KARACHI, April 24: Pakistan Television (PTV) had the better of the opening day’s play in the Patron’s Trophy Grade-II cricket tournament semi-final against Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) when Mohammad Saad’s fine 97 propelled them to 286 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Tuesday.

Having been sent into bat by KESC skipper Javed Mansoor, PTV found themselves struggling at 97-5 in their first innings before Saad and wicket-keeper Naeem Anjum (34 off 55 balls, five boundaries) added 51 in 73 minutes.

Saad then found another reliable partner in all-rounder Haseeb Azam as the pair put on 97 for the seventh wicket before Saad was trapped LBW by off-spinner Rizwan Khan after striking 10 fours in his 185-ball innings lasting 262 minutes.

Haseeb struck seven boundaries and one six in his enterprising 69-ball knock of 63.

Pacemen Arun Lal and Mir Hamza claimed three wickets each, while conceding 61 and 71 runs, respectively. Spinners Osama Basharat and Rizwan Khan took two wickets apiece.

KESC, in reply, lost Bismillah Khan, who was involved in an ugly altercation with a rival player in KESC’s final league-round fixture last week, to the first ball of the innings bowled by left-arm paceman Nasrullah Khan before reaching 7-1 at stumps.

Meanwhile, heavy rain restricted play to just 34.1 overs in the other semi-final at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad where Omar Associates had made 140-9 after being asked to bat first by Port Qasim Authority (PQA) captain Khalid Latif.

Former Test fast bowler Mohammad Sami was the wrecker-in-chief in a devastating opening spell which enabled take five of the first six wickets to fall. Sami ended the day with figures of five for 18 in 14.1 overs.

Omar Associates could have been dismissed for a lower total had Waqar Ali Syed (24) and Mohammad Imran (21) not shared a defiant unbroken last-wicket partnership of 39.

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

Semi-finals:

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: OMAR ASSOCIATES 140-9 in 34.1 overs (Prince Abbas 30, Shahzad Malik 24, Waqar Ali Syed 24 not out, Mohammad Imran 21 not out; Mohammad Sami 5-18, Azam Hussain 2-37) v PORT QASIM AUTHORITY.

At Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: PAKISTAN TELEVISION 286 in 82.2 overs (Mohammad Saad 97, Haseeb Azam 67, Naeem Anjum 34, Raheel Majeed 22; Arun Lal 3-61, Mir Hamza 3-71, Osama Basharat 2-16, Rizwan Khan 2-31); KESC 7-1 in 2 overs (Nasrullah Khan 1-2).