Karachi Urban lift Quaid-e-Azam Trophy

Day 4 Karachi Urban 403 beat Sialkot 183 and 288 (Rehman 70, Yousuf 70) by 8 wickets
Scorecard

Karachi Urban became the new Quaid-e-Azam Trophy champions as they defeated Sialkot by eight wickets, on the fourth day at the Multan Cricket Stadium.

After being asked to follow-on, with a deficit of 220, Sialkot averted an innings defeat as they scored 288 in their second innings. Karachi Urban polished off the required 69 with little fuss, losing just two wickets.

Sialkot resumed their overnight 175 for 3, and Tariq Mahmood's stubborn resistance - he scored 29 off 203 balls in over four hours - kept the opposition bowlers at bay. Shahid Yousuf made amends for his first-ball duck in the first innings with a worthy 70 the second time round. He faced 105 balls and hit nine fours and two sixes. The rest didn't contribute much as four wickets fell for only 15 runs.

Yousuf found an able ally in Kashif Raza (25) as the pair added 78 for the eighth-wicket. The last three wickets fell at the same score of 288. For Karachi, seamer Tanvir Ahmed and offspinner Tahir Khan picked up three wickets each.

Karachi Urban then reached their victory target in just 12.3 overs. Hasan Raza, the Karachi Urban captain, was declared the Man of the Match after his unbeaten 161 in the first innings.

Babar Naeem (Rawalpindi) was declared the best batsman of the tournament, Tahir Khan (Karachi Urban) was adjudged the best bowler and best fielder while Zulfiqar Jan (Peshawar) bagged the award for the best wicketkeeper.

Sialkot won the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy for the first time last season. No Karachi team had qualified for the tournament's final in the last five years. This is the 18th title by a Karachi team, a record.