Karachi Whites well placed to take lead

Water and Power Development Authority's bowlers made the most of a curtailed day in Islamabad, reducing Pakistan Customs to 120 for 8 in 34.3 overs. The new-ball bowlers, Sarfraz Ahmed and Azharullah, did most of the damage, taking 3 for 28 and 4 for 51 respectively. Tahir Mughal, who was unbeaten on 24, was the only Pakistan Customs batsman to pass 20.

Karachi Whites bowlers dismissed National Bank of Pakistan cheaply on the opening day in Karachi, leaving their team well placed to take a first-innings lead. Their new-ball pairing of Zohaib Shera and Tabish Khan took five wickets between and NBP never got a partnership going as they folded for 198. Qaiser Abbas' 50 was the top score in their innings. Karachi's openers added 49 before they lost two wickets in the space of five runs. Mohtashim Ali and Fazal Subhan steered the team to 98 for 2 at close.

Khan Research Laboratories's bowlers made good use of the 33 overs possible on the first day against Sui Southern Gas Corporation, reducing them to 102 for 4 in Rawalpindi. New-ball bowler Yasir Ali took 2 for 27 while Akhtar Ayub and Ali Khan took a wicket each. SSGC opener Imran Abbas also had to retire hurt on 8.

It was slow going on the opening day at the Gaddafi Stadium, with Lahore Shalimar scoring 124 in 53 overs and losing four wickets against Pakistan International Airlines. Mohammad Saad top scored with an unbeaten 43 that took 144 balls while Abid Ali made 31.

The first day of the match between Sui Northern Gas Pipelines and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited was limited to only 16 overs at the Jinnah Stadium. And during that time, ZTBL's bowlers claimed three wickets for 65 runs while one of the SNGPL openers, Naeemuddin, had to retire hurt. Mohammad Khalil and Azhar Attari bowled eight overs each and took 2 for 28 and 1 for 32.

Only 19 overs were possible on the first day in Islamabad but, during that period, Abbottabad's new-ball attack reduced Rawalpindi to 69 for 5. The openers reached their twenties and added 43 before Junaid Khan dismissed both in quick succession. Junaid also dismissed No. 4 batsman Usman Saeed for a duck while Armaghan Elahi picked up the two other wickets.

A brisk century from Mohammad Ayub helped Sialkot end the first day against Hyderabad on 357 for 5 at the Niaz Stadium. Ayub scored 142 off 182 balls, hitting 18 fours and two sixes, and had a 164-run stand with Faisal Khan for the third wicket. Faisal missed his century, falling to Faisal Athar for 90, and Athar also dismissed Aamer Gulzar for a duck. Ayub steadied the innings by adding another 99 runs with Mohammad Saeed before he was bowled by Mir Ali.

Karachi Blues opener Shahzaib Hasan scored a century but the rest of the batsmen failed to support him and the team was reduced to 261 for 8 by Quetta at the National Stadium. Hasan scored a rapid 119 off 101 balls, with 13 fours and three sixes, but the only other batsmen to pass 20 were Khalid Latif and Ali Asad. Karachi went from 167 for no loss to 257 for 8, Nazar Hussain and Arun Lal taking three wickets each for Quetta while Arshad Khan took 2 for 61.

Peshawar captain Sajjad Ahmed remained unbeaten on 58 as the rest of his top-order batsmen struggled against Lahore Ravi in Lahore. Peshawar had slipped to 70 for 5 before Ahmed steadied the innings with wicketkeeper Kashif Latif who remained unbeaten on 35. Aamer Hayat took 2 for 34 as Peshawar ended the day on 160 for 5.

An unbeaten hundred from Naved Yasin, and half-centuries from Gulraiz Sadaf and Mohammad Ali, led Multan to 308 for 7 on the opening day against Islamabad at the Multan Cricket Ground. Multan's innings had got off to a terrible start when Nasrullah Khan dismissed Abdur Rehman and Rameez Alam with the score on 0. Sadaf and Shahid Abbasi, who made 39, then added 91 for the third wicket before Sadaf had a 110-run association with Yasin. Sadaf was dismissed for 85 but the innings was given another lift by Ali, whose 59 came off 78 balls.