Central Punjab were closing their third victory in a row as Hasan Ali scored a quickfire half-century and took eight wickets on the second day of his side’s first-class Quaid-e-Azam Trophy eighth round match against Balochistan at the State Bank Stadium on Tuesday.

The Central Punjab captain clubbed an unbeaten 50 off 33 balls to lift his team to 369 before he recorded his 10th five-wicket haul, which bundled out Balochistan for a paltry 130, and took three more wickets after enforcing follow-on.

Balochistan were tottering at 130 for six in their second innings and needed another 109 runs to make Central Punjab, the title defenders, bat again.

Hasan smashed four sixes and as many fours to record his third half-century and second of the season after Central Punjab resumed the day at 297 for six.

Jalat Khan stood out with six for 116. This was left-arm orthodox’s third five-wicket haul of the season.

Balochistan’s first innings lasted only 38.2 overs thanks to Hasan who took five wickets for 32 from 9.2 overs. The right-arm pacer dismissed Akbar-ur-Rehman (25), Jalat Khan (one), Mohammad Talha (two), Raza-ul-Hasan (0) and Gohar Faiz (0). Pacer Waqas Maqsood took three wickets for 38.

Wicketkeeper-batsman Adnan Akmal and captain Imran Farhat were the only batsmen to resist Central Punjab bowlers with 33 not out and 30.

With a first innings lead of 239 runs, Hasan enforced the follow-on and, once again, led the attack from front taking three wickets for 43. Waqas, from the other end, also continued to take wickets as he dismissed two batsmen for 35.

That Balochistan had levelled their first innings score while batting second was because of Ayaz Tasawar’s 50 off 62 balls (eight fours and one six). With 23, Ali Waqas was the next best run-getter in the innings.

Central Punjab, who are ranked fourth on the six-team points table, have gained 10 bonus points (four for batting and six for bowling), while fifth-placed Balochistan could add only three bowling bonus points.

At the UBL Sports Complex, Southern Punjab were struggling at 145 for five in reply of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s daunting 487.

Off-spinner Sajid Khan continued to lead Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s bowling attack as he took three wickets for 45 runs from 13 overs, while the other two batsmen were dismissed by Arshad Iqbal and Khalid Usman.

Opener Zain Abbas and Salman Ali Agha, Southern Punjab’s highest run-getter, were the notable run-getters. Zain was unbeaten on 64 and had smashed nine fours from the 107 balls he had faced on day two, while Salman made a 53-ball 45, which included eight fours. The pair stitched a 91-run stand for the second wicket, before Sajid reduced the opposition to 134 for five from 104 for one.

Southern Punjab are 342 runs behind Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Zain will be joined by Ali Usman (six not out) on the third morning of the fixture.

Earlier, Adil Amin converted his overnight score of 76 into his career’s fourth first-class century as he scored a brilliant 172. The 30-year-old faced 330 balls and smashed 15 fours and three sixes.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa started the day’s play at 296 for three and Adil had in-form Kamran Ghulam as his partner who added 15 runs to his yesterday’s score before he was dismissed by leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood, who recorded his career’s fifth five-wicket haul with six for 163, on 160.

The pair stretched their 211-run stand from the opening day’s play to 239 before Zahid came into action and rolled over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s middle and lower-order. Kamran struck 21 four and a six in his 285-ball knock.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, who are at the top of the points table, were 310 for three at the completion of 100 overs. As such, they added three batting points to their tally while Southern Punjab could get only one bowling point. From Southern Punjab’s innings, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have already bagged a bowling point for dismissing wickets in the bracket of three to five.

A fantastic century by Sharjeel Khan gave Sindh a 150-run first innings lead over Northern at the National Stadium.

The opener crunched 17 fours and three sixes in front of the broadcast cameras, which telecasted the action live in Pakistan through PTV Sports and beamed delayed stream across the globe through PCB’s YouTube channel, in his 164-ball knock that had Sindh placed at a comfortable 353 for five.

Over the course of his second century of the season, Sharjeel stitched partnerships worth 87 and 91 with Azizullah (16) and Saud Shakeel, who made 81 off 139, after Sindh started the day on 40 for one. Saad Khan and captain Asad Shafiq scored 41 and 46 not out, respectively, which further consolidated Sindh in the match. When play resumes on Wednesday, Saad Ali, who is unbeaten on 23, will join Asad.

Sindh, who are placed at the bottom of the points table, have pocketed nine bonus points, while second-ranked Northern have taken two.

BRIEF SCORES:

At State Bank Stadium, Central Punjab elected to bat against Balochistan

Central Punjab 369 all out, 103 overs (Ali Zaryab 117, Usman Salahuddin 73, Hasan Ali 50 not out, Mohammad Saad 45, Ali Shan 28; Jalat Khan 6-116; Raza-ul-Hasan 2-65)

Balochistan 130 all out, 38.2 overs (Adnan Akmal 33 not out, Imran Farhat 30, Akbar-ur-Rehman 25; Hasan Ali 5-32, Waqas Maqsood 3-38) and 130-6, 29.5 overs (Ayaz Tasawar 50, Ali Waqas 23, Ali Rafiq 20; Hasan Ali 3-43, Waqas Maqsood 2-35)

First innings points: Central Punjab 10 (four batting, six bowling), Balochistan 3 (all bowling)

At UBL Sports Complex, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elected to bat against Southern Punjab

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 487 all out, 147.1 overs (Adil Amin 172, Kamran Ghulam 160, Israrullah 49; Zahid Mahmood 6-163)

Southern Punjab 145-5, 38 overs (Zain Abbas 64 not out, Salman Ali Agha 45; Sajid Khan 3-45)

Points to date: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 4 (three batting, one bowling), Southern Punjab 1 (bowling)

At National Stadium, Northern elected to bat against Sindh

Northern 203 all out, 68.2 overs (Mohammad Nawaz 79, Jamal Anwar 51, Mubasir Khan 26; Azizullah 3-48, Shahnawaz Dhani 3-49, Mir Hamza 3-52)

Sindh 353-5, 101 overs (Sharjeel Khan 133, Saud Shakeel 81, Asad Shafiq 46 not out, Saad Khan 41, Saad Ali 23 not out; Mohammad Nawaz 2-23)

First innings points: Northern 2 (one batting, one bowling), Sindh 9 (four batting, five bowling)