Lahore, 25 October 2023: In a gripping showdown at the TransGroup presents ParkView City Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24 final, Karachi Whites are inching closer to clinching the coveted title as Faisalabad struggles to keep their hopes alive.
Faisalabad’s Uphill Battle
Faisalabad’s quest for glory faced an uphill battle as they resumed their innings on the fourth day. Openers Taimoor Sultan and Mohammad Huraira stepped up to the crease, but the odds were stacked against them. Huraira departed after contributing only five runs from 14 balls, while Taimoor managed to score 31 off 73 before being caught by Sarfaraz Ahmed off the precise bowling of Noman Ali.
Faisalabad’s wicket-keeper, Ali Shan, added 24 runs to the board off 43 balls, while left-handed batter Ali Waqas showcased a remarkable display of skill with 48 runs off 73 deliveries, Just two runs away from the half-century.
Muhammad Irfan Khan and Asif Ali failed to make a significant impact, scoring a mere one and three runs, respectively, before being dismissed and sent back to the pavilion. Faheem Ashraf and Ali Ashraf held their ground as the unbeaten batters at stumps, with Faheem contributing 15 not out off 29 balls.
Asad Shafiq and Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Stellar Performance
On the previous day, Asad Shafiq and Sarfaraz Ahmed had set the stage for Karachi Whites. Asad reached a rock-solid 60, while Sarfaraz had made a modest one run off six deliveries by the end of day three.
Asad Shafiq further solidified his position as a cricketing maestro by amassing his 31st first-class century, scoring a splendid 100 runs off 201 balls before the lunch break. This remarkable feat boosted Karachi Whites’ total to 350 runs, achieved in 92 overs. Eventually, Karachi Whites declared their score at 370, with seven wickets down, in 98.1 overs.
Sarfaraz Ahmed, who had been consistently stellar throughout the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2023-24, concluded his innings at 73 off 112 deliveries, solidifying his position as the second-highest run-getter in the tournament, amassing a total of 697 runs in 11 innings. Asad Shafiq, after his impressive performance, secured the third position with 113 runs off 222 balls and a total of 670 runs in 13 innings.
Karachi Whites Bowling Excellence
In the second innings, Faisalabad’s bowlers made their presence felt. Khurram Shahzad managed to claim two crucial wickets, while Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Ali, and Arshad Iqbal each took one wicket, attempting to halt Karachi Whites’ march towards victory.
Scores in Brief
Karachi Whites: 543 all out in 120.2 overs (Saim Ayub 203, Shan Masood 180; Mohammad Ali 3-63, Arshad Iqbal 3-94, Khurram Shahzad 3-120) and 370-7 declared in 98.1 overs (Asad Shafiq 113, Saim Ayub 109, Sarfaraz Ahmed 73; Khurram Shahzad 2-49, Arshad Iqbal 1-41).
Faisalabad: 124 all out in 35.5 overs (Muhammad Irfan Khan 32, Ali Waqas 27; Mir Hamza 5-44, Shahnawaz Dahani 4-50) and 129-6 in 41.3 overs (Ali Waqas 48, Taimoor Ruler 31; Asad Shafiq 1-9, Noman Ali 1-15, Mir Hamza 1-31).
Karachi Whites now stand on the precipice of victory, while Faisalabad must summon all their resilience to challenge the dominant Karachi Whites in this thrilling finale.