National Bank in control after Services collapse for 72

Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) were dismissed for a modest first-innings score of 247 on the first day of their second round Patron's Trophy Cricket Championship match against Habib Bank at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex.

Habib Bank, a record seven-time winner of the Patron's Trophy who had to share the title last season with Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) following a rain-interrupted final, rattled KRL yesterday after their batsmen had prospered to reach a score of 169 for the loss of only four wickets.

Abdul Rehman, a left-arm slow bowler, and Imran Farhat, who bowls right-arm leg-breaks, snared the next five wickets for the addition of just 25. KRL were saved by a 53-run last-wicket partnership that took them beyond the 200-mark. Rehman's five wickets eventually cost him 120 runs but Imran bowled a mere nine overs while taking 3 for 18. For KRL, Ali Naqvi, former Pakistan Test opening batsman, top-scored with 74 off 109 balls in a little over two-and-a-half hours with nine boundaries. With Saeed Bin Nasir (23), Naqvi's fifth-wicket stand was worth 75 runs. Earlier, Saeed Anwar Jr (30) and Mohtashim Ali (35) had made useful contributions. Saeed Ajmal and Abdul Rauf then hit 53 runs for the tenth wicket in 44 minutes. By the close of play, in seven overs, Habib Bank's openers had replied with 16 for no loss.

In their first-round match, a tall-scoring affair, Habib Bank claimed the three first-innings points from a draw against PIA. Pakistan Customs took six points in their win over KRL, after the latter had earlier attained the first-innings lead.

Sufyan Munir and Misbah-ul-Haq made unbeaten half-centuries and were involved in an unbroken 132-run stand for the third wicket as Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) took the opening day's full 83 overs to reach 220 for 2 against Pakistan Customs at the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex. Sufyan was at the crease for four hours and 20 minutes for an unbeaten 81 that came off 201 balls with 13 fours. He is nearing his eighth century in first-class cricket. Misbah-ul-Haq, having been discarded after five Tests and 12 One-day Internationals for Pakistan, made a compact 68 not out off 136 balls in just under four hours with five fours and a couple of sixes. Sui Gas batted first after Misbah had won the toss. The opening stand was worth 38 runs in a little over an hour although Haafiz Majid Jahangir scored only eight runs. Sohail Idrees added an exact 50 runs for the second wicket with Sufyan, hitting five fours in 37 runs off 72 deliveries. Sufyan, who was bowled by opening bowler Imran Ali off a no-ball when on 66, had 11 fours in his half-century. Sui Gas, however, moved ahead at a slow pace.

In their first-round match of the tournament, Customs had started by beating Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) although they collected only six points instead of the full nine as they had earlier surrendered the first-innings lead. Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited didn't have a match to play in the previous round.

Service Industries crashed to a poor score of 72 all out on the opening day of their second-round Patron's Trophy Cricket Championship match at the Sheikhupura Stadium and, by stumps, National Bank had drawn level with only two wickets lost.

National Bank's new-ball pair bowled unchanged as Service Industries were dismissed in 31.2 overs. Only one batsman, Afaq Rahim (21) got into the 20s and as many as eight players failed to reach double-figures. Wasim Khan captured 6 for 38 in 15.2 overs. His partner Zahid Saeed, a left-armer who represents Sialkot, took the other four wickets for 28 runs.

National Bank lost two quick wickets with 23 runs on the board before Imran Nazir , with an unbeaten 28, and Shahid Yousuf (19 not out) took them to 72 for 2 off 12 overs without further mishap.

Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) made a first-innings score of 259 and then claimed 72 all out for just three runs against Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL) at the Iqbal Stadium.

At one stage, ZTBL were 63 for 6 after having been put in by Aamer Bashir. Then came a seventh-wicket stand of 60 runs and another invaluable partnership of 133 runs for the ninth wicket. The early devastation effected by the PTCL new-ball pair of Tahir Mughal and Mohammad Khalil had been somewhat undone later in the day. Both Tahir and Khalil captured four wickets each, for 71 and 76 runs, respectively.

Naved Ashraf, a former Pakistan Test opening batsman, and Adnan Akmal, younger brother of the national-team player Kamran, put on 60 runs for the seventh wicket. Adnan scored 39 runs. Naved missed his eighth first-class hundred by just nine runs, his 91 coming off 182 balls with 12 fours. He found an able partner in Tanvir Ahmed, who finished with 58 not out, for the ninth-wicket partnership. Tanvir and Rao Iftikhar then took a wicket each as PTCL were tottering at 3 for 2 in 3.1 overs by the day's close.