KARACHI-Day three of the third round in President’s Trophy Grade I 2023-24 saw Ghani Glass inching close to victory despite PTV’s top effort with the bat in the second innings. Meanwhile, the game between KRL and HEC is set up nicely for an exciting finish on the last day. SBP put a fight against a strong SNGPL.
Ghani Glass require 95 runs to win with nine wickets in the bag as PTV’s spirited second-innings effort yielded valuable runs. Continuing from their overnight score of 183-2, the PTV duo of Taimur Khan (160, 200b, 27x4s, 2x6s) and Mohammad Suleman (106, 196b, 10x4s, 1x6) went onto score valiant hundreds. Both batters shared a third-wicket partnership of 263 runs, helping PTV obtain a lead of 218 runs. PTV managed a total of 409 setting a target of 219 for Ghani Glass.
Leg-spinner M Rameez Jnr bagged a five-wicket haul, taking his tally of wickets in the match to nine. Shoaib Akhtar and Saeed Ali picked up three and two wickets respectively. In pursuit of the target, Ghani Glass got off to a solid start as their opening batters, Sharjeel Khan (74*, 92b, 8x4s, 2x6s) and Mohsin Riaz (28) notched a 100-run partnership. Mohsin was removed by M Sadaqat while Sharjeel was joined by Tayyab Tahir (17*) as the pair saw off the day with a total of 124-1 on the board.
KRL set a target of 434 for HEC after stretching their overnight lead of 113 runs. KRL opening batter, Abdul Faseeh (156, 179b, 16x4s, 4x6s), the first-innings centurion, brought up his fifth first-class hundred. He also became just the fourth Pakistan batter to score 150 or more in each innings of a first-class game after Zaheer Abbas, Faisal Athar and Sadiq Mohammad. Sharoon Siraj (65, 59b, 8x4s, 3x6s) and Maaz Sadaqat (53*, 44b, 9x4s) struck brisk half-centuries to take KRL’s second-innings total to 401-9 before they declared.
