Sirajuddin's six-wicket haul gives SBP early lead in final, but Aamir Jamal is the day's real standout

LAHORE: State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) ended Day 1 of the President's Trophy Grade-I final with a 24-run lead over Markhor IT Solutions (MIT) at Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore. MIT were bowled out for 112 in 29.5 overs, while SBP reached 136 for 8 in 36 overs at stumps. Only 65.5 overs were possible on a day that produced 248 runs and 18 wickets. Sirajuddin took six wickets and Shahid Aziz claimed four as the two seamers shared all ten MIT wickets. Together they bowled 16.5 overs, conceded 78 runs and took 10 wickets. The remaining 13 overs cost 34 runs without a breakthrough, underlining how dominant the two frontline bowlers were. The standout individual performance, however, came from Aamir Jamal of MIT. The Test all-rounder took 6 for 14 in 10 overs against SBP, with an economy rate of 1.40 and a bowling strike rate of 10.0 balls per wicket. His spell dismantled a strong SBP batting line-up and kept MIT in the contest. SBP's top score was only 36, and at stumps Rameez Aziz was unbeaten on 14 with Sirajuddin on 8. Ismail and Salman Aslam took one wicket each for MIT. The pitch at Bagh-e-Jinnah offered no official report, but the evidence points to seam movement and uneven bounce. All ten MIT wickets went to two seamers, one of them explicitly a right-arm seamer. The 18-wicket day and a scoring rate of 3.78 per over suggest batting was never easy. No weather, light or dew information was available in the source, so the reason for the roughly 24 overs lost cannot be confirmed. MIT captain Khalid Usman won the toss and chose to bat, but the decision backfired as his side collapsed to 112. Batting first on a seamer-friendly surface was a defensible orthodox call, especially if early moisture was expected, but the execution failed. MIT's top order could not cope with Sirajuddin and Shahid Aziz. SBP's 24-run lead is not commanding. With two wickets in hand, their realistic lead projection is around 50 to 70 runs. If MIT strike early on Day 2, the lead could remain small. If Rameez Aziz and Sirajuddin bat through the first session, SBP could push the lead towards 80 or 100. The headline credits Sirajuddin, but the day's real signal was Jamal's 6 for 14. A six-wicket haul at an economy of 1.40 from an experienced all-rounder is a match-shaping performance. It prevented SBP from building a match-winning first-innings lead. The key clarification from the evidence is that Aamir Jamal plays for MIT, not SBP. The wicket arithmetic confirms it: MIT's ten wickets were taken by Sirajuddin and Shahid Aziz, while SBP's eight wickets fell to Jamal, Ismail and Salman Aslam. Day 2 will decide the final. SBP need their lower order to add useful runs and push the lead towards 160 or more. MIT need early wickets and a much better second-innings batting effort. The first session will be crucial.