October 18, 2001	Thursday	Rajab 30, 1422

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LAHORE, Oct 17: PIA managed to take a marginal first  innings lead of three  runs despite a 198 opening wicket partnership between Kamran Sajid and Fareed Butt on third  day  of the Patron’s Trophy Grade-I encounter at LCCA Ground Wednesday.

Sui Gas made 376 in reply to PIA’s 379. Opener Kamran Sajid, who was batting on 81 overnight, duly completed a century on his first-class debut before falling to Test paceman Fazle Akbar for 109.

Kamran hit 14 elegant boundaries, faced 268 balls and stayed at the crease for 397 minutes.

However, Sui Gas lost their first wicket when Fareed Butt was run out after adding eight runs to his overnight score of 73.

Once the first wicket stand was broken, the in-form Fazle Akbar struck at regular intervals to take five for 83 while slow left-armer Nadeem Khan, leading PIA in the absence of his younger brother and former Test captain Moin, mopped up the tail by claiming four for 98.

However, some resistance was showed by middle-order batsmen Saleem Mughal (54 off 169 balls in 274 minutes, five fours) and skipper Asad Iqbal (27) who  added  51 for the sixth wicket in 105 minutes.

When the game was stopped before scheduled closing time because of poor light, PIA  openers Ghulam Ali and Sohail Jaffar survived  two overs from Abdur Rauf and Azhar Abbas without scoring.