LAHORE – Amad Butt delivered an exceptional performance for Sialkot, taking four wickets to dismiss Peshawar for 258 in 80.1 overs on the opening day of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy 2024-25 final at the UBL Sports Complex in Karachi. By the end of the day’s play, Sialkot had scored eight runs in two overs without losing a wicket.
Opting to bowl first, Sialkot justified their decision by reducing Peshawar to 145-5 before eventually bowling them out for 258. None of the Peshawar batters managed to reach a half-century. Amad Butt was instrumental with figures of 4-51 from 19.1 overs, supported by young pacers Ali Raza (3-62) and Shoaib Akhtar Jr. (2-60). Together, the trio accounted for nine wickets in 60.1 overs, conceding just 173 runs.
Earlier, Peshawar’s opener Maaz Sadaqat hit four boundaries in his 32-run knock off 61 balls, while his opening partner, Sahibzada Farhan, was dismissed for six runs off 13 deliveries. At No. 4, Nabi Gul contributed a steady 44 off 72 balls with seven fours before being dismissed in the 34th over, leaving the score at 106-4.
Peshawar’s middle order offered some resistance, with No. 6 batter Zubair Khan top-scoring with 47 runs off 126 balls, including six boundaries. Zubair built a 39-run partnership with Mehran Ibrahim (31 off 65 balls, 3 fours) for the fifth wicket and added another 48 runs with Abuzar Tariq (15 off 59 balls, 2 fours) for the sixth wicket. Lower-order contributions from skipper Sajid Khan (23 off 26 balls, 4 fours) and Niaz Khan (31 off 31 balls, 5 fours) helped Peshawar cross the 250-run milestone.
Sialkot will resume day two, trailing by 250 runs with all ten wickets in hand, aiming to build a strong response.
