KARACHI: Bahawalpur Stags were in driving seat against Faisalabad Wolves on the opening day of their three-day quarter-final of the PCB Inter-Region Under-19 cricket tournament in Okara on Sunday.

After making 222 in their first innings when they asked to bat first at the Gymkhana Ground with Aaqib Javed (58 off 69 balls, 12 boundaries), Rafay Ahmed (54 off 61, 10 fours and one six) and Mohammad Shaharyar (53 off 121, six fours and one six) the major run-getters, the Stags reduced the Wolves to 113-7 by close of play.

Shahabul Khan captured seven wickets for 66 runs in the Stags’ innings.

Karachi Dolphins were 97-2 after bowling out Peshawar Panthers for 171 at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium in Mirpur.

Opting to bowl first, the Dolphins dismissed their opponents in 57.4 overs with captain Saud Shakeel grabbing four wickets for 31 runs and Mohammad Asghar 3-31. Zawan Hikmat scored 73 off 94 balls with the aid of 12 fours.

Rawalpindi Rams reached 61-2 after dismissing Islamabad Leopards for 236 at the National Cricket Ground in Islamabad. Aamir Jamal was the top-scorer with a 61-ball 55 (seven fours) after the Rams opted to field first.

Quetta Bears struggling at 19-3 after Lahore Eagles, batting first upon winning the toss, had posted 265-8 in the allotted first-innings’ quota of 83 overs at the Jinnah Stadium in Gujranwala. Ahsan Tariq made 64 (101 balls, three fours).

Close of play scores on Sunday (day one of three): Quarter-finals:

At Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Mirpur: PESHAWAR PAN- THERS 171 in 57.4 overs (Zawan Hikmat 73, Shiraz Safi 30, Zia-ur-Rehman 22; Saud Shakeel 4-31, Mohammad Asghar 3-31); KARACHI DOLPHINS 97-2 in 36 overs (Kashif Iqbal 44, Saud Shakeel 27 not out).

At Gymkhana Ground, Okara: BAHAWALPUR STAGS 222 in 69.4 overs (Aaqib Javed 58, Rafay Ahmed 54, Mohammad Shaharyar 53; Shahabul Khan 7-66); FAISALABAD WOLVES 113-7 in 29 overs (Samar Gulzar 26; Mohammad Asim 22; Mohammad Imran 3-32, Aaqib Javed 2-21).

At National Cricket Ground, Islamabad: ISLAMABAD LEOPARDS 236 in 61.1 overs (Aamir Jamal 55, Shaharyar Afaq 40, Ali Qadeem 37, Farmanullah 34, Asjad Nawaz 33; Jamil Abbas 4-65, Awais Iqbal 3-35, Mohammad Ismail 2-73); RAWALPINDI RAMS 61-2 in 18.5 overs (Zeeshan Malik 55 not out).

At Jinnah Stadium, Gujranwala: LAHORE EAGLES 265-8 in 83 overs (Ahsan Tariq 64, Hannan Rafiq 47 not out, Ali Raza 29, Waleed Anjum 28, Shahbaz Javed 22; Wasim Ubaid 4-91, Mukhtar Ahmed 2-67); QUETTA BEARS 19-3 in 11 overs (Ahmed Bashir 2-12).

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2014