April 05, 2007	Thursday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 16, 1428

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KARACHI, April 4: Punjab were in dire straits after Habib Bank amassed 531 in their first innings on the second day of the four-day Pentangular Cup match at the National Stadium here on Wednesday.

The regional side, who reached stumps at 185 for six, still needs another 197 to avoid the follow-on with just four wickets standing at the halfway stage of the match.

Pakistan players Imran Nazir (24) and Mohammad Hafeez (29) wasted good starts as did Kashif Siddique (21) while Salman Butt went early for 11.

Test wicket-keeper Kamran Akmal played a captain’s hand with a 98-ball 56, inclusive of nine fours and one six. Punjab’s hopes of reaching a respectable now depends solely on Naved Latif, who is batting on 23.Earlier, Imran Farhat added just 13 runs to his overnight tally of 171 before he was run out for 184. His near seven-hour 319-ball knock contained 21 fours and two sixes.

But Shahid Afridi, the Habib Bank skipper, was on song with a blistering 86 off only 54 deliveries. The right-hander’s stay of 81 minutes saw him bludgeoned half a dozen sixes and five fours.

Scoreboard

HABIB BANK (1st Innings, overnight 387-3):

Imran Farhat run out 184

Taufiq Umar b Azhar 34

Khaqan Arsal c Kamran b K. Raza 16

Hasan Raza st Kamran b Salman 123

Shahid Afridi c Hafeez b K. Siddique 86

Aftab Khan run out 31

Humayun Farhat c Naved b Hafeez 3

Sajid Shah lbw b Khalil 7

Irfan Fazil not out 1

Abdur Rehman lbw b Hafeez 14

Danish Kaneria c sub b Khalil 7

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-8, W-8, NB-7) 25

TOTAL (all out, 129.1 overs) 531

FALL OF WKTS: 1-68, 2-107, 3-348, 4-458, 5-468, 6-477, 7-509, 8-509, 9-524.

BOWLING: Kashif Raza 10-2-27-1 (1w); Mohammad Khalil 22.1-2-98-2 (4nb, 2w); Rao Iftikhar 11-2-40-0 (1w); Azharullah 23-4-96-1; Mohammad Hafeez 34-4-116-2; Kashif Siddique 17-2-79-1 (1w); Salman Butt 12-0-65-1 (2nb).

PUNJAB (1st Innings):

Salman Butt b Irfan 11

Imran Nazir c and b Afridi 24

Mohammad Hafeez c and b Kaneria 29

Kashif Siddique c Imran b Rehman 21

Kamran Akmal b Irfan 56

Atiq-ur-Rehman c and b Kaneria 3

Naved Latif not out 23

Rao Iftikhar not out 2

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-1, NB-9) 16

TOTAL (for six wkts, 48 overs) 185

FALL OF WKTS: 1-32, 260, 3-90, 4-92, 5-96, 6-173.

TO BAT: Kashif Raza, Azharullah, Mohammad Khalil.

BOWLING (to-date): Sajid Shah 7-0-26-0 (3nb); Irfan Fazil 7-1-37-2 (3nb, 1w); Danish Kaneria 14-2-67-2 (1nb); Shahid Afridi 8-1-27-1 (2nb); Abdur Rehman 11-2-22-1; Imran Farhat 1-1-0-0.