Punjab beat Federal Area in Pentangular Cup

The Punjab Stallions defeated Federal Area Leopards by 98 runs in the first match of the Pentangular Cup One-day cricket tournament here in Saturday.

Federal Area Leopards won the toss and elected to fielf first in the match played at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Punjab Stallions scored 305 runs for the loss of eight wickets in the allotted 50 overs.

Captain Shoaib Malik batted aggressively and made 86 while Nasir Jamshed hit 40.

Sohail Tanvir captured four wickets and Shoaib Akhtar claimed two wickets.

In reply, Federal Area Leopards were all out for 207 runs in the 42nd over. Afaq Rahim top scored with 55 while Mansoor Ahmed took three wickets.

Despite the presence of senior players of the national team, the stadium was seen empty as very few spectators watched the match.

Shoaib Malik said after the match that he is a professional player and wherever the series would be held he would go there to play under the directive of the PCB.

RBS PENTANGULAR CUP (ONE DAY) SCHEDULE 2008-2009

Date	Teams	Venue	Time
13-Dec	Punjab Stallions-Federal Areas Leopards	Gaddafi Stadium Lahore	11:00 a.m.
14-Dec	Sindh Dolphins-Baluchistan Bears	National Stadium Karachi	1:00 p.m.
15-Dec	Punjab Stallions-NWFP Panthers	National Stadium Karachi	1:00 p.m.
16-Dec	Federal Areas Leopards-Baluchistan Bears	National Stadium Karachi	1:00 p.m.
17-Dec	Punjab Stallions-Baluchistan Bears	National Stadium Karachi	1:00 p.m.
18-Dec	Sindh Dolphins-NWFP Panthers	National Stadium Karachi	1:00 p.m.
19-Dec	Sindh Dolphins-Federal Areas Leopards	National Stadium Karachi	1:00 p.m.
20-Dec	NWFP Panthers-Baluchistan Bears	National Stadium Karachi	1:00 p.m.
21-Dec	Punjab Stallions-Sindh Dolphins	National Stadium Karachi	1:00 p.m.
22-Dec	NWFP Panthers-Federal Areas Leopards	National Stadium Karachi	1:00 p.m.
24-Dec	FINAL	National Stadium Karachi	1:00 p.m.
Note: All Matches will be played Day/Night.

NWFP crowned champions after 28-run win

Resistance from Baluchistan did not last long on the final day of the Pentangular Cup final at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. They began the fifth day needing 38 to beat NWFP, but the tenth-wicket pair of Azharullah and Zulfiqar Babar - who had added 17 runs on the fourth day - could manage only nine more.

Umar Gul, the North-West Frontier Province (NWFP) captain, struck a timely blow to seal the title. He bowled Azharullah for 5, his first wicket in Baluchistan's second innings. Babar was left stranded on 21. It ended a tense, low-scoring final and denied Baluchistan a remarkable win: the province has historically been the weakest in terms of cricket talent in Pakistan and this side was made up of a number of guest players invited from around the country, including captain Misbah-ul-Haq, from Punjab.

NWFP, who began the final as favourites, won all five games on the way to their first Pentangular title (the tournament has only been contested exclusively by provinces since 2005-06). They were comfortably the most stable side through the tournament, brushing aside the heavily-favoured Sind and Punjab, two provinces which have provided historically the bulk of the national team.

Baluchistan's Saeed Bin Nasir - originally from Sind - brought some cheer, finishing leading run-scorer in the tournament, with 419 at an average of 52.37, closely followed by NWFP's Adnan Raees. NWFP medium-pacers Shakeel-ur-Rehman and Junaid Khan - with the odd Gul cameo - were crucial to their side's success and the highest wicket-takers, taking 55 wickets between them.

The Pentangular ODI cup is due to begin from December 15, with the bulk of the tournament to be played in Karachi.

Pentangular Cup to begin from Dec 15

Punjab will play Federal Areas in the opening match of the Pentangular Cup one day cricket tournament on December 15 at Gadaffi stadium.

Apart from Lahore the matches will also be played at Karachi. The tournament will be played under lights, said a spokesman of Pakistan Cricket Board here on Monday.

Following is the programme of the matches to be read as dates, teams, venues, umpires, referee ,scorer and tv umpire.

(Dec 15) Punjab-Federal Areas, Gaddafi Stadium Lahore, Iftikhar Malik-Mian Aslam, Khalid Niazi, Abdul Hameed.

(Dec 16) Sindh-Balochistan, National Stadium Karachi, Rasheed Bhatti-Saleem Badar, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Muhammad Ahsan, Iftikhar Malik.

