Karachi Blues’ batsman Haroon Arshad strikes again with a brilliant century, helping his team post a formidable total against Sialkot at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. Haroon scored 116 off 236 balls, including nine boundaries, marking his second first-class century.
The day started with Karachi Blues adding 256 runs to their overnight score of 202-1 before being bowled out for 458 in 133.4 overs. Sialkot’s skipper Usama Mir led the bowling attack with impressive figures of 5-98 in 28.4 overs, while Mohammad Hasnain picked up 3-91. Off-spinner Hamza Nazar and Hasan Ali took one wicket each.
Early in the day, Mohammad Hasnain struck a crucial blow by dismissing centurion Abdullah Fazal (114), breaking a 170-run stand that had lasted 349 balls. Later, Shan Masood joined Haroon Arshad strikes for a 84-run partnership for the third wicket. Shan scored 76 off 107 balls, crossing the 13,000 first-class run milestone in his 335th innings.
Haroon’s century was brought to an end by Hamza Nazar’s fine delivery, which clipped the stumps between his bat and pad in the 92nd over. Karachi Blues later lost seven wickets for 131 runs, but Usman Khan accelerated scoring with 47 off 57 balls, including three sixes.
Rameez Aziz contributed 30 runs, supporting the tail-enders before Sialkot ended the day at 12-0 in 4 overs, needing 520 more runs to reach the target of 533.
The day also saw some remarkable bowling performances, including Usama Mir completing his fifth first-class five-wicket haul.
With Haroon Arshad strikes proving vital for Karachi Blues, the team has set a challenging target for Sialkot, keeping fans on edge as the match heads into the final stages.
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