- Scorecards of all three matches are available here; action photos available here, please credit @PCB
- Post-day virtual media conferences (NSK – Khyber Pakhtunkhwa v Northern) of Faizan Riaz and Adil Amin 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 round up is attached here
Karachi, 28 November 2020: The fifth round first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy fixture between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Northern entered a thrilling phase as the former were set a 390-run target on day three at the National Stadium on Saturday.
Northern’s Umair Masood recorded his maiden century in first-class cricket with a brilliant 103 not out which helped his team post 247 for four at a healthy rate of five runs per over.
The 22-year-old right-handed batsman smashed nine boundaries and stitched a 142-run stand for the third wicket with Faizan Riaz, who followed his 146 in the first innings with a 70-ball 56.
Umair faced 126 balls in his undefeated stay before his captain Nauman Ali declared the innings in the evening session.
In the fourth innings of the match, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa openers Israrullah and Musadiq Ahmed raced to 55 in nine overs before the stumps were drawn.
When they resume the final day’s play on Sunday, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will need 335 to win with all of their 10 wickets in hand.
Earlier, Khalid Usman, their captain, scored his maiden century after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa resumed their first innings at 249 for seven.
The 34-year-old crunched 16 fours and four sixes in his unbeaten 113 off 158 balls before Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were bowled out for 318 in 76.2 overs.
For bowling out the opposition inside 100 overs, Northern, who had gathered all bonus points on offer for batting yesterday, added three more to their account, while Khyber Pakhtunkhwa gained three points for crossing the 300-run mark.
Half-centuries by Usman Salahuddin and Saad Nasim helped Central Punjab bring down their first innings deficit of 391 at the start of the day’s play to 126 by the close of it against Southern Punjab at the UBL Sports Complex.
Usman Salahuddin and Saad Nasim stitched a 124-run partnership, which played a crucial role in helping Central Punjab avoid the follow-on following the dismissal of Mohammad Saad (nine).
Usman top-scored for his side with 76, which included eight boundaries.
Saad scored 69 before he was dismissed by Salman Ali Agha, who followed his 169 with the bat with three for 41 in 19 overs. Saad smashed 10 boundaries in his 131-ball stay at the crease.
This was Usman’s 45th half-century and Saad’s 28th in the format.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Ali Shan was the other notable run-getter on the day with 44.
Title defenders Central Punjab, who are placed at the bottom of the six-team points table, pocketed three bonus points for batting as they were 309 for five at the completion of 100 overs. Southern Punjab could add only one bonus bowling point from the match.
Southern Punjab pacer Bilawal Bhatti added two more wickets – Bilawal Iqbal (16) and Ahmed Safi Abdullah (two) – to his tally after he bowled Ahmed Shehzad (33) yesterday.
Central Punjab’s last wicket partnership between captain Hasan Ali (22 not out) and Waqas Maqsood (13 not out) was intact when stumps were drawn.
They will resume the last day’s play on 401 for nine.
Omair Bin Yousuf and Saud Shakeel converted their overnight half-centuries into remarkable hundreds against Balochistan as Sindh made 407 all-out at the State Bank Stadium.
Omair, who entered this contest after scoring 153 against Southern Punjab, made 109 off 240 in an innings studded with 11 fours and three sixes. This was 21-yaer-old’s fifth century at this level.
Jalat Khan, who recorded his fifth five-wicket haul with five for 85, dismissed Omair. The 34-year-old Sibi-born’s other four scalps were Asad Shafiq (two), Tabish Khan (six), Mir Hamza (19) and Shahnawaz Dhani (seven).
Omair stretched his overnight partnership with Saud Shakeel, who scored his second century of the season, to 207.
Saud, the left-handed batsman, smoked 15 fours and a six as he gathered 142 runs. The 25-year-old was dismissed on his 233rd ball by pacer Taj Wali, who finished with two for 86.
Saad Ali stroked his career’s 23rd half-century with a 93-ball 56, which included three fours and a six, before Mohammad Talha (two for 64) accounted for him.
Sindh gathered four bonus points for batting, while Balochistan gained two bonus points for bowling as the scorecard read 350 for six when 100 overs were completed.
Balochistan were 93 runs ahead Sindh as their openers had added 42 runs in 12 overs by the close of play. Azeem Ghumman (24 not out) and Bismillah Khan (14 not out) will resume the proceedings tomorrow morning.
Scores in brief:
At National Stadium, Northern chose to bat:
Northern 460-9, 102.2 overs (Faizan Riaz 146, Mohammad Nawaz 121, Nasir Nawaz 68, Asif Ali 52 not out, Sarmad Bhatti 24; Zohaib Khan 3-46, Arshad Iqbal 2-74, Sajid Khan 2-112) and 247-4, 49.1 overs (Umair Masood 103 not out, Faizan Riaz 56, Mohammad Nawaz 29 not out, Sarmad Bhatti 25, Nasir Nawaz 24; Sajid Khan 2-72)
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 318 all out, 76.2 overs (Khalid Usman 113 not out, Kamran Ghulam 67, Rehan Afridi 34, Mohammad Wasim jnr 27; Munir Riaz 5-113, Nauman Ali 2-64)
First innings points: Northern 8 (five batting, three bowling), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 6 (three batting, three bowling)
At UBL Sports Complex, Southern Punjab chose to bat:
Southern Punjab 527-7, 134 overs (Salman Ali Agha 169, Muhammad Imran 100 not out, Umar Siddiq 94, Zain Abbas 69, Bilawal Bhatti 37, Saif Badar 22; Hasan Ali 2-79, Waqas Maqsood 2-88, Ahmed Safi Abdullah 2-118)
Central Punjab 401-9, 131 overs (Usman Salahuddin 76, Saad Nasim 69, Ali Zaryab 67, Ali Shan 44, Ahmed Shehzad 33, Bilal Asif 24, Hasan Ali 22 not out; Salman Ali Agha 3-41, Bilawal Bhatti 3-60)
First innings points: Southern Punjab 5 (four batting, one bowling), Central Punjab 4 (three batting, one bowling)
At State Bank Stadium, Sindh elected to bowl:
Balochistan 458-9, 115.5 overs (Akbar-ur-Rehman 164, Ayaz Tasawar 138 not out, Ali Waqas 46, Imran Farhat 33, Kashif Bhatti 23, Azeem Ghumman 22; Shahnawaz Dhani 4-79, Abrar Ahmed 3-123) and 42-0, 12 overs (Azeem Ghumman 24 not out, Bismillah Khan 14 not out)
Sindh 407 all out, 121.2 overs (Saud Shakeel 142, Omair Bin Yousuf 109, Saad Ali 56; Jalat Khan 5-85, Mohammad Talha 2-64, Taj Wali 2-86)
First innings points: Balochistan 6 (four batting, two bowling), Sindh 6 (four batting, two bowling)
