LAHORE, 14th Oct 2023: Veteran batter Asad Shafiq’s gutsy 36 lifted Karachi Whites to edge Rawalpindi by one wicket to register their second victory in the ongoing Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QeAT) 2023/24 while Faisalabad eased to a six-wicket win over Peshawar.
At Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium, Karachi Whites chased 157 in 57.4 overs, defeating Rawalpindi by one wicket. Rawalpindi resumed their second batting attempt from 108-6 in 43.4 overs. They lost the remaining four wickets rather quickly, getting to the final score of 141 in 55.2 overs.
Abdul Faseeh (50, 121b, 7x4s) was the top scorer for the side while Jamal Anwar struck 26. Mir Hamza shone with the ball, grabbing six wickets while spinner Noman Ali got two scalps. Karachi Whites were tasked with chasing 157 runs in the final innings. The side completed the target in 57.4 overs at the loss of nine wickets.
Veteran Asad Shafiq (36) was the highest run-getter for the side, followed by Ammad Alam (27). Jahandad Khan had four scalps to his name, while Kashif Ali and Awais Anwar returned with two wickets each.
Meanwhile, at Pindi Stadium, Faisalabad were given 109 runs to chase in the final innings of their sixth-round QeAT fixture, which the side achieved in 30.2 overs with six wickets remaining. Peshawar started their day with 155-5 on the board after batting for 46 overs the previous day.
They managed to post 205 runs in 65 overs; skipper Sahibzada Farhan scored 92 runs in 120 balls, including 14 four and a maximum while Mehran Ibrahim also batted well and struck unbeaten 40. Mohammad Ali got a five-fer for Faisalabad while Khurram Shahzad and Arshad Iqbal picked two wickets apiece.
In turn, Faisalabad was asked to chase 109 in the final innings. Raees Ahmed (34), Mohammad Huraira (33) and Irfan Khan Niazi (25*) chipped in with the bat to take the score to 111 in 30.2 overs, securing a win for the side by six wickets. Niaz Khan was the pick of the bowlers, as he picked up three wickets in the innings while Spinner Sajid Khan got one wicket.
Whereas, the match between Lahore Blues and Multan at Gaddafi Stadium resulted in a draw on the final day of round six of the QeAT. Imran Butt-led Lahore Blues resumed after 314 runs in 87 overs, having lost one wicket the previous day.
Imran scored a double century (255) and was supported by Qasim Akram (72) and Hammad Butt (51). Lahore Blues posted 578 in 162 overs and lost six wickets in the innings. Zahid Mahmood and Ali Usman returned with two wickets each. The match was drawn when no definitive results could be foreseen.
Reference Link: https://www.nation.com.pk/14-Oct-2023/karachi-whites-faisalabad-claim-wins-in-sixth-round-of-qeat
