ISLAMABAD, Nov 20: Federal Areas were on course to reach the final of the RBS Pentangular Cup after Balochistan were set a tough target of 393 runs on penultimate day of the four-day match at the Diamond Club Ground here on Thursday.

Balochistan, who were bundled out for 57 in their first innings on Wednesday, need a further 246 runs after reaching 147 for three in the second innings at draw of stumps.

Earlier, Usman Saeed hit an unbeaten 87 as the hosts added 107 to their overnight score of 196 for eight. Usman, who slammed 11 boundaries in his fine knock, was instrumental in ensuring Federal Areas set the visitors a daunting chase in a match that was dominated by the bowlers on the first two days.

Tailender Yasir Ali (30) supported Usman in a priceless ninth-wicket partnership that produced exactly 100 runs before Kamran Hussain claimed the last two wickets to finish with five for 58.

On Wednesday, Umar Amin (51, six fours) and Fayyaz Ahmed (46, eight fours) had shared a third-wicket stand worth 85 runs after Pakistan paceman Sohail Tanvir had taken a career-best seven for 21 in Balochistan’s first innings.

Scoreboard

FEDERAL AREAS (1st Innings) 146 (Bilal

Khilji 4-13).

BALOCHISTAN (1st Innings):

Shoaib Khan c Jamal b Sohail

Usman Tariq lbw b Sohail 9

Saeed Anwar Jr lbw b Sohail 2

Ramiz Alam lbw b Sohail 7

Azharullah lbw b Yasir Arafat 4

Saeed bin Nasir c Rao Iftikhar b Sohail 5

Bilal Khilji b Sohail 0

Kamran Hussain b Yasir Arafat 8

Gulraiz Sadaf c Umair b Sohail 9

Abdur Rauf c Sohail b Yasir Arafat 1

Nazar Hussain not out 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-3, W-1, NB-7) 12

TOTAL (all out, 21 overs) 57

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-12, 3-15, 4-24, 5-33, 6-33, 7-33, 8-43, 9-52.

BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir 11-4-21-7 (7nb, 1w), Rao Iftikhar 7-1-20-0; Yasir Arafat 3-0-12-3.

FEDERAL AREAS (2nd Innings, overnight 196-8):

Raheel Majeed b Kamran 10

Umair Khan c Shoaib b Rauf 0

Umar Amin b Nazar 51

Fayyaz Ahmed c Rameez b Kamran 46

Naveed Qureshi lbw b Kamran 3

Sohail Tanvir b Rauf 42

Usman Saeed not out 87

Yasir Arafat c Bilal b Azhar 5

Jamal Anwar lbw b Azhar 0

Yasir Ali c Shoaib b Kamran 30

Rao Iftikhar c Gulraiz b Kamran 5

EXTRAS (B-9, LB-8, NB-7) 24

TOTAL (all out, 89.4 overs) 303

FALL OF WKTS: 1-1, 2-15, 3-100, 4-108, 5-133, 6-176, 7-189, 8-189, 9-289.

BOWLING: Abdur Rauf 21-4-76-2; Kamran Hussain 21.4-0-58-5; Bilal Khilji 12-5-24-0 (3nb); Azharullah 18-3-56-2; Nazar Hussain 16-1-69-1 (4nb).

BALOCHISTAN (2nd Innings):

Shoaib Khan Jr b Rao Iftikhar 64

Usman Tariq c Jamal b Yasir Ali 11

Saeed Anwar Jr not out 36

Rameez Alam lbw b Sohail 13

Saeed bin Nasir not out 11

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-2, W-2, NB-4) 12

TOTAL (for three wkts, 42 overs) 147

FALL OF WKTS: 1-55, 2-94, 3-126.

BOWLING (to-date): Sohail Tanvir 13-2-49-1 (2nb, 1w); Rao Iftikhar 14-6-29-1; Yasir Arafat 7-1-23-0 (1nb, 1w); Yasir Ali 8-0-40-1 (1nb).