ABBOTTABAD: Maaz Sadaqat and Zubair Khan scored anchoring half-centuries and steered Peshawar to a formidable first innings’ total on the opening day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) against Lahore Whites here at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium on Monday.
Put into bat first, Peshawar had amassed 293/7 in 72 overs before bad light forced an early closure of the opening day.
Peshawar had a shaky start to their innings as they lost Waqar Ahmed (nine) early with just 20 runs on the board.
Following the early hiccup, Maaz put together a crucial 50-run partnership with Sajjad Ibrahim, who scored a cautious 15.
Peshawar then lost three more wickets in quick succession including set batter Maaz and had consequently slipped to 173/5.
Maaz Sadaqat remained the top-scorer for Peshawar with a brisk 97-ball 95, studded with 16 fours and a six.
Following the slump, number seven batter Zubair then partnered with wicketkeeper batter Mohammad Haris for an important 97-run partnership for the sixth wicket.
The duo, however, fell in quick succession, resulting in Peshawar slipping to 284/7.
Zubair struck 11 boundaries on his way to an 84-ball 71, while Haris made a gritty 45 off 68 deliveries, hitting four boundaries in the process.
Skipper Sajid Khan and Niaz Khan, unbeaten on 11 and two respectively, then batted sensibly to see off the remaining overs and will now resume Peshawar’s first innings from 293/7 on the second day.
For Lahore, Ahmed Bashir and Naseem Shah bagged two wickets each, while Ubaid Shah, Mohammad Salman and Saad Nasim shared three between them.
For the unversed, it is a must-win match for Sajid-led Peshawar as they have lost their first triangular stage fixture against Sialkot by a massive margin.