(Dec 17) Punjab-NWFP, National Stadium Karachi, Mian Aslam-Iftikhar Malik, Ishtiaq Ahmed, Salman Hussain, Rasheed Bhatti.

(Dec 18) Federal Areas-Baluchistan, National Stadium Karachi, Rasheed Bhatti-Riazuddin, Anwar Khan, Imran Ali, Mian Aslam.

(Dec 19) Punjab-Baluchistan, National Stadium Karachi, Zameer Haider-Iqbal Butt, Anwar Khan, Muhammad Ahsan, Riazuddin.

(Dec 20) Sindh-NWFP, National Stadium Karachi, Iqbal Butt-Zameer Haider, Khalid Niazi, Salman Hussain, Saleem Badar.

(Dec 21) Sindh-Federal Areas, National Stadium Karachi, Saleem Badar-Riazuddin, Naeem Ahmed, Imran Ali, Iqbal Butt.

(Dec 22) NWFP-Baluchistan, National Stadium Karachi, Nadeem Ghouri-Ahmed Shahab, Naeem Ahmed, Muhammad Ahsan, Ahsan Raza.

(Dec 23) Punjab-Sindh, National Stadium Karachi, Nadeem Ghouri-Ahsan Raza, Abdul Sami Khan, Salman Hussain, Ahmed Shahab.

(Dec 24) NWFP-Federal Areas, National Stadium Karachi, Ahsan Raza-Ahmed Shahab, Abdul Sami Khan, Imran Ali, Nadeem Ghouri.

(Dec 26) FINAL, National Stadium Karachi.

Shoaib Akhtar gives bat in gift to Petangular Cup’s best batsman

Pakistan cricket team’s fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar gave away Sachin Tendulkar’s bat in gift to Umer Amin, the best batsman of Federal Area in the Pentangular Cup.

Umer Amin has played an important role in the victory of his team Federal Area with his unbeaten innings of 76 runs.

He has so far scored about 250 runs in the Pentangular Tournament.

The ‘Rawalpindi Express’ Shoaib Akhtar, to encourage the young batsman, gave him the bat which he had received in gift from Indian star batsman Sachin Tendulkar and expressed his kind wishes for him.

One-day Cup begins today

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will play their first round Group D match, in the 2007-08 National ABN AMRO Cup One-day Cricket Championship, against Karachi Dolphins here at the National Stadium today (Thursday), in an encounter that will be telecast live.

The two field umpires nominated for the opening match are Akbar Khan and Iqbal Butt with Ahsan Raza to serve as TV umpire. Former first-class off-spinner Ilyas Khan is the match referee while Mohammad Ahsan has been named as the official scorer.

In the 22-team national limited overs competition, which starts today with 10 matches in four groups all over the country, six teams will feature in Group D. Another match being played in this pool today is between Abbottabad Rhinos and Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) here at the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) Sports Complex Stadium.

The umpires for this match are Riazuddin and Saleem Badar. Anwar Khan is the match referee and Syed Salman Hussain Kazmi the official scorer. The third match in Group D wil be played today at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad, between Rawalpindi Rams and national one-day debutants Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC). The umpires named are Islam Khan and Khalid Mahmood Senior, Naeem Ahmed is the match referee and Arif Majeed Arif the official scorer. All 15 Group D matches will be played here at the National Stadium and NBP Sports Complex Stadium, in addition to Hyderabad’s Niaz Stadium.

After the completion of the group league, the second-placed Group D team will join three other outfits in Pool A of the Super Eights stage, playing its matches at Gaddafi Stadium Lahore and Iqbal Stadium Faisalabad from March 31 to April 4.

On the same dates, the team finishing on top of the Group D table will play its three matches in Pool B of the Super Eights round, here at the NBP Sports Complex Stadium, the United Bank Limited (UBL) Sports Complex Ground No.1 and the National Stadium. The semifinals will be played on April 7 and 8, with the day/night final scheduled for Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on April 10.

Pentangular Cup, 5th round, 4th day

NWFP 664 for 6 (Hameed 300, Shafiq 181, Yasir 51*) beat Baluchistan 308 (Bin Nasir 149*, Maqsood 60, Waqar 4-47) and 345 (Bin Nasir 133, Maqsood 70, Yasir 5-106, Waqar 4-71) by an innings and 11 runs

Backed by a mammoth total, thanks to a maiden triple hundred from Yasir Hameed and 181 from Asad Shafiq, NWFP completed an innings-and-11-run win over Baluchistan in Peshawar.

