Amin ton puts National Bank on top

Fast bowler Wasim Khan's 23rd five-wicket haul and Umar Amin's unbeaten hundred ensured National Bank of Pakistan completely dominated the second day against Rawalpindi at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Beginning on a precarious 59 for 5, Rawalpindi needed another 117 runs to take the first-innings lead. Zahid Mansoor took them past 100 but Wasim had him caught behind for 32. The lower order collapsed and Rawalpindi were dismissed for 118, Wasim finishing with 6 for 42. National Bank were in some trouble at 127 for 4, but Amin and Kamran Akmal added 109 in quick time to take them to 236 for 4 and an overall lead of 293. Amin hit only three fours in his unbeaten 119 but still scored at a strike rate of nearly 75 while Akmal hammered six fours in his unbeaten 58 off 70 deliveries.

Karachi Blues took control on the second day at the United Bank Limited Sports Complex, bowling out Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited for 138 and then reaching 54 for the loss of opener Naved Khan. Karachi's new-ball pair of Adeel Malik and Babar Rehman took four wickets apiece to help their side take a healthy first-innings lead of 77. SNGPL were tottering at 55 for 7 at one stage but Usman Arshad's unbeaten 43 took them past 100. Karachi lost Naved in the first over but Rameez Raja and Fazal Subhan batted positively in their unbeaten 54-run stand. Only 62 overs were bowled in the day.

Khaqan Arsal's unbeaten century helped Habib Bank Limited extend their advantage on the second day against Multan at the Multan Cricket Stadium. On a day when only 53 overs were possible, Habib Bank scored 231 runs for the loss of three wickets to reach 429 for 7. Arsal added 160 runs for the sixth wicket with wicketkeeper Farhan Iqbal after Kamran Hussain fell cheaply. After Farhan was dismissed for 63, Arsal carried on with the tail to give his side a lead of 289 at stumps. He hit 15 fours in his unbeaten 156 that came in 196 deliveries.

Half-centuries from Mohammad Ayub and captain Mansoor Amjad lifted Sialkot from the depths of 24 for 5, but Amjad's late dismissal left them 135 runs short of Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited's 350 at the Jinnah Stadium. ZTBL's left-arm medium-pacers Sohail Tanvir and Mohammad Khalil had run through the Sialkot top and middle order to leave them reeling at 24 for 5. Ayub and Amjad then revived the innings, almost batting till stumps in a 191-run partnership, but Amjad was bowled by left-arm spinner Raza Hasan for 89. Ayub remained unbeaten on 88 with 14 fours. The ZTBL lower order had earlier added 62 runs to the overnight score to take their side to a strong 350.

Water and Power Development Authority and Faisalabad were entrenched in a duel of attrition for the first-innings lead at the Sports Stadium in Sargodha. WAPDA crawled to 226 for 6 and were still 47 runs adrift of Faisalabad's 273 at stumps. All WAPDA batsmen except Ali Azmat got starts but none went past 50. Hasan Adnan made a sedate half-century but offspinner Hasan Mahmood took three wickets to leave WAPDA struggling at 186 for 5. Ahmed Said and captain Naved-ul-Hasan looked to be in control but Naved was caught behind off what proved to be the last ball of the day.

In another fight for the first-innings lead, Pakistan International Airlines were 42 runs short of Islamabad's 241 with three wickets remaining at the Diamond Club Ground. Nasrullah Khan took 4 for 56 as PIA lost wickets regularly, except when captain Kamran Sajid and Shoaib Khan shared a 93-run fifth-wicket partnership. Both batsmen hit eight fours each but could not carry on for long after reaching their half-centuries. Islamabad had earlier added 11 runs to their overnight score before being dismissed for 241. Three PIA bowlers finished with three wickets each. Only 71 overs were possible in the day.