KARACHI: Karachi Blues batted attractively to pile up 291-8 in their first innings against Multan on the first day of the Group ‘B’ fixture in the RBS Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship at the National Stadium here on Tuesday.

Multan skipper Kashif Naveed won the toss and opted to put Karachi Blues into bat. But his decision backfired as Shahzeb Hasan dominated the opening stand of 79 with Ali Asad. Shahzeb blasted 10 boundaries in a 44-ball 48.

Ali Asad and Asad Shafiq further tormented Multan bowlers by adding 73 before Ali departed after making 51 (126 balls, five boundaries). Asad was the day’s top-scorer with 67. His 110-ball knock included 10 fours.

Habib Bank, one of three teams with 24 points in Group ‘A’, reached 232-6 after ZTBL elected to field at the Marghzar Ground in Islamabad.

SNGPL were sitting pretty after bowling out KRL for 198 in the first innings at the latter’s stadium with paceman Asad Ali taking 5-32 and Mohammad Hafeez chipping in with three scalps.SNGPL completed a good day’s work by reaching 51 without loss at stumps.

Islamabad, helped by useful contributions from opener Umair Khan (87 off 182 balls, 14 fours) and Ashar Zaidi (unbeaten on 80, 121 balls, 15 boundaries), made 281-5 after Faisalabad chose to field first at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad.

Our Sports Reporter adds from Lahore: PIA seized early initiative as Wapda crashed to 138 all out in their first innings after making a decent start at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Put into bat by PIA stand-in skipper Sarfraz Ahmed, openers Ahmed Said and Riffatullah Mohmand shared a partnership of 55 before the rot set in with all 10 wickets falling for the addition of just 83 runs.

Seamer Aizaz bin Ilyas bowled superbly to claim 4-37 in 12.5 overs. Left-arm opening bowler Najaf Shah and all-rounder Kamran Sajid, who missed last week’s tie against Karachi Whites because of an eye infection, took three wickets each.

Sarfraz Ahmed provided excellent support to his bowlers by holding six catches behind the stumps.

PIA lost their in-form Pakistan Test opener Khurram Manzoor, who had amassed 592 runs prior to this game, for 10 before getting to 51-1 at draw of stumps.

Former Test slow left-armer Mohammad Hussain returned remarkable figures of five wickets for seven runs as Pakistan Customs skittled out Lahore Shalimar for 114 at the Lahore Country Club in Muridke. Customs were 55-1 in reply.