KARACHI, April 30: Despite Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC) putting an improved batting performance in their second innings, Pakistan Television (PTV) held advantage on the second day of the Patron’s Trophy Grade-II cricket tournament final in Mirpur on Tuesday.

KESC, thriving on half centuries from Ahsan Ali, Mohammad Waqas and Bismillah Khan, were 209-2 to lead by 101 runs at the halfway stage of the match at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium.

When stumps were drawn for the day, Bismillah, who was the top-scorer in the first innings with 82 in his regular opener slot, was batting on 58 in a 60-ball containing nine boundaries.

Partnering him was Akbar-ur-Rehman who had made 21.

Ahsan Ali (68 off 70 balls, 11 fours) had earlier been involved in two productive stands. With the left-handed Mohammad Waqas he played second fiddle in the opening partnership of 87.

Waqas was caught behind by Naeem Anjum off the slow-left-arm bowling of PTV captain Imad Wasim after striking 12 boundaries in a fine counter-attacking 40-ball innings of 60 in only 58 minutes.

Ahsan then put on a further 88 for the second wicket with Bismillah before he too was caught at the wicket off medium-pacer Hamza Nadeem.

Earlier, PTV, who began the day at 125-3, made an excellent recovery to post 316 after finding themselves wobbling at 214-7.

That final total helped them secured a handy 108-run lead on the first innings.

Opener Raheel Majeed could add just 12 runs to overnight tally of 58 before becoming one of five wickets for fast bowler Tabish Khan.

Raheel’s 70 off 119 balls in a stay of exactly 200 minutes included 11 hits to the fence.

Zeeshan Mushtaq, who shared a fourth-wicket stand of 73 with Raheel, was caught behind off Tabish for 31.

It was then left to Imad (43 off 60 balls, eight fours), Mohammad Abbas (38 off 62 balls, four boundaries) and Hamza Nadeem (25 off 30 balls, four fours) to extend PTV’s lead.

Tabish finished with five for 75 from 22 overs with medium-pacer Saeed Khan taking two for 33.

KESC skipper Javed Mansoor excelled with six catches behind the stumps.

Scoreboard KARACHI ELECTRIC SUPPLY COMPANY (1st Innings) 208 (Bismillah Khan 82, Ahsan Ali 26, Akbar-ur-Rehman 24, Javed Mansoor 24; Mohammad Abbas 5-107, Hamza Nadeem 3-43).

PAKISTAN TELEVISION (1st Innings, overnight 125-3): Raheel Majeed c Waqas b Tabish    70 Naeem Anjum c Javed b Tabish    2 Nawaz Ahmed c Javed b Tabish    22 Rizwan Ahmed c Javed b Tabish    13 Zeeshan Mushtaq c Javed b Tabish    31 Akbar Badshah c Javed b Saeed    15 Usman Ashraf b Arun Lal    13 Imad Wasim c Waqas b Rizwan    43 Mohammad Abbas c Saad b Waqas    38 Hamza Nadeem c Javed b Saeed    25 Nasrullah Khan not out    10

EXTRAS (B-24, LB-3, W-3, NB-4)    34 TOTAL (all out, 79.3 overs)     316 FALL OF WKTS: 1-22, 2-69, 3-91, 4-164, 5-173, 6-193, 7-214, 8-250, 9-288. BOWLING: Tabish Khan 22-6-75-3 (2w); Mir Hamza 26-5-87-0; Arun Lal 10-2-38-0 (4nb); Saeed Khan 10-0-33-2 (1w); Akbar-ur-Rehman 7-0-35-0; Rizwan Khan 4-0-19-1; Mohammad Waqas 0.3-0-2-1.

KARACHI ELECTRIC SUPPLY COMPANY (2nd Innings): Ahsan Ali c Naeem b Hamza    68 Mohammad Waqas c Naeem b Imad    60 Bismillah Khan not out    58 Akbar-ur-Rehman not out    21

EXTRAS (NB-2)    2 TOTAL (for two wkts, 31 overs)    209 FALL OF WKTS: 1-87, 2-175. BOWLING (to-date): Nasrullah Khan 6-0-46-0 (1nb); Mohammad Abbas 7-0-48-0; Hamza Nadeem 8-0-47-1; Imad Wasim 6-0-37-1 (1nb); Raheel Majeed 1-0-8-0; Nawaz Ahmed 3-0-23-0.