Quaid-e-Azam Trophy: Muhammad Khalil And Iftikhar Anjum set up victory for ZTBL
Star-studded ZTBL beat the Karachi Blues by an innings and 20 runs at National Stadium, Karachi, in the sixth round of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2010-11 (Division One). ZTBL has now taken second place on the points table, tied with
Habib Bank and behind WAPDA.
ZTBL Captain Imran Nazir won the toss at the outset of the match and decided to bowl first on the green track – a usual trend in the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy. It turned out to be a good decision for ZTBL, as the Karachi Blues were bowled
out for a mere 64 runs in only 24 overs in their first innings. Rameez Raja was the only Blues batsman to score in double figures, getting 26 runs.
Imran Nazir did not need a third bowler in the first innings. Fast bowlers Muhammad Khalil and Iftikhar Anjum were enough to rattle the Karachi batsmen, both of them taking five wickets each. Iftikhar conceded 26 runs for his five
wickets, whereas Khalil gave away 33 runs for his.
When it was their turn to bat, the ZTBL batsmen made the Karachi Blues batsmen look even worse, with a solid overall performance on the very same pitch. Sialkot-born right-handed middle-order batsman Shahid Yousaf was magnificent
as he scored 141 runs, including 18 fours and two huge sixes. Left-hander Haris Sohail was the other main scorer for ZTBL with 76 runs, including eight fours. Zohaib Khan and captain Imran Nazir also scored half-centuries. ZTBL piled up a huge total of 453
runs for seven wickets, and declared the first innings after 125 overs, leading by 389 runs.
Just like their batsmen, the Blues’ bowlers failed to impress. Adeel Malik and Rumman Raees picked up three wickets each for the Karachi Blues, but both bowled expensively.
In their second innings, the Karachi Blues displayed a much better batting performance and it was evident that they had learnt a thing or two from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shahid-c89347 Yousaf. Batting at number four, Akbar-ur-Rehman scored a brilliant 145, which
included 22 fours. Naved Khan and captain Saeed bin http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nasir-c78728 both scored half-centuries. The Blues managed to make 369 runs in 104.1 overs in their second innings.
Unlike in the first innings, the ZTBL bowlers had to work hard this time round. Lanky fast bowler http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Rehan-Riaz-c84633 picked up three wickets for ZTBL, while Zohaib Khan and Iftikhar Anjum took two scalps each.
Despite their valiant second-innings efforts, the Karachi Blues could not avoid an innings defeat. ZTBL won the match by an innings and 20 runs.
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