Rawalpindi (Sports Reporter):The opening day of the second round of President’s Trophy Grade-I saw centuries from MIT’s Mohammad Farooq, Salman Khan Jnr, Atiq-ur-Rehman, Ghani’s Sharjeel Khan and Kingsmen Academy’s Mohammad Tayyab Arif as action unfolded across Islamabad, Abbottabad, Peshawar and Rawalpindi on Friday.
Ghani’s Shoaib Akhtar Jnr and OGDCL’s Mohammad Amir Khan were the two pacers who snared five-wicket hauls on the first day.
At Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, MIT won the toss and elected to bat first as their opening batters Mohammad Farooq and Hasnain Nadeem (36, 76b, 7x4s) took only 21.5 overs to raise a 133-run stand. Farooq walked in all guns blazing and scored 163 off 99 balls hitting 11 fours and 14 sixes.
The aggressive opening batter reached the three-digit mark off just 67 balls and also overtook Majid Khan’s record for most sixes by a Pakistan batter in a first-class innings. It is also hiss third first-class and second consecutive ton.
Following Farooq’s departure, Atiq-ur-Rehman (142, 137b, 17x4s, 2x6s) and Salman Khan Jnr (106 not out, 199b, 12x4s, 1x6) took the Khan Research Laboratories bowlers to sword with a massive 217-run stand for the fourth wicket as both registered centuries.
With Atiq scoring his second first-class ton and Salman hitting his fifth, MIT finished the day with 476-4 on the board in 87.2 overs at stumps.
At Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad, Ghani had a dominant day with both bat and ball against Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited by first dismissing them for 152 in 41.5 overs and then responded with 192-2 in 41 overs by close of play.
After putting SNGPL in to bat, Ghani’s pace bowling duo of Shoaib Akhtar Jnr and Khurram Shahzad shared nine wickets between them, while Shoaib also run out Omair Bin Yousuf for one. Shoaib returned figures of 12.5-2-34-5 picking his fourth first-class five-for, while Khurram bagged four for 42.
In turn, Sharjeel Khan brought up his 15th first-class century in a blistering 156-run knock off just 120 balls with the help of 25 fours and five sixes. He shared a 186-run second-wicket stand with Khawaja Arham (33, not out, 114b, 2x4s) after Mirza Tahir Baig had fallen for a golden duck.
At Imran Khan Stadium in Peshawar, Kingsmen Academy were rolled for 215 in 57.3 overs with their skipper Mohammad Tayyab Arif standing tall with his maiden first-class century against the fast bowling might of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL).
Tayyab – playing just his second first-class game, walked in at no.3 with 20 runs on the board and steered the innings with a fluent 105 off 110 balls hitting 14 fours and three sixes. Kingsmen lost seven wickets for 44 runs as Mohammad Suleman (33, 95b, 3x4s) and Salman Ali Agha (25, 41b, 2x4s) fell after getting starts.
Pacer Mohammad Amir Khan ran through their batting with figures of 5-51 in 13 overs, while Mohammad Hasnain backed him up with three for 36 in 12.3 overs. Niaz Khan picked up one wicket. Amir registered his fifth five-wicket haul in the format in his 28th first-class game.
Abbottabad Cricket Stadium saw an attritional day’s play between State Bank of Pakistan and Pakistan Television. SBP were 278-9 in 71 overs at stumps with opening batter Hasan Raza (75, 106b, 9x4s) and incoming skipper Mohammad Ghazi Ghori (66, 79b, 9x4s) scoring half-centuries. No.7 batter Rameez Aziz was unbeaten on 42 off 73 balls at stumps.
For PTV, Musa Khan and Amad Butt picked up three wickets each, Haris Rauf dismissed two batters for 73 runs in his 18 overs.
Scores in brief – 2nd round – Day 1 Stumps
Match 5 – Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited v Ghani at Diamond Cricket Ground, Islamabad
Ghani lead by 40 runs with eight wickets remaining in second innings
SNGPL 152 all out, 41.5 overs (Sameer Minhas 53, Muhammad Imran 52; Shoaib Akhtar Jnr 5-34, Khurram Shahzad 4-42)
Ghani 192-2, 41 overs (Sharjeel Khan 156, Khawaja Arham 33 not out; Shahnawaz Dahani 2-58)
Match 6 – Khan Research Laboratories v Markhor IT Solutions at Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi
MIT Solutions 476-4, 87.2 overs (Mohammad Farooq 163, Atiq-ur-Rehman 142, Salman Khan Jnr 106 not out, Hasnain Nadeem 36; Ahmed Bashir 2-53)
Match 7 – Pakistan Television v State Bank of Pakistan at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium
SBP 278-9, 71 overs (Hasan Raza 75, Muhammad Ghazi Ghori 66, Rameez Aziz 42 not out, Sirajuddin 25, Faham-ul-Haq 23; Musa Khan 3-47, Amad Butt 3-60, Haris Rauf 2-73)
Match 8 – Oil and Gas Development Company Limited v Kingsmen Academy at Imran Khan Stadium, Peshawar
Kingsmen Academy 215 all out, 57.3 overs (Mohammad Tayyab Arif 105, Mohammad Suleman 33, Salman Ali Agha 25; Mohammad Amir Khan 5-51, Mohammad Hasnain 3-36)
OGDCL 57-3, 15 overs (Saad Khan 19; Mohammad Ilyas 2-31)