Yasir Shah and Waqar Ahmed shared nine wickets to bowl Baluchistan out for 345, out of which Saeed Bin Nasir scored 133, his second century of the match. Faisal Imran scored 40 and helped add 34 for last wicket , but he became Yasir's fifth wicket for 40 in the second session.

Baluchistan went into the final day still 113 runs behind NWFP, who scored 664 for 6, and lost regular wickets. Yasir took three quickly and Waqar snapped up two, including Bin Nasir, before Yasir sealed a big win. Apart from Bin Nasir's twin hundreds, and two half-centuries from Sohaib Maqsood, there was little Baluchistan could take from this match.

Pentangular Cup, 5th round, 3rd day

Sind 417 for 7 (Sarfraz 82*, Rizwan 79, Iqbal 65, Riaz 4-99) beat Punjab 181 (Sohail 4-58) and 202 (Misbah 51, Anwar Ali 4-45) by an innings and 31 runs

Sind wrapped up an innings-and-31-run win over Punjab thanks to some smart lower-order batting and a tidy bowling display on day three at the National Stadium in Karachi.

An unbeaten 82 from Sarfraz Ahmed, the wicketkeeper with international experience, in a 79-run eight-wicket stand with Anwar Ali, the former Under-19 star, extended Sind's total to 417 before the declaration. Then it was over to the bowlers, lead by Ali and Shahid Afridi. Afridi dealt three blows to account for Punjab's top order and Ali, bowling his sharp swingers, ran through the lower order.

Punjab could only manage 202 in 55 overs, with captain Misbah-ul-Haq's 72-ball 51 being the best of the innings. Ali picked up 4 for 45 to cap his unbeaten 33 from 59 balls.

Baluchistan 308 and 243 for 4 (Bin Nasir 118*, Maqsood 70) trail NWFP 664 for 6 (Hameed 300, Yasir Shah 51*) by 113 runs

Riding on a mountain of runs, NWFP finished day three of their match against Baluchistan in a comfortable position. Thanks to a career-best 300 from Yasir Hameed, who earlier added 431 with Asad Shafiq, NWFP rattled up 664 for 6 and then reduced Baluchistan to 243 for 4. Still behind by 113 runs, Baluchistan's hopes were pinned on Saeed Bin Nasir, unbeaten on 118 as stumps were drawn in Peshawar.

Hameed resumed the third day on 265, and duly reached his maiden first-class triple. His brisk innings required just 367 deliveries and included 49 fours. He fell just after reaching the landmark but Younis Khan, with a run-a-ball 44 not out, and Yasir Shah, unbeaten on 51, maintained NWFP's dominance.

Baluchistan's second innings started poorly. Opening bowler Waqar Ahmed grabbed two to reduce them to 14 for 2, which became 53 for 3 when Yasir removed Gulraiz Sadaf, the wicketkeeper-batsman. It took a 121-run stand between Bin Nasir and Sohaib Maqsood to stem the rot. Maqsood was next out at 173 after hitting 70 from 69 balls but Bin Nasir went on to notch up his 13th first-class hundred. He was unbeaten at the close, adding a further 69 with Nasim Khan, his captain, but Baluchistan have plenty to do stave off defeat on the fourth day.

Pentangular Cup, 5th round, 1st day

Punjab 173 for 9 (Raza 45, Sohail 4-57) v Sind

Sohail Khan, the right-arm fast bowler, continued a dream run in his debut first-class season; in the 61 overs of play possible in Karachi, he took 4 for 57 as Sind restricted Punjab to 173 for 4.

Three of the Indian Premier League's latest signings - Salman Butt, Mohammad Hafeez and Misbah-ul-Haq - came a cropper after Sind choose to field. Sohail did the damage early on, and Anwar Ali and Abdul Ameer took one apiece as Punjab lost wickets at regular intervals.

Adnan Raza top-scored with 45, but he fell to the legspin of Rizwan Ahmed, who picked up two wickets in his two overs. Shahid Afridi, the Sind captain, also bagged one wicket in an economical spell of 8-3-15-1.

NWFP 36 for 0 (Hameed 19*, Mohmand 11*) Baluchistan 308 (Saeed 149*, Maqsood 60, Waqar 4-47) by 272 runs

On a high-scoring day in Peshawar, Saeed Bin Nasir's unbeaten 149 received little support at the other end as Baluchistan were bowled out for 308 against North West Frontier Province. Left-arm opening bowler Waqar Ahmed followed up two early wickets with a couple at the end as Baluchistan squandered the advantage; they were 211 for 5 at one stage.

