Former Pakistan leg-spinner, Zafar Gohar put up some lower-order resistance for Middlesex in their County Championship fixture against Northants at Lord's, scoring 83 off 133 balls from No.8.
Gohar came in when Middlesex were 164-6, having chosen to bat first. They had lost all of their top three in the first 10 overs of the match, after a fruitful opening burst from Harry Conway and Ben Sanderson.
After both Leus du Plooy and Ben Geddes made half-centuries, they departed within 14 runs of each other, Sanderson taking both wickets. Gohar, who joined Middlesex on a two-year deal at the start of last season as a locally qualified player, arrested the collapse. He looked to attack left-armer Liam Guthrie, upper-cutting him for six late in the day, and formed a 120-run unbeaten stand with Joe Cracknell to close out day one with Middlesex having reached 284-6 – Gohar on 62*.
The following morning, Gohar continued on towards three figures, boosting Middlesex above the 300 mark, Wickets started to fall around him, however, with Cracknell dismissed for 79, and Toby Roland-Jones out five overs later. Gohar was the final wicket of the innings to fall, ending 17 runs short of what would have been his second first-class hundred, and leaving Middlesex with 341 on the board.
Who is Zafar Gohar?
Gohar played in one Test match for Pakistan in 2021, going wicketless in a steamrollering by New Zealand in Christchurch. He had previously played for Pakistan in one ODI, against England in 2015. He received British citizenship after playing four seasons as an overseas player for Gloucestershire, before signing for Middlesex in 2025.
In last year's Championship, he took 38 wickets at an average of 32.13, including two five-fors. He also played domestic cricket in Pakistan this winter, taking his career-best figures of 6-21 in the President's Cup.
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