Munir and Najaf give Rawalpindi lead

Devastating bowling by off-spinner Munir Ansari and paceman Najaf Shah enabled Rawalpindi obtain a vital 51-run first innings lead against Lahore Whites on the second day of three-day National Under-19 Grade I Cricket Championship match at LCCA Ground Friday.

Lahore Whites were restricted to 201 in 76.1 overs in reply to Rawalpindi's 252 for nine after resuming at 33 for no wicket.

Bycloseof play, Lahore Whites hit back to reduce Rawalpindi to 63 for four in their second innings.

Lahore Whites, at one stage, were comfortably placed at 145 for three. But Munir Ansari and Najaf Shah claimed five wickets for the addition of just three runs in the next three overs.

Munir captured five for 53 in 25.1 overs while the left-arm seamer Najaf Shah sent down 24 overs to finish with four for 44.

For Lahore Whites, Arsalan Arshad (44, four fours), KashifIjaz (40,seven fours), Mohammad Khalil (28) and Adnan Butt (24) were the main scorers.

Rawalpindi 252 for nine in 80 overs (Shahid Mahmood 61, Ihsan Khan 51, Munir Ansari 32, Salman Saeed 32, Junaid Zia 22, Noman Ihsan 21; Mohammad Khalil 4-54, Wahab Riaz 3-36) and 63 for four (Mohammad Khalil 2-20);

Lahore Whites 201 in 76.1 overs (Arsalan Arshad 44, Kashif Ijaz 40, Mohammad Khalil 28, Adnan Butt 24; Munir Ansari 5-53, Najaf Shah 4-44).

Meanwhile, Maqbool Shahzad and Mubashir Ali bowled brilliantly to help Bahawalpur thrash Sheikhupura by an innings and two runs in a lowscoring match at Bahawalpur Stadium.

Sheikhupura, who batted first after winning the toss, were skittled out for 45 in their first innings with leg-spinners Mubashir Ali capturing six wickets for mere six runs in 13.2 overs and Maqbool Shahzad four for 16 in 16 overs.

Bahawalpur, in reply, scored 176 in 63.4 overs. Hamid Alihit a brisk 63 off 64 deliveries in 77minutes, Asif Iqbal 37 and Rana Kashif 20.

Ali Raza, the off-spinner, took five for 43, pacer Muhammad Yasin three for 14 and Javed Hussain two for 50.

Sheikhupura were then bowled out for 129 in their second knock. Javed Hussain scored 42. This time Maqbool Shahzad did most of the damage with figures of six for 45 (10 for 61 in the match) and Mubashir Ali two for 37 (match haul of eight for 43).

Sheikhupura 45 in 40.2 overs (Mubashir Ali 6-6, Maqbool Shahzad 4-16) and 129 in 60.5 overs (Javed Hussain 42; Maqbool Shahzad 6-45, Mubashir Ali 2-37);

Bahawalpur 176 in 63.4 overs (Hamid Ali 63,Asif Iqbal 37, Rana Kashif 20; Ali Raza 5-43, Mohammad Yasin 3-14, Javed Hussain 2-50).

In Peshawar, meanwhile, the home side scored 144 for nine in reply to Lahore Blues first innings total of 243 on the second day of their match at Arbab Niaz Stadium.

Khaqan Arsal completed a fine century - 120 in 274 minutes - to help Lahore Blues get a respectable total.

Kamran Ali finished with five for 64 and Umar Gul three for 91.

When Peshawar batted, Mohammad Idrees was the only batsman to bat with any degree of confidence, hitting 41.

Lahore Blues 243 in 75 overs (Khaqan Arsal 120,Azhar Ali 29; Kamran Ali 5-64, Umar Gul 3-91);

Peshawar 144 for 9 in 50 overs (Mohammad Idrees 41; Qasim Khurshid 2-32, Kamran Sajid 2-22, Azhar Ali 2-20).