NWFP made early inroads after deciding to field. Waqar struck twice as they were reduced to 73 for 4, before a 88-run stand partnership between Saeed and Sohaib Maqsood. The duo scored at a brisk pace; Maqsood made a 69-ball 60, with 12 fours.

However, after he departed, Saeed didn't get much support. His innings included eight sixes, and also 17 fours, but he was left stranded on 149 as Baluchistan were bundled out in 80.4 overs.

Waqar took 4 for 47, while Shakeel-ur-Rehman, Nauman Habib and Yasir Shah chipped in with two wickets apiece.

NWFP's openers played out the remaining overs of the day, and reached 36 at stumps.

Federal Areas perch on top of Points Table

Though Federal Areas has jumped to the top of the points table, it has played one match more than others so far in the Pentangular Inter Provincial Cricket Championship.

According to the latest points table, Federal Areas has 18 points after playing all its four matches while its closest rivals Sindh and Punjab tally 12 points each from three matches apiece.

Federal Areas, comprising players from Rawalpindi-Islamabad, perched itself at the top with an exciting one wicket victory over Sindh in the four-day matchwhich concluded on Saturday.

The following is the points table, tabulated under Team, Matches Played, Won, Lost, Drawn and Points:-- Federal Areas 4 2 0 2 18, Sindh 3 2 1 0 12, Punjab 3 1 0 2 12, NWFP 3 0 1 2 6, Balochistan 3 0 3 0 0.

Pentangular Cup, 4th round, 4th day

Federal Areas 295 (Majif 72, Zaidi 87, Khan 5-56) and 322 for 9 (Umair 106, Afridi 5-55) beat Sind 222 (Afridi 70, Tanvir 5-58) and 394 for 4 decl (Latif 74, Iqbal 105*, Rizwan 71) by one wicket

A tenth-wicket stand of 13 between Usman Saeed and Shehzad Azam guided Federal Areas to a tense victory over Sind on the final day at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad.

Set a target of 322, Federal Areas were boosted by opener Umair Khan's 106 before Shahid Afridi tilted the scales with his legspinners. Federal Areas were well placed at 262 for 5 before losing two wickets in quick succession without any addition to the score. Afridi later pegged away with quick lower-order wickets to give Sind a very realistic chance of winning, but the last-wicket pair hung on. Azam, the No.11, hastened his side's victory with a quick 12 which came off five deliveries, including two fours. Afridi finished with figures of 5 for 55 off 21 overs.

Earlier, Faisal Iqbal carried on from his overnight score of 77 to score a century. He remained unbeaten on 105, off 160 balls, before the captain Afridi made a sporting declaration. Faisal's overnight partner, Rizwan Ahmed, managed to add just one run to his score of 70 before he was dismissed by Sohail Tanvir.

Punjab 723 for 4 dec (Misbah 208*, Mahmood 94, Malik 60) beat Baluchistan 375 (Alam 84, Sadaf 55) and 220 (Alam 48, Aslam 51, Ahmed 47*) by an innings and 128 runs

It took just 15 deliveries for Punjab on the final day to complete the formalities and seal a comprehensive innings and 128-run victory against Baluchistan in Sialkot. Baluchistan were on the brink of defeat overnight on 207 for 8 and the overnight pair of Imranullah Aslam and Tanvir Ahmed managed to add 13 more before Junaid Zia sealed the deal. Aslam fell shortly after reaching his half-century before Zia struck again the next ball to send back Azharullah, the No.11.

Pentangular Cup, 4th round, 3rd day

Baluchistan 375 and 207 for 8 (Alam 48, Aslam 49*, Ahmed 36*) trail Punjab 723 for 4 dec (Misbah 208*, Mahmood 94, Malik 60) by 141 runs

A career-best 208 not out from Misbah-ul-Haq led an exciting third day at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot, one during which Punjab amassed 723 for 4 - the 11th highest total ever in Pakistan's first-class history and highest in over 20 years - and then left Baluchistan reeling at 207 for 8.

Misbah, overnight on 82, motored along to his century and then a double, forging promising stands of 229 with Anmar Mahmood (94) and 130 with Shoaib Malik, whose blazing 60 needed just 37 deliveries. Punjab declared with a lead of 348 after Malik fell; their 723 runs came at a commanding run-rate of 6.32 per over.

