Azan Awais hits double ton as Sialkot crush Peshawar in QEAT
Azan Awais and Shoaib Akhtar Shine as Sialkot Crush Peshawar in QEAT Fixture
Sialkot dominated Peshawar in the first triangular stage match of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy (QEAT) 2024-25, securing an innings victory by 57 runs at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium.
The star of the match was 20-year-old Azan Awais, who smashed an unbeaten double century, his maiden in first-class cricket. Resuming at 161 overnight, Azan carried his bat to score 203 off 407 balls, hitting 27 boundaries. His heroic effort pushed Sialkot’s total to 410, giving them a commanding 239-run lead. This innings also took Azan’s tournament tally to 518 runs, second only to Multan’s Imam-ul-Haq with 635 runs.
Peshawar’s Mohammad Amir Khan was the pick of the bowlers, claiming five wickets, while Niaz Khan and Israrullah picked up two each.
In response, Peshawar’s batting faltered, managing just 182 runs. Left-arm pacer Shoaib Akhtar ripped through their lineup, bagging six wickets to finish with match figures of 8/101. Mohammad Ali provided solid support with three wickets in the second innings after his first-innings haul of 4/35. Sajjad Ibraheem (42) and Niaz Khan (35) were the only batters to show some resistance for Peshawar.
With this win, Sialkot has made a strong start in the triangular stage of the QEAT. The tournament will now pause to accommodate the inaugural Champions T20 Cup, scheduled from December 7 to 25 in Rawalpindi.
Remaining Schedule for QEAT 2024-25:
- Match 2: December 2-5 – Peshawar vs Lahore Whites, Abbottabad Cricket Stadium
- Match 3: December 27-30 – Lahore Whites vs Sialkot, Venue TBC
- Final: January 2-6, 2025 – Top two teams from the triangular stage, Venue TBC
