Hanif Mohammad Trophy: Islamabad, Bahawalpur register victories in first round matches

LAHORE: Islamabad and Bahawalpur registered their victories in the first round matches of the Hanif Mohammad Trophy.

At the start of the day’s play, Islamabad and Bahawalpur were both well situated to chase their targets on the final day of play of the first round of games of the Hanif Mohammad Trophy. The former was trailing by 48 runs and the latter required 107 to win with eight wickets in hand. The targets were thus achieved with ease.

Bowling out the opposition for 174 in their second innings, Islamabad were firmly in control at the end of third day’s play, with only 48 needed to win in the final innings. The 405 runs they had accumulated in their first innings meant Islamabad were easily ahead of the game, requiring only 48 to win on the final day. A measly total to chase, the openers Hassan Nawaz and Ali Imran completed the task in the first session of the day. Requiring only 9.3 overs, Ali and Hassan took their team home, scoring unbeaten 31 and 16 respectively. Islamabad won without having lost a single wicket.

Despite losing two wickets, the side started their day in a dominant position, trailing by 107 runs and eight wickets in hand, owing to the start provided by the solid opening partnership on the previous day. The 83-run-stand between Mohammad Ammar and Ibrar Amin propelled Bahawalpur’s chase, bringing them strongly in command of the game. Rasool Baksh, who had five wickets to his name, was the lone warrior leading the counterattack. Ammar, steadfast on one end, kept the runs flowing which meant his side did not suffer even when wickets fell on the other end. Owing to his significant knock of 67 unbeaten runs, Bahawalpur reached their target in just 78.3 overs, effectively winning the game by 4 wickets.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2023