All the Baluchistan bowlers were made to suffer, with legbreak bowler Imranullah Aslam conceding 239 from his 40 overs. The opening bowlers - Abdur Rauf and Tanvir Ahmed - went at economy-rates of 7.65 and 8.80. Baluchistan did themselves no favours, leaking 61 extras, including 33 no-balls and 13 wides.

Left-arm spinner Abdur Rehman then took 3 for 65 as Punjab reduced Baluchistan to 207 for 8. Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Hafeez chipped in with two wickets apiece as the Baluchistan top order, barring Rameez Alam, who made 48, failed to put up a fight.

Aslam, promoted to No. 7 - he batted at No .10 in Baluchistan's first innings, made good use of the opportunity, with an unbeaten 49. He shared an unbroken 58-run stand for the ninth wicket with Tanvir Ahmed, who came up with a brisk 36 off 34.

However, with Baluchistan still trailing by 141 runs, an innings victory seems for Punjab seems the likely outcome.

Sind 222 and 345 for 3 (Latif 74, Iqbal 77, Rizwan 70*) lead Federal Areas 295 by 272 runs

Sind's openers had knocked off their 73-run first-innings deficit against Federal Areas on the second day, and their batsmen played out the whole of day three to take them to 345 for 3 in their second innings, a lead of 272.

Khalid Latif and Naumanullah added 63 runs to Sind's overnight score of 128, before both fell in quick succession. Naumanullah was out for a brisk 54-ball 43, while Latif needed 140 balls for his 74, which included ten boundaries.

Those were to be the only successes for Federal Areas, as Faisal Iqbal and Rizwan Ahmed put together an unbroken 142-run stand for the fourth wicket; Iqbal was unbeaten on 77 at the close, with Rizwan not out on 70. Sind scored 217 in the day, off the 59 overs that were bowled.

Sohail Tanvir, who took a five-for in the first innings, toiled for 24 overs without any luck and also conceded 101 runs.

Pentangular Cup, 4th round, 2nd day

Punjab 425 for 2 (Butt 160, Jamshed 140, Misbah 82*) lead Baluchistan 375 (Alam 84, Arafat 62, Sadaf 55) by 50 runs

Salman Butt and Nasir Jamshed slammed centuries as Punjab gained the upper hand on a record-breaking second day in their match against Balushistan.

Baluchistan, who were on 298 for 7 overnight, extending their total to 375, courtesy of wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf's half-century and a quick-fire 31 from No. 10 Imranullah Aslam. Mohammad Hafeez finished as Punjab's most successful bowler, taking three wickets.

In reply, Punjab ran up 425 for the loss of just two wickets, scoring at more than five-and-a-half runs an over, which meant that 502 runs were scored in the day, a record in Pakistan. Opener Hafeez wasn't as successful with the bat, trapped lbw by Abdur Rauf for nought. Butt and Jamshed were then involved in a huge 251-run stand for the second wicket, helped by the indisciplined Baluchistan bowling who conceded 33 extras, including 22 no-balls.

Butt smashed 25 fours and a six as he made 160 at nearly a run a ball before falling to medium-pacer Jalat Khan. Butt has been in spectacular form during the tournament as in only four innings, he totals 639 runs at an average of 159.75. His contribution in four outings so far has been scores of 290, 72, 117 and now 160.

Misbah-ul-Haq (82*) and Jamshed then put on 87 runs before Jamshed was forced to retire hurt on 140 - his sixth century of the season - as Punjab finished the day with a 50-run lead with eight wickets still standing.

Sind 222 and 128 for 1 (Manzoor 73, Latif 47*, Naumanullah 5*) lead Federal Areas 295 (Zaidi 87*, Majeed 72, Sohail 5-56) by 55 runs

In a tight contest at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad, Federal Areas took a 73-run first-innings lead but Sind hit back, finishing the second day at 128 for 1.

For Federal Areas, No. 3 Ashar Zaidi top scored with an unbeaten 87 as they posted 295. Naved Ashraf (34) and Yasir Arafat (27) chipped in with handy contributions. Fast bowler Sohail Khan's outstanding debut season continued as he grabbed another five-wicket haul to keep Federal Areas' lead to a manageable amount. He now has 16 wickets from three matches in the Pentangular to complement the 65 he took in this season's Quaid-e-Azam.

Sind's second innings got off to a confident start with Khurram Manzoor and Khalid Latif putting on 119. Manzoor fell after an aggressive 73 which featured ten boundaries while Latif remained undefeated on 47.

