A sensational maiden double-century from 20-year-old opener Azan Awais powered Sialkot to a comprehensive innings and 57-run victory over Peshawar on the third day of their Quaid-e-Azam Trophy triangular stage match at Abbottabad Cricket Stadium.
Resuming the day unbeaten on 161, Azan showcased remarkable composure and skill to carry his bat for an unbeaten 203, propelling Sialkot to a commanding first-innings total of 410. His marathon knock, spanning over nine-and-a-half hours, featured 27 boundaries and came off 407 deliveries. This milestone innings also took his tournament tally to 518 runs, making him the second-highest run-scorer of the competition behind Multan’s Imam-ul-Haq (635 runs).
Azan’s Milestone and Key Partnerships
Sialkot, starting the day at 319 for six, added 91 runs to their overnight score before being bowled out. Azan anchored two vital lower-order stands to extend Sialkot’s advantage. He added 60 runs with Usama Mir (29 off 57 balls) for the seventh wicket and a further 40 with Mohammad Ali (16) for the eighth. These partnerships underpinned Sialkot’s dominance, stretching their first-innings lead to 239.
Peshawar’s Mohammad Amir Khan was the pick of the bowlers, securing his second five-wicket haul of the tournament with figures of 40.1-4-141-5. This effort took his tally to 26 wickets, making him joint-third among the competition’s leading wicket-takers.
Shoaib Akhtar Runs Riot
Trailing by a hefty margin, Peshawar faltered in their second innings, bundled out for 182 in just 34.4 overs. Shoaib Akhtar was devastating with the ball, claiming 6 for 51 to seal a dominant match haul of 8 for 101. Mohammad Ali provided excellent support, following up his first-innings 4 for 35 with 3 for 43.
Peshawar showed brief resistance through Sajjad Ibraheem (42) and Niaz Khan (35), but their efforts were insufficient against Sialkot’s relentless bowling attack.
Sialkot’s Triumphant Victory
Sialkot’s commanding performance underlines their strength in this triangular stage. Azan’s stellar form has positioned him as a strong contender for the tournament’s leading run-scorer, with Multan not featuring in this phase.
Score Summary
Peshawar
171 all out, 46.1 overs (Ubaidullah 35, Zubair Khan 23; Mohammad Ali 4-35, Awais Ali 4-73)
182 all out, 34.4 overs (Sajjad Ibraheem 42, Niaz Khan 35; Shoaib Akhtar 6-51, Mohammad Ali 3-43)
Sialkot
410 all out, 133.1 overs (Azan Awais 203*, Mohsin Riaz 64; Mohammad Amir Khan 5-141)
Result: Sialkot won by an innings and 57 runs.
Leave a Reply