Pentangular Cup, 3rd round, 1st day

North West Frontier Province 342 for 3 (Hameed 107, Mohmand 100, Alam 64*, Shehzad 53*) against Federal Areas

Yasir Hameed and Rafatullah Mohmand made contrasting centuries and added 196 for the opening wicket as North West Frontier Province finished the first day of their Pentangular Cup encounter against Federal Areas at the Arbab Niaz Stadium at a commanding 342 for 3.

Hameed blasted a 116-ball 107 that included 14 fours and a six while Mohmand consumed 160 balls for his 100 as the duo took full toll of the Federal Areas bowlers. Saeed Ajmal, the offspinner, struck back for Federal Areas by removing the openers in quick time. NWFP soon lost their third wicket when Wajahatullah Wasti was caught behind off Sohail Tanvir as they stuttered from 196 for 0 to 219 for 3.

But Aftab Alam and Khurram Shehzad dug in to score unbeaten half-centuries to consolidate NWFP's position, and they will be looking to extend their 123-run stand when they resume on the second day.

Sind 131 for 8 (Iqbal 46*, Irfan 3-35, Ahmed 3-37) trail Baluchistan 187 (Bin Nasir 45, Ali 4-41) by 56 runs

Seamers Faisal Irfan and Tanvir Ahmed, took three wickets apiece to restrict Sind to 131, still 56 runs adrift of Baluchistan's first-innings score of 187 on a green top at the Diamond Club Ground.

Sind collapsed to 67 for 7 before they were given a life line by a 59-run eighth-wicket stand between Faisal Iqbal, who remained unbeaten on 46 off 96 and Danish Kaneria, who scored 24.

Baluchistan also found it tough to get going, stuttering to 64 for 4 with opener Shoaib Khan jnr scoring 40 of those runs. Saeed Bin Nasir, with a 89-ball 45, and Bilal Khilji, with 29, then got the innings back on track by putting on 68 runs for the fourth wicket. But Sind were back in the hunt when Anwar Ali took three middle-order wickets before Kaneria finished off the tail by taking a couple of wickets.