Pentangular Cup, 4th round, 1st day

Federal Areas 119 for 3 (Majeed 72, Zaidi 24*, Ashraf 0*, Sohail 2-29) trail Sind 222 (Afridi 70, Naumanullah 53, Tanvir 5-58) by 103 runs

Federal Areas had an impressive first day against top-placed Sind in Islamabad, bundling them out for 222 and then scoring 119 for the loss of three wickets.

With his 5 for 58, Sohail Tanvir ensured Federal Areas made good first use of the pitch. Sind lost wickets at regular intervals, Tanvir removed two of the top four, while Yasir Arafat and Shehzad Azam took one apiece. A 71-ball 53 from Naumanullah held up one end for a while, but the knock of the innings came from Shahid Afridi, the Sind captain.

Coming in at No. 6, Afridi blasted 70 off 49 balls, with eight fours and three sixes. At 194 for 5, Sind were in with a chance to reach 300, but Saeed Ajmal and Tanvir triggered a collapse. Ajmal got rid of the dangerous Afridi, out caught-and-bowled, while Tanvir scalped Sarfraz Ahmed, Danish Kaneria and Sohail Khan. Ajmal, an offbreak bowler, took another wicket as well, but figures of 2 for 64 off six overs indicate he suffered the most during Afridi's onslaught.

Federal Areas made a strong reply with an 82-run opening stand, before Afridi removed Umair Khan for 19. Umair's partner Raheel Majeed did the bulk of the scoring, with 72 off 93 balls. Sohail Khan, who scythed the Baluchistan top order in the previous game, picked up two wickets before stumps to reduce Federal Areas from 114 for 1 to 119 for 3.

Baluchistan 298 for 7 (Arafat 62, Alam 84, Sadaf 36*) v Punjab

After being shot out for 42 against Sind last week, Baluchistan's batsmen did better against Punjab, managing 298 for 7 on the first day at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot.

However, Baluchistan frittered away the advantage, they were at 208 for 2 at one stage, but lost five wickets for 90 runs as Punjab fought back. A 121-run second-wicket stand between Yasir Arafat and Rameez Alam laid the platform for Baluchistan. Arafat made 62, while Alam scored 84 before he was bowled by Mohammad Hafeez.

Saeed Bin Nasir chipped in with 46, and wicketkeeper Gulraiz Sadaf ended the day unbeaten on 36. For Punjab, opening bowler Wahab Riaz was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 53.

Pentangular Cup, 3rd round, 4th day

North West Frontier Province 573 (Alam 178, Hameed 107, Mohmand 100, Tanvir 4-132) drew with Federal Areas 390 (Bazid 170, Ashraf 78, Arafat 58, Habib 4-76) and 296 for 5 (Bazid 100, Zaidi 75)

Bazid Khan seems to have taken a liking to the North West Frontier Province in Peshawar, he scored 170 in Federal Areas' first innings on Saturday, and made another century on Sunday as his team followed on.

Bazid's second ton for the match - an even 100 - ensured Federal Areas avoided a defeat, after they fell 183 runs short of NWFP's 573 in their first innings. Asked to follow on, Federal Areas were given a solid start by their openers Raheel Majeed and Afaq Raheem. The two added 53 before Waqar Ahmed snared them both in quick succession.

The next three batsmen, however, consolidated on the foundation provided to bat their team to safety. Ashar Zaidi made 75 and put on 169 runs for the third wicket with Bazid. His 75 contained nine fours and two sixes and came off 143 deliveries, while Bazid took 164 for his 100, which included 13 boundaries.

Yasir Shah, the legbreak bowler, dismissed the duo, but by then Federal Areas had wiped out the deficit. Sohail Tanvir helped himself to a 39-ball 50, as his team finished the day at 296 for 5.

Earlier, resuming on 381 for 8 in their first innings, Federal Areas could add only nine runs. Nauman Habib ended with 4 for 76 for the innings, while Yasir scalped three.

Despite earning no points from this game, Federal Areas are second in the table after Sind, three points ahead of NWFP in third.

Pentangular Cup, 3rd round, 3rd day

Federal Areas 381 for 8 (Bazid 170, Ashraf 78, Arafat 53*, Habib 3-74) trail North West Frontier Province 573 by 192 runs

Bazid Khan's 170 boosted Federal Areas to 381 for 8 on the third day of their Pentangular Cup tie against North West Frontier Province in Peshawar; however, they still trail by 192 runs in a match that seems headed towards a draw.

Resuming on 57 for 2, Afaq Raheem and Bazid added 45 runs before Raheem was bowled by Yasir Shah, the legbreak bowler. Nauman Habib removed Usman Saeed soon after, and Federal Areas were in peril at 107 for 4.

