Sialkot put themselves in a commanding position on the opening day of their match against Peshawar at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. After dismissing Peshawar for a modest total of 171, the Sialkot openers added an unbroken 74 runs to close the day strongly.
Peshawar, opting to bat first, struggled against a disciplined Sialkot bowling attack. Wickets fell at regular intervals, with only Ubaidullah standing out for his aggressive 35 off 44 deliveries, which included eight boundaries. Despite small contributions from Zubair Khan (23), Mohammad Amir Khan (21), and Abuzar Tariq (20), Peshawar’s innings faltered. The side was reduced to 93-5 at one stage before the lower order managed to add 78 crucial runs.
Test pacer Mohammad Ali was the star of the show with his superb spell, returning figures of 16.1-7-35-4. His ability to extract movement and maintain accuracy proved too much for Peshawar’s batters. He was ably supported by Awais Ali, a former Pakistan U19 pacer, who also claimed four wickets for 73 runs in his 15 overs. Shoaib Akhtar chipped in with two wickets, ensuring Peshawar were bowled out in just 46.1 overs.
In response, Sialkot’s openers, Azan Awais and Ashir Mehmood, batted with great composure and authority. Azan played confidently to remain unbeaten on 38 off 63 balls, hitting six boundaries, while Ashir contributed an assured 31 not out off 61 deliveries, laced with five fours. The pair showed great temperament, adding 74 runs in 20.3 overs before bad light forced an early end to the day.
Sialkot will begin Day 2 with a strong foundation, trailing by 97 runs with all ten wickets intact, and will look to build a significant first-innings lead.
Scores in Brief (Day 1 of 4):
Peshawar 171 all out, 46.1 overs
(Ubaidullah 35, Zubair Khan 23, Mohammad Amir Khan 21, Abuzar Tariq 20; Mohammad Ali 4-35, Awais Ali 4-73, Shoaib Akhtar 2-50)
Sialkot 74-0, 20.3 overs
(Azan Awais 38 not out, Ashir Mehmood 31 not out)
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