KARACHI: Usama Butt, Abrar Ahmed and Rehmatullah shared the limelight with sterling performances at the start of the PCB Regional Inter-district Under-19 (Karachi Region) matches.

Usama led a strong display by Zone-I, who made good use of winning the toss by collecting 298-7 in the allotted first-innings quota of 70 overs against Zone-III at the Nazir Hussain Young Fighter Ground.

Usama struck exactly 100 with his 162-ball knock featuring three sixes and as many fours. Ammar Iqbal scored 56 (two sixes and two fours) while putting on 97 for the fourth wicket with Usama.

Leg-spinner Abrar excelled for Zone-III by grabbing six wickets for 100 runs.

By stumps on day one of the two-day tie, Zone-III had reached 111-3 in 21 overs.

Zaryab Khan made 87 from 125 balls (15 fours) as Zone-IV posted 210 all out in 66.1 overs after opting to bat against Zone-II at the TMC Ground. Slow left-armer Rehmatullah starred with the ball by claiming six for 45.

Zone-II, in reply, lost three wickets in making 80 runs in 31 overs.

Zone-V finished at 262-9 after being sent into bat by Zone-VII at the Landhi Gymkhana Ground. Tahir Marwat slammed 12 boundaries in making 75 while Ali Raza remained 44 not out.

Zone-VII struggled to 51-2 in 24 overs by close of play.

Close of play scores on Tuesday (day one of two):

At Nazir Hussain Young Fighter Ground: ZONE-I 298-7 in 70 overs (Usama Butt 100, Ammar Iqbal 56, Mohammad Zubair 38, Waleed Khan 34, Haider Ali 31; Abrar Ahmed 6-100, Israr Ahmed 3-68); ZONE-III 111-3 in 21 overs (Imran Shah 37, Azam Khan 32 not out, Ram Ravi 17, Osama Ali 16; Mohammad Wasim 2-33).

At TMC Ground: ZONE-IV 210 in 66.1 overs (Zaryab Khan 87, Mohammad Daniyal 35, Kashan Khan 35; Rehmatullah 6-45, Kaaf Patel 2-52); ZONE-II 80-3 in 31 overs (Abeer Aqeel 25, Ammad Alam 21 not out; Amanullah 2-17).

At Landhi Gymkhana Ground: ZONE-V 262-9 in 70 overs (Tahir Marwat 75, Ali Raza 44 not out, Mohammad Israr 39, Farhad Ali Israr 24, Salman Khan 21; Jalaluddin 2-35, Ammar Khan 2-42, Saad-ur-Rehman 2-43); ZONE-VII 51-2 in 24 overs (Umar Farooq 22 not out).

Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2016