Naved Ashraf, the Federal Areas captain, joined Bazid at the crease and the two strung together a 169-run stand. Yasir got rid of Ashraf for 78, which included eight fours and a six.

Bazid finall fell for 170 to Habib, his 272-ball knock contained 24 fours. Federal Areas lost two wickets for the addition of 13 runs, but allrounder Yasir Arafat then chipped in with an unbeaten 53 to take them to 381, still 192 short of NWFP's imposing first-innings total of 573.

Habib was the pick of the bowlers for NWFP, with 3 for 74 from his 16 overs.

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.

Pentangular Cup, 2nd round, 3rd day

Federal Areas 597 for 8 (Ashraf 141, Tanvir 132, Saeed 109, Majeed 98, Anjum 56*, Hussain 3-71) beat Baluchistan 253 (Tariq 68, Aslam 51*, Tanvir 5-66, Arafat 4-83) and 132 (Tanvir 3-42) by an innings and 212 runs

Sohail Tanvir, the Pakistan left-arm bowler, scored his third first-class century, and then picked up three wickets as Baluchistan were routed for 132 - same as Tanvir's score - handing Federal Areas a massive win by an innings and 212 runs.

In Karachi, Federal Areas took 33 overs to push their overnight score of 441 for 7 to 597 for 8, and then required three deliveries less than 33 overs to bowl out Baluchistan. For Baluchistan, new-ball bowlers Abdur Rauf and Kamran Hussain didn't take the field and were out 'absent hurt' in their side's second innings.

The star of day was undoubtedly Tanvir. He had taken a five-for in Baluchistan's first innings, and extended his overnight unbeaten 38 to 132 before he was caught off Imranullah Aslam. Tanvir scored over three runs every four balls, and hit 19 fours and a six. He was involved in a 155-run stand with wicketkeeper Naeem Anjum, who was unbeaten on 56 when Federal Areas declared.

Naved Ashraf, the Federal Areas captain, then needed to only employ his quicker bowlers as they ran through the Baluchistan line-up. Tanvir picked up 3 for 42 from his 11.3 overs, while Yasir Arafat had figures of 12-2-39-2 and Shehzad Azam 9-0-48-2. Baluchistan's batsmen failed to put up a fight, with 26 being the top score.

North West Frontier Province 392 for 7 (Younis 117, Shehzad 41 Riaz 3-83) lead Punjab 354 by 38 runs

Younis Khan's 117 helped North West Frontier Province take the first-innings lead against Punjab in Lahore, but the match seems to be heading for a draw. Younis, unbeaten on 36, along with Khurram Shehzad added 73 runs for the fourth wicket, before Wahab Riaz removed Shehzad (41) with the score on 253. Adnan Raees then played out 95 deliveries for his 21, in a partnership of 66 with the NWFP captain. Younis hit 16 fours in his 117, before Abdur Rehman had him caught by Nasir Jamshed.

Riaz struck twice to remove Raees, and Mohammad Aslam for a duck, as NWFP stumbled from 319 for 4 to 337 for 7, still trailing by 17 runs. Wicketkeeper Zulfiqar Jan and Shakeel-ur-Rehman ensured there were no further wobbles as they took their team into the lead.

Jan was on 35 and Rehman on 21 as NWFP ended the day at 392, a lead of 38.

Pentangular Cup, 2nd round, 2nd day

Federal Areas 441 for 7 (Ashraf 141, Saeed 109, Majeed 98, Hussain 3-71) lead Baluchistan 253 by 188 runs

Federal Areas began the second day on 79 for 3 in Karachi and were in a position where they could have frittered away the advantage of having restricted Baluchistan to 253. However, their batsmen produced a solid performance and they finished the day with a lead of 188.

Raheel Majeed and Usman Saeed, who produced impressive performances in against Punjab, set the day's tone for run-scoring, adding 94 before their 121-run fourth-wicket stand came to an end.

Majeed fell for 98 to Bilal Khilji, while Usman Saeed was trapped leg-before by Kamran Hussain for 109, which included 16 boundaries. Naved Ashraf, the Federal Areas captain, ensured more misery for the Baluchistan bowlers, as he scored a brisk 141 off 200 balls, studded with 24 fours and two sixes.

Left-arm spinner Saeed Anwar ended Ashraf's innings, and Hussain removed allrounder Yasir Arafat for a duck, but Sohail Tanvir was unbeaten on 38 as his team reached 441 for 7 at stumps and were very much in control of the game.

