Karachi Blues took firm control of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy final on Thursday, setting defending champions Sialkot a daunting 533-run target after dominant performances with both bat and ball at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Sialkot finished Day Four on 12 for no loss in four overs, with Azan Awais unbeaten on 7 and Muhammad Hurraira not out on 5, leaving them with an enormous challenge heading into the final day.
The standout performance of the day came from Haroon Arshad, who scored a brilliant century to push Karachi Blues into a commanding position.
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Resuming their second innings at 202 for 1, Karachi were eventually bowled out for 458.
Abdullah Fazal, who started the day on his overnight score, added 10 more runs but still completed a fine 114, featuring 13 boundaries.
He was bowled by Mohammad Hasnain soon after reaching his milestone.
READ: Abdullah Fazal’s century puts Karachi in firm control of QEAT final
Abdullah and Haroon added 170 runs for the second wicket, laying the foundation for Karachi’s huge lead.
Haroon continued his impressive form from earlier in the tournament, where he scored a century in the opening match against Faisalabad, by compiling a composed 116 with 9 fours before being bowled by Hamza Nazar.
He shared an 84-run stand with Shan Masood, who contributed a fluent 76 with 9 boundaries before falling to Hasnain.
Usama Mir was the pick of Sialkot’s bowlers, claiming five wickets for 98 runs.
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He removed captain Saud Shakeel for 6, dismissed Usman Khan for 47, and wrapped up the innings by bowling Rameez Aziz for 30.
Mohammad Hasnain supported him with three wickets for 91, while Hassan Ali and Hamza Nazar picked up one each.
With Karachi Blues holding a commanding lead and Sialkot needing 521 more runs to retain their title, the final day promises a tough battle as the defending champions look to pull off a miracle chase or draw the contest.
