ABBOTTABAD: Emerging opener Azan Awais played his career-best knock to steer Sialkot to a decent lead over Peshawar on the second day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) triangular stage fixture here at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.
Resuming at the overnight score of 38 with Sialkot on 74/0, Azan went on to score an unbeaten century, pivotal in leading Sialkot to 319/6 at the close of play.
As a result, Sialkot have acquired a first innings lead of 148 runs over Peshawar with four wickets in hand.
Sialkot, in response to Peshawar’s 171, resumed their first innings from 74/0 at the start of second day’s play and were hit by an early blow as opening batter Ashir Mehmood fell after a well-made 31.
Azan shared a brief second-wicket partnership with Abdul Rehman (28) before receiving subtle support from Mohsin Riaz.
The duo forged an anchoring 140-run partnership for the third wicket, which lasted with Riaz’s dismissal briefly after amassing his half-century.
Riaz scored 64 off 122 deliveries with the help of eight boundaries and a six.
His dismissal sparked a brief middle-order collapse which saw Sialkot slipping from 266/2 to 302/6 but Azan remained firm.
The left-handed batter has thus far scored 161 off 312 balls, studded with 23 boundaries.
Mohammad Amir Khan has been the standout bowler for Peshawar with four wickets, while Niaz Khan and Hilal Ahmed chipped in with a wicket apiece.
