The third day of the seventh and final round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I 2023-24 witnessed an intense clash between Ghani Glass and the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP). Ghani Glass emerged victorious in a closely contested battle, with their spinner, Mohammad Rameez Jnr, weaving a formidable spell to claim ten wickets, thus elevating himself as the leading wicket-taker of the tournament.
Ghani Glass vs SBP
In a thrilling contest concluding on day three, Ghani Glass triumphed over SBP by two wickets. SBP, starting the day at 139-2, succumbed to a batting collapse.
Umar Amin showcased brilliance with a century (104, 125b, 14x4s, 1x6), marking his 30th first-class hundred. However, Mohammad Rameez Jnr wreaked havoc, clinching his fifth first-class five-wicket haul. SBP was bundled out for 179, with Rameez Jnr finishing with figures of 6-59 in 14.3 overs.
Chasing a 176-run target, Ghani Glass faced early setbacks but managed a resilient comeback. Saad Nasim (29, 30b, 6x4s) and Saaed Ali (40, 67b, 7x4s) played pivotal roles, guiding their team to victory.
Rameez Jnr contributed 11 runs before falling prey to Afaq Afridi. Ghulam Haider (14 not out, 44b, 2x4s) and Shoaib Akhtar (9 not out, 12b, 2x4s) steered Ghani Glass to success. Afaq Afridi bagged three wickets, while Kashif Bhatti and Zahid Mehmood claimed two wickets each.
SNGPL vs HEC
SNGPL asserted their dominance with a formidable batting display against the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Kamran Ghulam’s brilliant century (104, 140b, 9x4s, 4x6s) propelled SNGPL to declare their innings at 351-5. HEC now faces a challenging target of 283 runs on the final day.
Continuing from 54-0, SNGPL’s opening batters, Azhar Ali (38, 71b, 4x4s) and Omair Bin Yousuf (82, 139b, 10x4s), forged a solid partnership of 76 runs. Kamran Ghulam’s century, along with contributions from Saud Shakeel (49, 55b, 5x4s) and skipper Asad Shafiq (42, 40b, 3x4s, 3x6s), propelled SNGPL to a commanding position.
HEC, in response, finished the day at 93-1 in 24 overs. Mohammad Huraira (36, 50b, 6x4s) and skipper Saad Khan (29 not out, 48b, 4x4s, 1x6) displayed resilience with an unbeaten partnership of 58 runs.
Earlier, Muhammad Akhlaq’s match-winning hundred helped the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) race to an exciting three-wicket win against Pakistan Television (PTV) on second day of round seven.
With this emphatic win, WAPDA also qualified for the final of the President’s Trophy Grade-I, set to start on January 27.
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