KARACHI, Dec 13: Inspired by great new-ball bowling from Pakistan duo of Umar Gul and Ehsan Adil, Habib Bank Limited (HBL) made a dream start to their President’s Trophy clash with the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot on Friday.

The PQA, who unwisely opted to bat first after stand-in captain Mohammad Salman won the toss, lasted just 19.5 overs as they capitulated for 65, which was some kind of a recovery after Umar Gul and Ehsan had them in huge strife at six wickets down for mere nine runs at the completion of the eighth over of the opening day.

Umar, who failed a fitness test the other day in a bid to reclaim his spot in the Pakistan squad, finished with a magnificent return of 5-12 in 10 overs while young Ehsan took five for 48 in his 9.5 overs.

Sohail Khan was the PQA top-scorer with a 13-ball 24 while Mohammad Sami (12) and Mohammad Talha (10) were the only players get into double figures as four of their tea-mates departed without troubling the scorer.

The HBL, currently without a win and rooted at the base of the team’s standings, then capped a rare fine day by closing at 132-4 with Test opener Shan Masood at the crease on 51. Aftab Alam Khan hit exactly 50 in the 96-run partnership with left-handed Shan.

The only low point for the bankers was the dismissal of seasoned Pakistan batsman Younis Khan for a duck. The HBL skipper lasted just four balls.

Sadaf Hussain, the left-arm paceman who sometime ago was spoken as a Pakistan prospect before injuries curtailed his career, grabbed superlative analysis of eight for 50 in 17 overs as the Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) dismissed the National Bank of Pakistan for a modest first-innings tally of 158 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

Sadaf, 24, initially got rid of Nasir Jamshed, Aqeel Anjum and Fawad Alam as the NBP tottered to nine for three after having been sent in by KRL skipper Saeed Anwar Jr.

NBP captain Kamran Akmal, the discarded Pakistan wicket-keeper, played a fighting hand, stroking 71 from 103 balls with 11 boundaries until he was sixth out, caught by Usman Salahuddin off Sadaf with the score on 132. Qaiser Abbas (29) helped Kamran add 73 for the fifth wicket.

Hammad Azam hit 34 but no one else managed to bat for long. Presumably Sadaf also restored to bowling spin as one of his victims, Raza Hasan, was stumped by Zulfiqar Jan, who also held four catches.

The KRL ended the day 87-1.

Leaders Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) prospered to 252-5 against the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) with acting skipper Azhar Ali leading from the front by scoring an unbeaten 96 (183 balls, 12 fours) after winning the toss and opting to bat first at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Discarded Test opener Taufiq Umar, however, fell early when he was trapped leg-before by Rizwan Haider for only two.

Adnan Raees struck 94 (219 balls, 11 fours) while putting 126 with Aamir Sajjad (52) for the unbroken fourth-wicket stand which guided the Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) to 274-3 after Pakistan Television (PTV) invited them to have first use of the LCCA Ground pitch in Lahore.

Veteran opener Riffatullah Mohmand dominated early action by striking 81 (140 balls, 11 fours and one six).

United Bank Limited (UBL) were 74-2 after bowling out Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) for 235 upon choosing to bowl first at the Marghazar Cricket Ground in Islamabad. Former Test batsman and ZTBL skipper Yasir Hameed hammered 108 off 144 balls with the aid of 11 boundaries and three sixes.

Close of play scores on Friday (day one of four):

At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: NATIONAL BANK OF PAKISTAN 158 in 52 overs (Kamran Akmal 71, Hammad Azam 34, Qaiser Abbas 29; Sadaf Hussain 8-50); KHAN RESEARCH LABORATORIES 87-1 in 26 overs (Saeed Anwar Jr 38 not out, Shoaib Ahmed Minhas 23 not out).

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: SUI NORTHERN GAS PIPELINES LIMITED 252-5 in 78 overs (Azhar Ali 96 not out, Khurram Shehzad 45, Ali Waqas 42; Tabish Khan 3-82, Rizwan Haider 2-51) v STATE BANK OF PAKISTAN.

At LCCA Ground, Lahore: WATER AND POWER DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 274-3 in 83 overs (Adnan Raees 94 not out, Riffatullah Mohmand 81, Aamir Sajjad 52 not out: Mohammad Ali Bhutta 3-43) v PAKISTAN TELEVISION.

At Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot: PORT QASIM AUTHORITY 65 in 19.5 overs (Sohail Khan 24; Umar Gul 5-12, Ehsan Adil 5-48); HABIB BANK LIMITED 132-4 in 45.5 overs (Shan Masood 51 not out, Aftab Alam Khan 50; Mohammad Sami 2-29).At Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad: ZARAI TARAQIATI BANK LIMITED 235 in 63.2 overs (Yasir Hameed 108, Luqman Butt 41, Imran Nazir 29; Mohammad Wajihuddin 3-9, Adil Raza 2-29, Prince Abbas 2-51, Atif Maqbool 2-52); UNITED BANK LIMITED 74-2 in 17 overs (Saeed bin Nasir 34 not out, Bismillah Khan 22 not out; M. Imran Khan 2-32).