KARACHI, Oct 21: Defending champions Pakistan Customs made PWD toil in the sun by reaching 305 for two on a batting paradise in the Patron’s Trophy Grade-I match at UBL Sports Complex here Sunday.

In fact, such were the conditions it came as no surprise with all four batsmen on show completing half-centuries after skipper Aamir Bashir had no second thought once calling correctly at the toss.

The left-handed opening duo of Kashif Siddique and the prolific Shadab Kabir found no terror either in the featherbed brown strip or the pedestrian bowling.

Customs enjoyed a hearty lunch by reaching 116 for no loss in the 34 overs that were bowled in the opening session with both Kashif and Shadab making most of the scoring opportunities.

PWD, on the other hand, were not helped by absence of a left-arm slow bowler. However, off-spinners Haaris Ayaz, Iqbal Imam and leg-spinner Riaz Shaikh were called up for lengthy spells by skipper Saad Wasim.

Kashif, the more aggressive of the two openers, perished just when a century was round the corner. His dismissal came about when he pulled a full toss from Riaz Shaikh into Saad Wasim’s lap at short mid-wicket, having batted for 156 minutes and negotiated 137 balls. His 98 was laced with 10 fours and one six.

Shadab, meanwhile, crossed 500 runs in the championship before he holed to mid-off, when he tried to hit Harris Ayaz through the on-side, for a 128-ball 62 in a stay of eight minutes under three hours. Shadab’s solid knock included five fours and one six.

Imraan Mohammad, son of ex-Test opener Sadiq, is looking for his maiden first-class hundred after reaching his 50 in the final over of the day. In a restrained display, Imraan, who has so far batted for 202 minutes and faced 146 balls, was comfortably outscored by his captain Aamir Bashir.

Aamir, who came at the fall of second wicket at 178, struck nine boundaries in his 106-ball 68 while dominating the unfinished third wicket stand which has so far realized 127 runs in 118 minutes.