Rawalpindi took a huge step towards the final of the Super Eight in the Faysal Bank Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship on Tuesday when they dismantled the Karachi Whites’ batting line-up for a paltry 69 on day one of their fixture here at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

Awais Zia (67 off 137 balls, eight boundaries) and skipper Babar Naeem (66 off 90, nine fours) then put together a decisive second-wicket partnership of 127 which lifted the hosts to 253-8, already giving them a significant lead of 184 at draw of stumps. The Whites paid heavily for playing just two seamers in captain Mohammad Sami (0-42 in seven overs) and left-armer Abdul Ameer, who captured six wickets for 83 runs in 20 overs, in condition suiting pace bowling.

After being asked to bat first in the Group ‘A’ game, Karachi Whites had no answer to the swing bowling of left-armers Sohail Tanvir and Sadaf Hussain who soon had the visitors reeling at 34-5.

Discarded international Shahzaib Hasan was the top scorer with 19, while Mohtashim Ali (11) and Faraz Ahmed Khan (11) were the only other Whites batsmen to enter double figures.

Saeed bin Nasir made nine but he was he only to apply himself as he spent 72 minutes and negotiated 48 balls while on the crease before being caught behind off Saad Altaf, the third left-arm paceman in the Rawalpindi XI.

Sohail, the Pakistan seamer, bagged his 17th five for in 55th appearance in first-class cricket. The 28-year-old captured five for 20 in 10 overs. Sadaf took 2-28 in eight overs and Hammad Azam, the all-rounder, chipped in with two wickets for seven runs from six overs.

Karachi Blues, inspired by career-best performances from Zohaib Shera and Fakhar Zaman, put themselves in driving seat in their Group ‘B’ clash against Lahore Shalimar at the LCCA Ground in Lahore.

Zohaib, a 22-year-old left-arm paceman playing just his sixth first-class match, claimed seven for 42 to send Lahore Shalimar tumbling to 137 after Blues’ stand-in captain Tariq Haroon opted to field first upon winning the toss.

The hosts, in fact, were danger of being dismissed below 100 when the ninth wicket fell at 58. But tailenders Mohammad Irfan and Aizaz Cheema put on 89 in 81 minutes to give some respectability to the total. Irfan struck an unbeaten 62 — his maiden half century — off 75 balls with nine fours, while Aizaz made 27.

Fakhar, also 22, continued his dream run in the championship by notching up his fifth 50-plus score in as many matches as the Blues reached 178-4 in their reply. The Mardan-born left-handed opener struck an undefeated 95 (119 balls, 14 boundaries) and shared a first-wicket stand of 98 with Rameez Raja (45).

Centuries from opener Azeem Ghumman (107 off 133 balls, 21 fours) and Rizwan Ahmed (105 off 118 balls, 15 fours and three sixes) enabled Hyderabad pile up 402-7 after Lahore Ravi skipper Adnan Akmal decided to bowl first at the National Cricket Ground in Islamabad.

The pair added 156 for the third wicket before both were dismissed at the same total (216). However, the Ravians joy was short-lived as Hyderabad skipper Aqeel Anjum (81 off 129 balls, 15 fours) and Faisal Athar (78 off 92 balls, 13 fours and one six) combined in a partnership of 184 for the fifth wicket.

Debutant Lahore Ravi paceman Mohammad Arshad impressed with figures of four for 84 in 22 overs.

Opener Raheel Majeed hit 115 (249 balls, 14 fours) while putting on 221 for the second wicket with Ali Sarfraz (97 off 192 balls, 12 fours) as Islamabad posted 258-5 after Sialkot captain Shoaib Malik won the toss and chose to field first in the Group ‘A’ fixture at the Diamond Club Ground in the federal capital.

Kamran Hussain, the veteran all-rounder, slammed an unbeaten 94 (139 balls, 11 fours) to lift Bahawalpur to 232-8 after Quetta captain Taimur Ali inserted them in at the Multan Cricket Stadium in Multan in their Pool ‘B’ game of the Bottom Six Teams competition.

In the same event, Khurram Shehzad’s 136 off 181 balls with 20 hits to the fence led Faisalabad to an imposing 375-7 after being invited to bat first by Abbottabad skipper Yasir Hameed in the Pool ‘A’ at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium in Mirpur. Mohammad Shahid contributed 96 (141 balls, 10 fours) and helped Khurram add 214 for the fourth wicket.

Close of play scores on Tuesday (day one of four): Super Eight: At LCCA Ground, Lahore: LAHORE SHALIMAR 137 in 34.4 overs (Mohammad Irfan 62 not out, Aizaz Cheema 27; Zohaib Shera 7-42, Tabish

Khan 2-36); KARACHI BLUES 178-4 in 42.4 overs (Fakhar Zaman 95 not out, Rameez Raja 45, Akbar-ur-Rehman 28; Aizaz Cheema 2-68).

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: KARACHI WHITES 69 in 29 overs (Shahzaib Hasan 19; Sohail Tanvir 5-20, Hammad Azam 2-7, Sadaf Hussain 2-28); RAWALPINDI 253-8 in 59 overs (Awais Zia 67, Babar Naeem 66, Umar Waheed 28; Abdul Ameer 6-83, Atif Maqbool 2-91).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: ISLAMABAD 258-5 in 88 overs (Raheel Majeed 115, Ali Sarfraz 97; Hafiz Majid Jahangir 2-4) v SIALKOT.

At National Cricket Ground, Islamabad: HYDERABAD 402-7 in 88 overs (Azeem Ghumman 107, Rizwan Ahmed 105, Aqeel Anjum 81, Faisal Athar 78; Mohammad Arshad 4-84) v LAHORE RAVI.

Bottom Six Teams: At Multan Cricket Stadium, Multan: BAHAWALPUR 232-8 in 90 overs (Kamran Hussain 94 not out, Hamid Ali 42, Imranullah Aslam 41, Waqas Khan 29; Nazar Hussain 4-48, Jalat Khan 3-54).

At Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Mirpur: FAISALABAD 375-7 in 87 overs (Khurram Shehzad 136, Mohammad Shahid 96, Ammar Mahmood 63, Asif Ali 32; Riaz Kail 2-46, Mohammad Naeem 2-70, Aziz-ur-Rehman 2-75) v ABBOTTABAD.