First-Class Matches Pakistan 1975/76 to 1979/80

therefore, in effect, playing for the right to appear in the semi-final against PIA that it had already played, and won, over a month before. Habib Bank’s comfortable victory over Sind, which must have come as a considerable relief to the competition organizers, meant that the final could at last be played. In it, Habib Bank, virtually unbeatable for so long, collapsed twice and lost by nearly four hundred runs to National Bank . BCCP Patron’s Trophy : The Patron’s Trophy was again the largest, and last, competition of the season. Played in February and March, it attracted no fewer than 29 entries (although Sukkur withdrew without taking the field). Unfortunately it also attracted an unusual amount of rain, which continually disrupted the event and led to many late adjustments and rearrangements. The first round was originally scheduled for 4 February, but in the event the first matches did not take place until 17 February and even then PIA, who had entered late after originally declining, were obliged to play a preliminary game, in advance of the first round, against Public Works Department. The bulk of the first round matches began on 24 February with the second round, quarter-finals, semi-finals and final scheduled respectively for 1 March, 7 March, 12 March and 23 March. The weather, however, seriously disrupted these plans; as an extreme example, the second-round game between Servis Industries and Sargodha at Sialkot, which began on schedule on 1 March, had to be extended to ten notional playing days, with actual cricket only on the first and last of them, to gain a decision even on first innings. Yet a further complication is that the organizers decided that one of the victors in the second round would skip the quarter-final stage and get a bye to the semi-final. It seems likely that this special treatment was offered on the assumption that it would be United Bank that emerged from this part of the draw; only Karachi B unexpectedly qualified instead, prompting last-minute efforts by the organizers to persuade the teams affected to accept a restructuring of the later stages of the Trophy. But Karachi B insisted on their rights, with the result that, as originally planned, only three quarter-finals took place. After all this it was eventually, almost inevitably, two bank sides that emerged as finalists; National Bank prevailing on first innings against MCB. In the season’s batting aggregates Shafiq Ahmed was in a class by himself with 1409 runs at an average of 82.88. Sunil Gavaskar was in a distant second place with 882 runs at 88.20 made during the course of the Indian tour. The season’s leading bowlers were fast-medium Ehteshamuddin and off-spinner Ijaz Faqih, who both claimed 55 wickets although the former had far the better average (12.98 as against 21.34). Abdul Qadir also took more than fifty wickets: 52 at 17.71. Note that 8-ball overs were in use in Pakistan this season except that 6-ball overs were used on the tour by India (which involved three Tests and six other first-class matches). Abandoned matches: Combined Services v Railways, Pindi Club Ground, Rawalpindi, 1, 2, 3, 4 December 1978. Railways walkover. Quetta v Sukkur, Racecourse Ground, Quetta, 24, 25, 26, 27 February 1979. Quetta walkover. 192 Pakistan in 1978/79