- Scorecards of all three matches are available here; action photos available here, please credit @PCB
- Post-day virtual media conferences (NSK – Balochistan v Central Punjab) of Ahmed Safi Abdullah and Amad Butt available here
- More details available on PCB’s corporate website www.pcb.com.pk; event hashtags are #QeA20 and #HarHaalMainCricket; for session by session updates, please follow @TheRealPCB_Live
- Urdu version of the round-up attached here
Karachi, 7 November 2020: Northern captain Nauman Ali recorded his career’s 14th five-wicket haul on the second day of his team’s third round first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture against Sindh at the UBL Sports Complex.
On a day when 13 wickets fell, Sindh were bowled out for 217 in 57.3 overs as Nauman and right-arm pacer Waqas Ahmed shared nine wickets.
Nauman took five wickets for 62 runs in 20.3 overs and his scalps included top-scorer Sharjeel Khan (48), Anwar Ali (0), Sohail Khan (23), Ashiq Ali (19) and Mohammad Asghar (0). This was the slow-left arm orthodox’s second five-fer in as many matches.
Waqas, whose four wickets cost 78 runs, dismissed the bulk of the top and middle-order. With the wicket of Khurram Manzoor (six), Waqas provided his team the first breakthrough. His next three wickets were Saud Shakeel (25), Asad Shafiq (35) and Sindh captain Sarfaraz Ahmed (0).
Northern were 45 for three in their second innings and led Sindh by 156 runs when stumps were drawn.
Their openers Umair Masood (two) and Zeeshan Malik (six) were dismissed by Sohail Khan and Tabish Khan before Umar Amin followed up his fighting half-century in the first innings with a 20.
On Sunday, Sarmad Bhatti (13 not out) and Mohammad Nawaz (two not out) will resume their innings.
Northern collected a total of eight bonus first innings bonus points (three for batting and five for bowling), while Sindh managed four (one for batting and three for bowling).
Southern Punjab captain Hussain Talat third first-class century highlighted day two of his team’s match against Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at the National Bank Sports Complex.
The Southern Punjab captain made 131 runs to help his team close the day’s play at 257 for six in 72 overs in reply of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s 304 all out.
Hussain, who arrived at the crease at 31 for one, smashed 13 fours and six sixes. Over the course of his 180-ball stay, he stitched a crucial 148-run partnership with Mohammad Irfan, who is undefeated on 71, after Southern Punjab lost half of their batting lineup for 106 runs.
This was Hussain’s second century of the tournament – the first being his career-best 253 in the opening round against Northern.
Irfan, who has, to date, struck 10 fours and a six from 108 balls will resume Southern Punjab’s innings with Mohammad Imran on Sunday morning with a 47-run trail to surmount.
Slow-left arm orthodox Khalid Usman and off-spinner Sajid Khan took two wickets each for 58 and 64 runs, respectively.
From Southern Punjab’s first innings, both teams have gathered two bonus each.
Earlier, Mohammad Abbas, who took four wickets on the opening day of the match, picked up two wickets to register his first-class career’s 35th five-wicket haul. The Test fast-bowler returned six for 33.
Southern Punjab had Khyber Pakhtunkhwa at 278 for eight after the completion of 100 overs after they started the day at 261 for six, which got them three bonus points for bowling while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could pocket only two.
Usman Shinwari struck three sixes in his 40-ball 22.
Title defenders Central Punjab were trailing Balochistan by 102 runs at the National Stadium.
In the match which is being broadcast and produced by the Pakistan Cricket Board, Central Punjab finished the day at 204 for six thanks to a 79-run partnership between their captain Azhar Ali and Usman Salahuddin.
The pair came together much earlier than they had anticipated as both Central Punjab openers – Ahmed Shehzad (eight) and Abid Ali (six) – were dismissed early in the innings with the scorecard reading 34.
Azhar stroked his 63 runs – the most by any batsman in the innings so far – from 147 balls, 10 of which were dispatched towards the boundary, while Usman fell six runs short of what would have been his 44th half-century at this level.
On the third morning of the match, Bilawal Iqbal (19 not out) and Ahmed Safi Abdullah (21 not out) will resume the innings for Central Punjab.
By the virtue of dismissing six Central Punjab batsmen, Balochistan, who are led by Imran Butt, have gathered two bonus points for bowling. Pacers Amad Butt and Taj Wali took two wickets each.
Earlier, a six from Kashif Bhatti on the last ball of the 100th over, helped Balochistan pocket three batting bonus points. Kashif struck four fours and three sixes in his unbeaten 55-ball 51 that lifted his team to 306 all out in 102 overs after starting the day at 239 for six.
Central Punjab’s Waqas Maqsood, Bilawal and Ahmed picked up three wickets each in the innings.
Scores in brief:
At UBL Sports Complex, Northern chose to bat:
Northern 328 all out, 91 overs (Mohammad Nawaz 73, Hammad Azam 64, Umar Amin 62; Aamer Jamal 24, Nauman Ali 23; Sohail Khan 4-52, Tabish Khan 3-41, Fawad Alam 2-24) and 45-3, 21 overs (Umar Amin 20, Sarmad Bhatti 13 not out)
Sindh 217 all out, 57.3 overs (Sharjeel Khan 48, Fawad Alam 39, Asad Shafiq 35, Saud Shakeel 25, Sohail Khan 23; Nauman Ali 5-62, Waqas Ahmed 4-78)
Points to date: Northern 8, Sindh 4
At National Bank Sports Complex, Southern Punjab elect to bowl (toss uncontested):
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 304 all out, 108.3 overs (Adil Amin 90, Kamran Ghulam 64, Musadiq Ahmed 41, Zohaib Khan 23, Usman Shinwari 22; Mohammad Abbas 6-33, Zahid Mehmood 2-91)
Southern Punjab 257-6, 72 overs (Hussain Talat 131, Mohammad Irfan 71 not out; Khalid Usman 2-58, Sajid Khan 2-64)
Points to date: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4, Southern Punjab 5
At National Stadium, Central Punjab chose to field:
Balochistan 306 all out, 102 overs (Ali Waqas 75, Taimur Ali 63, Imran Butt 53, Kashif Bhatti 51 not out; Ahmed Safi Abdullah 3-56, Waqas Maqsood 3-66, Bilawal Iqbal 3-66)
Central Punjab 204-6, 62 overs (Azhar Ali 63, Usman Salahuddin 44, Ahmed Safi Abdullah 21 not out; Amad Butt 2-38, Taj Wali 2-46)
Points to date: Balochistan 5, Central Punjab 4
