding position with 119 on the board and opener Ali Ahsan unbeaten on the crease; however, he retired hurt in the first session. Nabeel Ahmed and Jawad Ali attempted to stitch together a 63-run partnership to keep their side going.
After Jawad lost his wicket, Ali returned to the crease and added runs to the board before eventually losing his wicket after scoring a gritty 70. Nabeel’s 78 also helped Hyderabad remain dominant. By the time their innings ended, they had posted a healthy total of 278 runs. Aarish Ali Khan’s six wicket haul, however, served as a counterattack.
Karachi Blues, beginning their second innings, had a mammoth task ahead after their abysmal first innings. Although the openers steadied themselves for a big partnership, Jawad Ali played spoilsport and got the wicket of Abdullah Fazal. However, Imran Shah and Syed Haider Abbas Zaidi stood firmly on the crease by the end of the day.
The play closed with Karachi Blues at 69 for the loss of a wicket.
Bahawalpur vs DM Jamali
DM Jamali’s scorecard boasted 268 runs, at the loss of eight wickets, at the start of the day. They lost their last two wickets, while amassing 20 more runs. At the end of their innings, they had posted 287 on the board. Bahawalpur’s bowling unit worked in partnerships, with Muhammad Adeel bagging three wickets and Shoaib Manzoor, Shayan Khalil and Aun Shehzad getting two wickets each.
Bahawalpur had a shaky start to their innings. Their opener Aun was removed cheaply, and then Ibrar Amin’s wicket followed soon after. A 52-run partnership between Muhammad Ammar and Waqar ul Hasan brought some stability, however, it was then broken by Rasool Baksh who removed Waqar.
Although Ammar kept one end secure, wickets kept falling at the other end. A 78-run stand between Husnain Majid and Ammar helped their cause. Once Ammar’s wicket fell, they could not sustain a solid partnership thereafter. They were bowled out for 234.
DM Jamali returned to bat with a lead of over 50 runs. Opener Basit Ali got out cheaply. By the time stumps were called, DM Jamali were at 25-1.
Scores in brief:
Islamabad vs AJK
1st Innings
AJK: 279 all out in 97.4 overs (Naveed Malik 57, Hasnain Shamir 56; Muhammad Shayan Sheikh 5-88, Muhamad Musa 3-49)
Islamabad: 375-6 in 82 overs (Ali Imran 94, Sarmad Bhatti 59; Rohaan Qadri 3-103)
Larkana vs Sialkot
1st Innings
Larkana: 179 all out in 75.3 overs (Ghulam Raza Mahar 47; Bilal Asif 4-53, Sohaib Ullah 3-37)
Sialkot: 177 all out in 48 overs (Haris Sohail 45, Ayaz Tasawwar 42; Aamir Ali Taheem 4-13, Mushtaq Ahmed Kolhoro 3-46)
2nd Innings
Larkana: 98-5 in 35 overs (M Aqeel Danish 46; Shoaib Akhtar 3-25)
Hyderabad vs Karachi Blues
1st Innings
Karachi Blues: 120 all out in 32.1 overs (Syed Haider Abbas Zaidi 34; Jawad Ali 7-23, Muhammad Asad Malik 2-40)
Hyderabad: 279 all out in 121.1 in 34 overs (Nabeel Ahmed 78, Ali Ahsan 70; Aarish Ali Khan 6-63, Osama Basharat 2-43)
2nd Innings
Karachi Blues: 69-1 in 21 overs (Syed Haider Abbas Zaidi 29*; Jawad Ali 1-8)
Bahawalpur vs DM Jamali
1st Innings
DM Jamali: 287 all out in 95.2 overs (Muhammad Shahid 78, Taimur Ali 52; Muhammad Adeel ur Rehman 3-48)
Bahawalpur: 234 all out in 72.4 overs (Muhammad Ammar 78. Husnain Majid 53; Nasir Khan 4-26, Rasool Baksh 2-63)
2nd Innings
DM Jamali: 25-1 in 5 overs (Nasir Khan 6; M Adeel ur Rehman 1-7)
