Whites in control against Abbottabad

KARACHI: Atif Maqbool captured 6-60 to help Karachi Whites bowl Abbottabad out for a paltry 146 in their first innings on the opening day of their four-day second round Group B game of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy here at the NBP Sports Complex on Wednesday.

The 31-year-old off-spinner was fully supported by left-arm spinner Faraz Ahmed and Test pacer Mohammad Sami who got two wickets apiece. Abbottabad, after opting to bat first, at one stage looked in good position when they were given a fine 61-run start by openers Hammad Ali Shah (37) and Waqar Orakzai (24), but after their partnership was broken the visitors started losing wickets at regular intervals and the whole team perished in 61.2 overs.

Hammad, who was trapped leg before off Faraz Ahmed, hit six fours while Waqar cracked two boundaries before being stumped by keeper Sarfraz Ahmed off Atif Maqbool.

Atif then removed skipper Yasir Hameed (10) and left-hander Adnan Raees (27) to destroy the back of the rivals who then never recovered.

In reply, Karachi Whites were 79-1 in 22 overs at close with Khalid Latif batting on 43 and Mohtashim Ali on nought.

Khalid smashed three fours and two sixes in his 62-ball stay at the crease. Saad Ali got out for 34, caught by Adnan Raees off the bowling of slow left-armer Wasim Akhtar. Saad cracked eight fours in his 63-ball innings.

Meanwhile, right-arm medium fast bowler Tariq Haroon took 4-43 as Karachi Blues dismissed Peshawar for 166 in their first innings here at the National Stadium.

Haroon also found an able partner in Test pacer Tanvir Ahmed who captured 3-83 while slow left-armer Azam Hussain clinched two for five. Middle order batsman Sajjad Ahmed top-scored with 34 off 89 balls, hitting four boundaries, while wicket-keeper batsman Mohammad Rizwan made 67-ball 32 with three hits to the fence.

Test cricketer Riaz Afridi, who had missed the National T20 Cup in Lahore last year due to fitness problems, contributed a brisk 13-ball 22 with four boundaries.

At stumps, Karachi Blues were 85-3, in reply. Mohammad Waqas smashed 44 off 50 balls, striking eight fours. Asad Baig was batting on 20 while night watchman Azam Hussain was on three.

Riaz Afridi, who played one Test against Sri Lanka in 2004, bagged two for 29.

Medium pacer Shehzad Azam Rana captured 4-50 and Nasrullah Khan claimed 2-22 as Islamabad reduced Lahore Ravi to 186-9 at stumps at the Diamond Club Ground in the federal capital.

Skipper Adnan Akmal was at the crease on 63. The Test wicket-keeper hit eight fours in his 116-ball innings. At one stage Ravi were struggling at 59-4 but Adnan and Jehangir Mirza (54) added 87 valuable runs for the fifth wicket. But after this partnership was broken the tail-enders failed to extend any support to Adnan who had opted to bat first after winning the toss.

Left-arm pacers Sadaf Hussain (5-25) and Nasir Malik (3-61) guided Rawalpindi to dismiss Hyderabad for 177 in 59.1 overs in their first innings at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad.

After the hosts lost their five wickets for just 53, it was the in-form Mir Ali Talpur who played a responsible 70 off 94 balls to save his side from total destruction. Talpur’s defiant knock was studded with ten glorious boundaries. He was extended fine support in the end by Nouman Ali who made 28 off 43 balls with three fours.

In reply, Rawalpindi were 51-1.

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