ABBOTTABAD: Captain Sajid Khan registered match figures of 10/99 and steered Peshawar to a thumping 125-run victory over Lahore Whites in the second triangular stage fixture of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) 2024-25 here at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
The crushing victory uplifted Peshawar’s chances of qualifying for the final as they now need Sialkot to beat Lahore in the last triangular fixture, slated to be held after the Champions T20 Cup.
Peshawar resumed their second innings from 14/3 with a handy 130-run lead but could add 127 runs to their total despite Nabi Gul’s anchoring knock.
Nabi struck 12 boundaries on his way to top score for Peshawar with a 138-ball 83. He was involved in a crucial 63-run partnership for the fourth wicket with Sajjad Ibraheem, who was the other notable contributor with a 34-ball 27.
Mohammad Salman was the standout bowler for Lahore, taking three wickets, while Naseem Shah, Ubaid Shah and Ahmed Bashir bagged two wickets each.
Chasing a 257-run target, Lahore’s batting lineup struggled Sajid-led Peshawar’s bowling attack and were eventually bowled out for 131 despite skipper Saad Nasim’s half-century.
Walking out to bat at number seven with his side reeling at 37/5, Saad firmly held one end but wickets kept tumbling at the other.
The experienced batter finally found notable support from the other end for a fighting ninth-wicket partnership with Mohammad Salman, which yielded 57 runs.
His Peshawar counterpart Sajid, however, drew curtains on his defiant knock before dismissing Ahmed on a golden duck to lead his side to a much-needed victory.
Saad remained the top-scorer for Lahore with a gritty 56, followed by opener Gauhar Hafeez (22) and Mohammad Salman (24*).
Sajid Khan bagged five wickets for 43 runs in the second innings, while Niaz Khan and Mir Hamza, made three and two scalps, respectively.
