Pentangular Cup, 5th round, 3rd day

Sind crowned Pentangular champs

Cricinfo staff

March 13, 2008

Sind 417 for 7 (Sarfraz 82*, Rizwan 79, Iqbal 65, Riaz 4-99) beat Punjab 181 (Sohail 4-58) and 202 (Misbah 51, Anwar Ali 4-45) by an innings and 31 runs
Scorecard

Sind wrapped up the Pentagular trophy with an innings-and-31-run win over Punjab, thanks to some smart lower-order batting and a tidy bowling display on day three at the National Stadium in Karachi.

An unbeaten 82 from Sarfraz Ahmed, the Pakistan wicketkeeper, and a 79-run eight-wicket stand with Anwar Ali, the former Under-19 star, extended Sind's total to 417 before captain Shahid Afridi declared. Then it was over to the bowlers as after a solid start by Punjab's top order, Ali and Afridi swept through the lower order. Punjab crashed from 141 for 2 to 202 all out, Ali picking up 4 for 45 and Afridi 3 for 60. Only captain Misbah-ul-Haq, standing in for Shoaib Malik, offered resistance, with a 72-ball 51.

By winning the tournament, Sind will also be richer by Rs1 million. Sohail Tanvir, playing for Federal Areas, was named player of the tournament, with 211 runs at 35.16, including a century, and 19 wickets. Sind's Sohail Khan, the season's pace bowling sensation, was named bowler of the tournament, with six wickets in this match and 23 in the tournament. Thus, he ended his debut first-class season with 91 wickets from 14 matches. Kamran Akmal was named best 'keeper of the tournament and Salman Butt the best batsman.

Baluchistan 308 and 243 for 4 (Bin Nasir 118*, Maqsood 70) trail NWFP 664 for 6 (Hameed 300, Yasir Shah 51*) by 113 runs
Scorecard

Riding on a mountain of runs, NWFP finished day three of their match against Baluchistan in a comfortable position. Thanks to a career-best 300 from Yasir Hameed, who earlier added 431 with Asad Shafiq, NWFP rattled up 664 for 6 and then plugged away at Baluchistan to leave them 243 for 4. Still behind by 113 runs, Baluchistan's hopes were pinned on Saeed Bin Nasir, unbeaten on 118 as stumps were drawn in Peshawar.

Hameed resumed the third day on 265, and duly reached his maiden first-class triple. His brisk innings required just 367 deliveries and included 49 fours. He fell just after reaching the landmark but Younis Khan, with a run-a-ball 44 not out, and Yasir Shah, unbeaten on 51, maintained NWFP's dominance.

Baluchistan's second innings started poorly. Opening bowler Waqar Ahmed grabbed two to reduce them to 14 for 2, which became 53 for 3 when Yasir removed Gulraiz Sadaf, the wicketkeeper-batsman. It took a 121-run stand between Bin Nasir and Sohaib Maqsood to stem the rot. Maqsood was next out at 173 after hitting 70 from 69 balls but Bin Nasir went on to notch up his 13th first-class hundred. He was unbeaten at the close, adding a further 69 with Nasim Khan, his captain, but Baluchistan have plenty to do stave off defeat on the fourth day.

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Players/Umpires

Anwar Ali

Sarfraz Ahmed

Yasir Hameed

Series/Tournaments

ABN-AMRO Pentangular Cup

Pakistan Domestic Season

Teams

Pakistan