North West Frontier Province 181 for 3 (Mohmand 54, Younis 36*, Shehzad 0*) trail Punjab 354 (Butt 72, Misbah 53, Riaz 44) by 173 runs

After bowling out Punjab for 354, North West Frontier Province made good progress in reply, and were at 181 for 3 by the close.

Punjab, who began the day on 295 for 7, managed to reach 354 thanks to 44 from No. 10 Wahab Riaz. Fazl-e-Akbar removed the overnight batsmen - Waqas Ahmed and Junaid Zia - but Riaz hung around for 72 balls and added 39 with last man Aizaz Cheema, who scored an unbeaten 10. Fazl-e-Akbar finished with 4 for 74, while Samiullah Khan and Shakeel-ur-Rehman bagged a couple apiece.

NWFP were given a good start by Rafatullah Mohmand and Yasir Hameed. The pair added 82 before Hameed fell for 37 while Mohmand went on to make 54. Wajahatullah Wasti, the former Pakistan batsman, scored 39 off 101 balls and Younis Khan added 36 off 51 balls. Younis was undefeated at stumps, with NWFP needing 174 more to take a first-innings lead. For Punjab, Waqas Ahmed, Junaid Zia and Abdur Rehman chipped in with a wicket apiece.

Pentangular Cup, 2nd round, 1st day

Federal Areas 79 for 3 (Majeed 42*, Saeed 13*) trail Baluchistan 253 (Tariq 68, Aslam 51*, Tanvir 5-66, Arafat 4-83) by 174 runs

Sohail Tanvir justified the Federal Areas' stand-in captain Naved Ashraf's decision to field first by taking five wickets to help bowl out Baluchistan for 253 at the National Stadium in Karachi. But Federal Areas conceded a bit of the advantage when they lost two quick wickets before the close of play to end the first day at 79 for 3.

The Baluchistan openers Shoiab Khan and Usman Tariq walked out to bat in the three-hour first session and the duo added 41 runs before Shoiab was trapped by seamer Yasir Arafat for 25. Tanvir then took centre stage in a marathon 15-over opening spell, taking three wickets in succession to send Baluchistan crashing from 78 for 1 to 92 for 4. But Tariq scored a defiant half-century and added 73 runs for the fifth wicket with Nasim Khan (31) to stem the rot. But Baluchistan once again faltered, losing five wickets for the addition of 35 runs, with Tanvir claiming the vital wicket of Tariq for 68. Imranullah Aslam, the No. 10 batsman, then frustrated Federal Areas by striking an unbeaten 46-ball 51 which included nine fours, and adding 53 runs for the last wicket with Azharullah (20). Baluchistan's innings came to a close when Azharullah was trapped by Saeed Anjwal, the only spinner to find any success on the first day.

Federal Areas were in trouble just as they began their response when Kamran Hussain had Afaq Raheem caught behind for 2. Raheel Majeed and Fayaaz Ahmed pushed the score past fifty before Azharullah struck back with a double-strike: Ahmed was caught behind while Bazid Khan fell without scoring. But Majeed, who remained unbeaten on 42, and Usman Saeed, who struck a couple of fours on his way to 13, ensured there was no further damage.

Punjab 295 for 7 (Butt 72, Misbah 53) v North West Frontier Province

Punjab's star-studded batting line-up threatened to launch a run-fest, but none of their batsman, including Salman Butt, who top-scored with 72, were able to capitalise on their starts as they scored 295 for 7 on the first day against NWFP at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Earlier NWFP found immediate success after choosing to bowl when Fazl-e-Akbar has Mohammad Hafeez caught behind by Zulfiqur Jan. But Butt turned things around by displaying the same sort of form that saw him make 290 against Federal Areas in the first round of the Pentangular Cup as he reached his half-century in a 60-run second-wicket stand with Nasir Jamshed (16). Akbar returned to remove Jamshed, but that brought Misbah-ul-Haq to the crease. But Misbah and Butt did not spend too much time together when the latter was run-out after a misunderstanding as Punjab stuttered to 112 for 3.

Misbah then set about consolidating the innings as he scored 53 runs of 149 balls and adding 76 runs for the fourth wicket with Shoaib Malik (41). But once the duo were dismissed by Samiullah Khan and Shakell-ur-Rehman respectively, Kamran Akmal breezed his way to a 74-ball 40, striking six fours and a six to add some quick runs. Waqas Ahmed (12*) and Junaid Zia (10*) were then involved in an unbroken 25-run stand for the eighth wicket before stumps were drawn.