KARACHI, Nov 12: Sindh have virtually lost all hopes of making the final of the RBS Pentangular Cup after crashing to a paltry 96 all out against leaders NWFP on an eventful opening day of the match at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar on Wednesday.

Sindh, needing maximum nine points from their last league fixture to stay in contention, have already conceded first-innings lead as the hosts reached 115 for three in response when stumps were drawn for the day because of bad light at 4:05pm.

After being asked to bat first by the NWFP skipper Yasir Hameed, Sindh went to lunch at 77 for five before losing their remaining wickets after the interval for the addition of only 19 runs.

Junaid Khan, an upcoming left-arm paceman, grabbed three of the last five wickets and ended the Sindh innings by dismissing tail-enders Tanvir Ahmed and Azam Hussain for ducks.

Right-arm pacer Shakeel-ur-Rehman continued his excellent form he showed in the previous match, when he took 11 wickets against Federal Areas at the same venue, by finishing with three for 18 in 11 overs.

Faisal Athar, who opened the innings, was the top-scorer for the visitors with a 67-ball 35 that included five boundaries.

Anwar Ali took all the three wickets to fall when the NWFP batted. Yasir hit six fours in making 30 after his opening partner Adnan Raees was held in the slips for 10.

Anwar dismissed Yasir, also caught in the slips, and Wajid Ali for a second-ball duck in the same over.

But Riffatullah Mohmand (28, five fours) and Shoaib Khan (31, five fours) came together to put the NWFP in front as they put on 60 for the unbroken fourth-wicket partnership.

Scoreboard