Promising 20-year-old opener Azan Awais delivered a stellar performance on day two of the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy triangular stage match, propelling Sialkot to a dominant position against Peshawar at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium.
Resuming his innings on 38 not out with Sialkot at 74 for no loss in response to Peshawar’s 171, Azan remained unbeaten on a career-best 161 as his team ended the day at 319 for six, leading by 148 runs with four wickets in hand. The left-hander’s 312-ball knock was adorned with 23 boundaries, showcasing his flair and consistency.
This innings marked Azan’s second first-class century, surpassing his previous best of 130 against Dera Murad Jamali earlier this month. He reached his milestone in 198 balls, featuring 14 fours in the process.
Azan anchored Sialkot’s innings with two pivotal partnerships. He shared a 78-run opening stand with Ashir Mehmood (31) and a game-changing 140-run partnership for the third wicket with Mohsin Riaz, who contributed a solid 64 off 122 balls, hitting eight fours and a six. Abdul Rehman also chipped in with 28 runs, adding 48 for the second wicket with Azan.
For Peshawar, Mohammad Amir Khan stood out with the ball, claiming four wickets for 116 runs in 34 overs. However, his efforts were overshadowed by Azan’s masterful innings, which firmly established Sialkot’s advantage heading into day three.
