Kaneria takes career-best 7/39

Promising leg-spinner Danish Kaneria bowled himself nearer to a Test cap with a career-best haul of seven for 39 as Gujranwala were bundled out for just 92 against Karachi Whites on the second day of the four-day Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Grade-I Cricket Championship clash at the KCCA Stadium here on Sunday.

It was an unexpected turnaround for Karachi Whites who had made a small total of 169 on Saturday. But by close of play, the home side had put themselves in an impregnable position by extending their substantial first innings lead of 77 to 216.

They were 139 for three in their second knock with Hasan Raza (37) and skipper Asif Mujtaba (19) at the crease in an unfinished partnership of 49 runs.

Opener Khalid Latif, who turned 15 on Saturday, made a compact 40 off 101 balls in 135 minutes with five fours while Zeeshan Pervez contributed a stylish 35 off 72 balls in 76 minutes with three boundaries.

Gujranwala's hopes of restricting Karachi Whites to a reasonable score in the second innings were severely jolted by an injury to young leftarm spinner Abdul Rehman, who needed three stitches to his bowling hand after taking a nasty blow in a failed attempt to hold a hot return chance offered by Khalid Latif.

But the day belonged to Danish Prabha Shankar Kaneria, the 19-year-old cousin of former Test wicket-keeper Anil Dalpat. Already touted as a secret weapon by the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board for the forthcoming Test series against England, Kaneria enhanced his growing reputation by eclipsing his previous best innings analysis of seven for 101 - achieved for Pakistan Reserves against KRL at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi last season.

At the start of the day, everything pointed in Gujranwala's favour when they resumed at 29 for two. But exactly 100 minutes later, the remaining eight wickets crashed for an addition of 53 runs in 27.3 overs, including the last seven for 37 runs in 18.2 overs.

Bowling in tandem with young off-spinner Tahir Khan, Kaneria captured six for 31 in 57 deliveries, bamboozling the hapless batsmen with his mixture of leg-breaks, googlies, top-spinners and flippers.

None of the batsmen was able to master Kaneria's wily bowling on a pitch that is giving spinners marginal assistance.

Atiq-ur-Rehman top-scored for the visitors with 42 off 119 balls until he failed to read a flipper and was comprehensively bowled. His 112- minute stay included four boundaries.

Former Test star Zahid Fazal struck Tahir for a six. But having reached 17, he was caught behind by Atiq-uz-Zaman, who excelled with four catches.

Tahir proved an ideal foil to Kaneria with figures of two for 34 in 17 overs.