Quaid-e-Azam Trophy - a recap of third round (part3)
Karachi Blues versus http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Habib-Bank-Limited-c788
The heroics of the left-arm spin bowler, Mohammad Aslam advocated Habib Bank Limited to an assertive win over Karachi Blues at South-end Stadium Karachi in an emphatic manner. The third day’s play was abandoned as a hallmark of respect for the politician
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Imran-c64193 Farooq, who was assassinated in the London, but the HBL only needed three days to register an eight wicket over the Whites.
As it has been a pattern throughout the tournament, the team that wins the toss elects to field first. It is because of the beneficial bowling conditions on first day pitch. Expectedly, HBL did the same thing as they sent in Karachi to bat first in trying
conditions.
At first, the Blues responded in prudent manner as they formed a decent opening partnership of 67 runs. It was just a matter of time, wickets continued to tumble after the fall of first batsman. Rameez Raja was the only player to make an impact with his
bat by scoring 47 brisk runs of just 33 balls, including six crisp boundaries and two towering sixes.
Moreover, the only other substantial contributor was http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Babar-Rehman-c47132 with his resilient 33 runs in the later order. In doing so, he floated his team to a moderate total of 190 runs.
Apart from http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Azhar-Mahmood-c1116, who took 2/32, the other seam bowlers failed to prove their worth. Unexpectedly, on a pitch that was offering fair bit of assistance to the fast bowlers, Mohammad Aslam wreaked havoc for the opposition batsmen as he registered significant
figures of 5/30 in 20 economical overs.
The HBL batting line-up started off in a sedate manner as they lost their first four wickets on a grim score of 62 runs, including their captain Hassan Raza. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khaqan-Arsal-c1789 and Azhar Mahmood mustered a 98-run partnership in order to avoid any further debacle.
Furthermore, Khaqan top scored with 80 runs and Azhar struck a well made half-century. The only late order resistance came from the blade of the all-rounder, Kamran Hussain, who cracked up a defiant 87 runs, including 13 measured boundaries.
For Blues, Adeel Malik bowled a worthy spell, amassing worthy figures of 4/59 in 23 acute overs. The medium pacer bowled with great courage and enthusiasm to bring his team back into the game. His nagging line and length with the red cherry did not only
earn him four victims, it also slowed down things at one end.
To assist the seamer, Malik Aftab and Babar Rehman chipped in with two wickets each. Saeed Bin http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nasir-c78728, who hardly bowls at first-class level, scalped the prize wicket of Saleem Elahi with his mean off-break bowling.
The Blues were trailing by 121 runs, started their second innings with another competent opening partnership of 56 runs. Afterwards, it was the same old story as they lost their eight wickets in space of 45 runs.
Naveed http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Khan-c71319 gathered a moderate score of 33 runs in 76 balls. Babar Rehman again showed that he is no mug with the bat as he top scored for his team with 41 runs. His innings was sufficient enough to make the opposition bat for the second time as the Whites
piled up a moderate score of 144 runs.
For yet another time, Mohammad Aslam was the chief destroyer as he registered his fourth ten-wicket haul in only his 52nd game. In the process, he tweaked amazing figures of 6/48 in a brilliant display of left-arm slow bowling.
This time around, Shahid Nazir completely supported the left-arm hero as he recorded acceptable figures of 3/30.
A target of 24 runs was always going to be an easy walk in the park and it proved to be as HBL completed the task in 7 overs with eight wickets to spare. In between, Malik Aftab for Karachi hunted two opposition wickets.
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