By Our Sports Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 28: A captain's knock by Asif Mujtaba rescued Karachi Blues out of a potential disaster against Multan on the second day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship Grade-I clash here at National Stadium on Sunday.
Asif, a former Test batsman, nudged the national selectors once again with a fine unbeaten 89 after the Blues had lost two wickets without a run on the board. The dapper left-hander had so far batted for 230 minutes and hit a dozen boundaries in his 196-ball innings. Giving him excellent support is Azam Khan, who ended the day on a patient 37 not out in an unbroken 103-run partnership for the fourth-wicket.
After Multan added 54 runs to their overnight tally of 136 for seven, the Blues lost Test opener Ali Naqvi on the very first delivery of their innings. Naqvi tried to drive pace bowler Nadeem Iqbal through the off-side but only succeeded in edging to Shakir Qayyum at second slip. Two balls later, wicket-keeper Ahmed Zeeshan Malik, who was surprisingly promoted in the batting order, was comprehensively bowled, also for a duck, as they went into lunch at four for two.
However, Asif stemmed the rot and together with fellow left-hander Shadab Kabir put on 68 for the third-wicket before the latter fell to a bat/pad catch for 26. Asif completed 50 on the stroke of tea with the Blues recovering to 93 for three.
Earlier, Multan wicket-keeper Muhammad Shafiq converted his overnight score of 42 into 71 before he was the eighth man out. His knock lasted 154 minutes and 123 balls. He hit 11 fours.
Day 3
Azam hits century to put Blues on top
By Our Sports Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 29: A fine century by Test discard Azam Khan enabled Karachi Blues to take a substantial first innings lead of 192 against Multan on the third day of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship Grade-I encounter here at National Stadium on Monday. Multan ended the day on 60 for one in their second innings, still requiring 132 to make Karachi Blues bat again.
Karachi Blues, resuming at the overnight score of 171 for three, were eventually all out for 382 in reply to Multan's first innings tally of 190.
Skipper Asif Mujtaba, overnight 89, was unlucky to miss a well-deserved hundred by a mere three runs when he nicked a delivery from medium-pacer Shabbir Ahmed to give stand-in wicket-keeper Majid Inayat a tumbling catch. He batted for 278 minutes, faced 233 balls and struck 13 fours. His fourth-wicket partnership with Azam produced 134 in 168 minutes. Azam batted circumspectly and took his overnight score of 37 to 85 at lunch with the Blues on 253 for six. After the interval, he completed his century in 277 minutes off 198 balls with 13 fours.
Azam and veteran all-rounder Kamal Merchant put on 80 in 70 minutes for the seventh-wicket before the former finally departed for 119. Azam's 218-ball vigil at the crease lasted 305 minutes and included 16 boundaries.
Merchant was left stranded on 67 (93 balls, 123 minutes, seven fours) when the Blues lost their final wicket just two minutes before the tea break.
For the visitors, pace bowler Nadeem Iqbal claimed four wickets with Shabbir taking three and Muhammad Siddique two.
Day 4: Karachi Blues trounce Multan by 10 wickets
By Our Sports Reporter
KARACHI, Dec 30: Karachi Blues scored an emphatic 10-wicket victory over Multan at National Stadium here on Tuesday to stay in contention for the final of the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship Grade-I. Needing 39 runs in 18 overs, the Test openers Ali Naqvi and Shadab Kabir completed the formality in only 5.2 overs with a flurry of strokes to give the Blues their fourth win this season.
The Blues have now accumulated 48 points and next play against current leaders Peshawar, who have 52 points, in the city from Saturday (Jan 3). Multan's second innings ended a few minutes after the tea interval when pace bowler Ali Gohar claimed his fourth wicket of the innings by trapping Shabbir Ahmed in front of the stumps.
Overnight batsman Majid Inayat offered stiff resistance by scoring a painstaking 55 in 200 minutes before he was the sixth man out. Majid struck six fours during his 160-ball knock.
Multan, who were 149 for four at lunch, lost four wickets in the afternoon session and needed the assistance of their seventh-wicket pair of Shakir Qayyum and Nadeem Iqbal to avoid an innings defeat. The duo added 55 runs in 73 minutes before Nadeem's 57-ball knock of 39 was terminated by Lal Faraz.