WAPDA gain lead as Waqas dismisses nine KRL batsmen

KARACHI: Waqas Maqsood pulled off his career-best figures of 9-32 to give a slight edge to defending champions WAPDA over Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) as 16 wickets tumbled on the opening day of the four-day Group II outing of the Super Eight stage of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy here at the State Bank Ground on Sunday.
The 30-year-old Faisalabad-born left-arm pacer extracted good support off the pitch to enable WAPDA to dismiss KRL for only 95 in 42.3 overs in their first innings. Khalid Usman then scored 41 not out to take WAPDA ahead of KRL as they reached 96-6, for a lead of one run. After being asked to bat first, KRL kept losing wickets right from the start with most of the batsmen failing to switch from T20 cricket mode.
The 21-year-old wicketkeeper batsman Syed Junaid Ali showed great resolve as batting at No3 he accumulated valuable 40 off 98 balls to give some respectability to KRL. Junaid smashed five fours in his defiant knock.
Abdul Rehman Muzammil (15) was the only other to manage double figures. Waqas’ heroics with the ball is the best ever in first-class cricket for WAPDA. The previous best figures for WAPDA were that of Test pacer Imran Khan, who had claimed 9-77 against Habib Bank Limited (HBL) at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, in 2011-12 season.
Waqas’ effort is also the ninth best in Pakistan’s first-class cricket. These are the second best figures in this season. Left-arm pacer Rumman Raees of United Bank Limited (UBL) bagged 9-25 in an earlier match.
WAPDA at one stage were reeling at 27-6. However, Khalid and Aamer Sajjad (18*) added 69 for the seventh wicket unbroken partnership to rescue their side. Khalid had smashed six fours and one six off 59 balls. Aamer had cracked two fours off 88 balls. Skipper Salman Butt made only eight.
Left-arm pacer Sadaf Hussain got 4-33. Ahmed Bashir claimed 2-23.In the other Group II outing, at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad, Test opener Shan Masood (75) and Saad Ali (52) guided UBL to 252

all out in 79.3 overs in their first innings against Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC).
Shan hammered six fours in his 160-ball knock. Saad, the leading scorer of the event, smacked eight fours from 90 balls.Skipper Younis Khan, playing his first game of the season, was trapped lbw by pacer Ahmed Jamal who claimed 6-34. Left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti captured 3-93.
In response, SSGC were 31-2 with Awais Zia batting on 13 and Asif Zakir on one. Test pacer Sohail Khan (2-19) got both the wickets.In a Group I meeting, here at the NBP Sports Complex, former Pakistan captain Azhar Ali (118) and Khurram Shehzad (113*) slammed glorious centuries to guide former champions Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to 294-2 in their first innings against Habib Bank Limited (HBL).
The match was stopped due to bad light at 5:21pm after 85.2 overs had been bowled. Azhar, who returned to competitive cricket after being forced to stay away for quite some time by a knee injury, smashed 12 fours in his 229-ball 33rd first-class hundred.
Khurram struck eight fours and four sixes in his unfinished 225-ball 11th first-class century. With him at the other end was Asad Shafiq on six.Earlier, skipper Mohammad Hafeez fell for 37 off 46 balls, having hit seven fours. Lanky Test pacer Umar Gul (1-53) and Ammad Butt (1-52) were the successful bowlers.
In the other show of the same group, here at UBL Sports Complex, Test pacer Aizaz Cheema (4-43) and Bilawal Iqbal (4-42) bowled extremely well to help Lahore Blues dismiss Lahore Whites for only 141 in their first innings in 47.2 overs.
Opener Rizwan Hussain scored 42 off 58 balls, striking eight fours. Mohammad Irfan, who batted at No8, hammered 41 off 48 balls, striking six fours and one six. Lahore Blues, in response, reached 150-4 by the close of the day’s play, for nine runs lead.
Opener Tayyab Tahir was batting on 71 which came off 105 deliveries and had ten glorious fours. After losing a few quick wickets with three batsmen getting out on a duck in a row, Tayyab added 95 for the fifth wicket unbroken stand with Hafiz Saad Nasim, who was at the crease on 53. Saad had smashed seven fours and one six from 45 balls. Fast bowler Umaid Asif, who was highly impressive in National T20, got 3-54.