Abdur Rehman lifts Habib Bank to 261

Honours were even on the first day of the second-round Patrons Trophy Cricket Championship Quadrangular Stage match between Habib Bank Limited (HBL) and National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

With Hasan Raza, the captain, having to retire hurt early in the innings, Habib Bank were lifted by useful partnerships along the way before their last wicket fell at 261. In nine balls, the National Bank openers had scored two runs at stumps.

Abdur Rehman, the left-handed allrounder from Sialkot, hit 96 off 140 balls in just over three hours with 10 fours and a six. Rafatullah Mohmand, the opener, scored 41 while Farhan Adil scored 38. Humayun Farhat chipped in with a quick 34 off 46 deliveries that included six fours. The National Bank bowlers, on the other hand, also did themselves proud. Wasim Khan took 4 for 44 while Mansoor Amjad, the legspinner, picked up 3 for 63. Two wickets were taken by Imran Javed, the allrounder who is playing in his first match of the season.

Asif Mujtaba and Faisal Iqbal, the captain, came to the rescue of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), on the opening day of their second-round match against Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited (PTCL), at the Khan Research Laboratories Stadium on Saturday.

After being two wickets down with only nine on the board PIA, having been put in to bat, reached a comfortable score of 243 for 4 at stumps. Faisal was still at the crease with an unbeaten 80,made off 145 balls in just over three hours, with 10 boundaries.

Kamran Sajid and Bazid Khan, the openers, were dismissed by PTCL's in-form pace bowler Tahir Mughal. PIA were then lifted by the 82-run third-wicket partnership between Ghulam Ali and Asif Mujtaba, who contributed 44 and 65 respectively. Faisal and Mujtaba then added an invaluable 102 runs for the fourth wicket. After Mujtaba's dismissal, Faisal found an able partner in Mahmood Hamid, as the unbroken fifth-wicket stand realised 50 runs.