PLYMOUTH’S Faizan Riaz has the Premier Division’s all-time batting record in his sights after smashing yet another century.
Riaz took his ton tally for the season to seven in 16 games with 104 not out in the three-wicket win over Torquay.
The Pakistani run machine is now on 1,154 league runs for the season, having broken his own record of 1,110 set for Plymouth in 2018.
No one has scored more Premier runs in a season than Riaz since the league cut the programme back from 22 to 18 games in 1999.
The old 22-game record currently belongs to former Australian Test batsman Chris Rogers, who totted up 1,273 in 1997 for North Devon CC.
Riaz is averaging 96.17 in league games for Plymouth and has two games left score the 120 runs needed to break Rogers’ record.
Opener Mitch Pugh top scored with 52 for relegation worriers Torquay in their 50-over total of 218 for eight.
Pugh and George Allen (38) put on 45 for the second wicket then Tom Drake (40) and Allen notched 64 for the third.
Sam Stein (2-37) bowled 10 tidy overs for Plymouth, but the star of the show was spinner Matt Petherbridge, who took four for 43 against his former club.
Torquay are fighting for their lives at the bottom of the table and pushed Plymouth all the way.
After Liam Win (30) and Riaz, who batted first wicket down, got Plymouth up to 106 for two, wickets fell steadily to Chris Kelmere (3-48) and Neal Osborne (2-42).
At 176 for seven with 14 overs to go the game could have gone either way. Riaz and Stein (21no) saw Plymouth home. Riaz grabbed the headlines, but it was Stein who won it by dispatching Elliot Moses for two fours in a row.
John Varcoe, the Plymouth captain, acknowledged the roles played by Stein and Riaz in his post-match summation.
“Sam Stein had a good game, bowling well up front and making an important cameo with the bat,” said Varcoe.
“Faz batted with great control after being given a life early on.
“Torquay tried their best to disrupt him with verbals, but as many teams have found out that's not the way to go.
“Faz was even more determined to bat through and finish the game off.”
