Batsmen put NWFP in command
A round-up of the first day of the first-round matches of the Pentangular Cup
Cricinfo staff
25-Oct-2008
Federal Areas 270 for 9 (Saeed 103*, Tanvir Ahmed 5-53) v Sind
Scorecard
Scorecard
At 88 for 5, Federal Areas had been in danger of being bowled out on the first day of Pentangular Cup action in Karachi, but an unbeaten 103 from Usman Saeed ensured they finished with a respectable 270 for 9 against Sind.
Sind's trio of medium-pacers - Sohail Khan, Anwar Ali and Tanvir Ahmed - did the early damage after captain Shahid Afridi put the opposition in. Umar Amin's 48 was the only substantial contribution from the top order before he was lbw to Tanvir, but Saeed, at No. 6, found support from allrounders Yasir Arafat (27) and Sohail Tanvir (45).
The sixth and seventh wickets added 67 and 73 to put up a fight, but Tanvir Ahmed dismissed both Arafat and Tanvir, who hit seven fours, to keep his team in control. Naeem Anjum was out first ball to give Tanvir Ahmed his fifth wicket. Saeed, though, put on 33 with captain Iftikhar Anjum, and will resume batting on the second day with Shoaib Akhtar. Saeed's 103 came off 186 deliveries, with 14 fours.
NWFP 293 for 2 (Raees 122*, Wajid Ali 82, Hameed 72) v Baluchistan
Scorecard
Scorecard
There was an unbeaten century in Quetta as well, but North West Frontier Province's top order capitalised after Umar Gul chose to bat. The top three batsmen managed half-centuries, and two of them would perhaps be regretting not converting it to a big score.
Left-hand opener Adnan Raees was the successful one; he finished the day on 122 not out as NWFP scored 293 in their 90 overs for the loss of two wickets. Yasir Hameed, the former international, did the bulk of the scoring as NWFP's openers rattled up 104. His 72 needed just 78 balls, but he was out caught off left-arm spinner Saeed Anwar jnr.
The rate of scoring reduced with Hameed's fall, but runs came none the less for NWFP. Before he was bowled by Abdur Rauf on 82, Wajid Ali added 181 for the second wicket with Raees. Both batsmen scored at a strike-rate less than 50; Baluchistan captain Misbah-ul-Haq used seven bowlers in 90 overs.