KARACHI: Fit-again Pakistan fast bowler Sohail Khan grabbed seven wickets for 32 runs as Karachi Blues skittled out Larkana for just 80 on the opening day of their three-day Quaid-i-Azam Trophy Grade-II Cricket Tournament fixture in Multan on Sunday.

Karachi Blues were well placed at stumps on 214-8. The highlight was opener Mohammad Waqas’ undefeated knock of 109.

But it was Sohail who simply toyed with the inexperienced Larkana batsmen as five of victims were bowled or leg-before-wicket.

Left-arm speedster Zohaib Shera provided grand support with three for 19, while opener Javed Bhutto top-scored with 18.

Waqas then took over to dominate the rest of the day as he struck 14 boundaries during his 195-ball innings, lasting 250 minutes.

Bahawalpur reached 263-7 in their first innings after Quetta invited them to bat first at the Dring Stadium in Bahawalpur. Moinuddin continued his good form with an 83-ball 61 that included 11 fours and one six. Captain Adeel Basit scored 53 not out from 82 balls with five fours.

Waleed Iqbal, who added 99 for the third wicket with Moinuddin, contributed a patient 52 from 138 balls with four boundaries.

Meanwhile, both Group ‘B’ fixtures saw no play because of rain in Faisalabad and Islamabad.

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

Group ‘A’:

At Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan: LARKANA 80 in 26.1 overs (Javed Bhutto 18; Sohail Khan 7-32, Zohaib Shera 3-19); KARACHI BLUES 214-8 in 61 overs (Mohammad Waqas 109 not out, Saeed bin Nasir 23; Ali Asghar 3-59, Mohammad Urs 2-48).

At Dring Stadium, Bahawalpur: BAHAWALPUR 263-5 in 71 overs (Moinuddin 61, Abdul Basit 53 not out, Waleed Iqbal 52, Mohammad Wasim 31, Imranullah Aslam 27, Aaqib Javed 27 not out; Shahzad Tareen 2-50) vs QUETTA.

Group ‘B’:

At National Ground, Islamabad: ABBOTTABAD vs DERA MURAD JAMALI — no play on day one due to rain.

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: FAISALABAD vs AZAD JAMMU KASHMIR — no play on day one due to rain.

Published in Dawn, March 14th, 2016