Asghar destroys Larkana as Q Trophy Grade-II begins

KARACHI: Left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar picked 4-50 to enable Karachi Blues to dismiss Larkana for only 143 in their first innings on the opening day of their three-day Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Grade-II game here at the UBL Sports Complex on Friday.

In the Group B show, Asghar was ably backed by Fawad Alam and let-arm pacer Mir Hamza who took three wickets each.Habib Shah chipped in with 40, which featured five fours. Faraz Aziz remained not out on 31 which carried four fours.

In response, Karachi Blues were 47-3 at stumps with left-handed Saud Shakeel batting on 16.Faraz Aziz captured 2-2.Raweed Khan and Raza Asghar are supervising the match.

In another Group B fixture, here at NBP Sports Complex, Abbottabad were in the driving seat when they reached 173-6 after dismissing Quetta for only 64.

Young pacer Arshad Iqbal picked 4-12 to help Abbottabad fold Quetta in only 35.1 overs.

Bismillah Khan and Taimur Khan scored 19 each.

Fawad Malook (3-9) and Himayatullah (2-12) also bowled well.

In response, Imran Shah hit 59 not out to enable Abbottabad to take a substantial lead.

Imran had hit nine fours in his solid knock.

Adnan Raees scored 35 with five fours. Fawad Malook was not out on 27. Mohiuddin picked 3-26.

In a Group A show, at Mirpur Stadium, AJK, Bahawalpur reached 163-8 in 56 overs in their first innings against Sialkot after a delayed start due to overcast conditions.

Mohammad Umair was at the crease on 59 which came off 133 balls and had seven fours. Mohammad Sudais chipped in with 28, hitting five fours.

Atif Jabbar and international pacer Bilawal Bhatti got three wickets each.Javed Ashraf and Saifullah are supervising the match.At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, Babar Khaliq blasted solid 109 to guide AJK to 311-8 in their first innings in the allotted 83 overs against Faisalabad.

Babar smashed 15 fours in his 170-ball fine knock. Naved Malik, who had a fine National T20, scored 51 off 73 balls, hitting ten fours. Farhan Raja scored 40 off 140 deliveries, striking four fours.

Inzamam-ul-Haq remained not out on 29 off 27 balls. He hit two fours and one six.Left-arm international pacer Waqas Maqsood was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 5-46. Ehsan Adil claimed 2-60.

Qaiser Khan and Sohail Zaman are supervising the match.Two teams from each pool will make it to the semi-finals which will be held at Iqbal Stadium and Mirpur Cricket Stadium, AJK, from February 1-3.

The final will be conducted at the Iqbal Stadium from February 6-9.The tournament winners will seal a berth in the next edition of Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Grade-I tournament.