KARACHI, Feb 29: A career-best knock of 178 not out by Aftab Khan put NWFP firmly in control of their Pentangular Cup match against Federal Areas at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar on Friday.

Aftab, who slammed 22 fours and a brace of sixes during his marathon stay of seven hours and 14 minutes, faced 346 balls on his way to his third first-class century that lifted NWFP to 573 all out in their first innings.

Federal Areas were left struggling at stumps on day two of the four-day clash at 57 for two.

Skipper Younis Khan, fresh from scoring hundreds in the previous two matches, struck six boundaries in making 59 off 79 balls, while putting on 97 for the fifth-wicket with Aftab, who was also involved in another useful partnership of 88 for the eighth wicket with Nauman Habib (40).

Scoreboard

NWFP (1st Innings, overnight 342-3):

Riffatullah Mohmand c Bazid b Saeed 100

Yasir Hameed b Saeed 107

Wajahatullah Wasti c Naeem b Sohail 8

Khurram Shahzad c Naeem b Yasir Ali 53

Aftab Khan not out 178

Younis Khan c Yasir Ali b Saeed 59

Zulfiqar Jan c Naeem b Sohail 1

Yasir Shah c Naeem b Sohail 4

Nauman Habib c Bazid b Sohail 40

Fazle Akbar st Naeem b Raheel 1

Waqar Ahmed b Raheel 5

EXTRAS (B-11, LB-2, W-2, NB-2) 17

TOTAL (all out, 161.5 overs) 573

FALL OF WKTS: 1-196, 2-211, 3-219, 4-348, 5-445, 6-451, 7-455, 8-543, 9-560.

BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir 41-6-132-4 (2w); Yasir Arafat 28-5-106-0; Yasir Ali 27-8-83-1; Saeed Ajmal 52-9-186-3 (2nb); Ashar Zaidi 9-0-24-0; Raheel Majeed 4.5-0-29-2.

FEDERAL AREAS (1st Innings):

Raheel Majeed c Zulfiqar b Waqar 16

Afaq Raheem not out 19

Ashar Zaidi c Yasir b Fazle 4

Bazid Khan not out 16

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1) 2

TOTAL (for two wkts, 16 overs) 57

FALL OF WKTS: 1-33, 2-37.

TO BAT: Naveed Qureshi, Usman Saeed, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Arafat, Naeem Anjum, Saeed Ajmal, Yasir Ali.

BOWLING (to-date): Fazle Akbar 8-2-23-1; Waqar Ahmed 5-1-27-1 (1nb); Yasir Shah 3-1-6-0.