RAWALPINDI, July 23: Helped by off-spinner Kamran Baig who captured four for 28 and a knock of 51 by Waqas Zafar, Rawalpindi took a one-run first innings lead against Chakwal on the opening day of their PCB Under-19 Inter-district Championship game at Army Cricket Ground.

After bowling out Chakwal for a meagre 129 in 52.5 overs in which Mohammad Zubair top scored with 32 not out, Rawalpindi were 130 for seven at the close having batted 37 overs.

Shahbaz Ayub was the main Chakwal wicket-taker with three for 38 while Owais Zia took two for 26.

At KRL Stadium, Jhelum hit up 274 off 64.3 overs, Majid Ali leading the way by scoring a fine 82. Qasim Maqbool did well too, cracking 66. Paceman Zohaib Ahmed bowling to teasing line and length snared four wickets for 57 runs.

Islamabad then batted cautiously to be 62 for one in 23 overs when play ended for the day. Rana Ijaz was 24 not out and with him was Umar Khattak on 29.

In another match at Shalimar Cricket Ground, left-arm slow bowler Najamul Hasan snapped four for 19 as Attock shot out Azad Jammu Kashmir for 169. Nusrat Khan (three for 31) also bowled well as did Sherbaz Khan who claimed two victims. Ehtesham Qadir was the leading scorer, hitting an unbeaten 41.

In the 14 overs possible before the close, Attock had scored 35 for one.

Summarised scores:

*At Army Cricket Ground, Rawalpindi:

CHAKWAL 129 in 52.5 overs (Mohammad Zubair 32 not out, Owais Zia 28; Kamran Baig 4-28, Usman Saeed 2-19, Khalid Mushtaq 2-35);

RAWALPINDI 130-7 in 37 overs (Waqas Zafar 51, Ehsan Khan 27, Usman Saeed 21; Shahbaz Ayub 3-38, Owais Zia 2-26).

*At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi:

JHELUM 274 in 64.3 overs (Majid Ali 82, Qasim Maqbool 66, Qaiser Mahmood 34 not out; Zohaib Ahmed 4-57, Asim Aqeel Rana 2-30);

ISLAMABAD 62-1 in 23 overs (Rana Ijaz 24 not out, Omer Khattak 29 not out; Atif Shahzad 1-15).

*At Shalimar Cricket Ground, Islamabad:

AZAD JAMMU KASHMIR 169 in 71.4 overs (Ehtesham Qadir 41 not out, Raja Shafa 31, Noman Anwar 28; Najamul Hassan 4-19, Nusrat Khan 3-31, Sherbaz Khan 2-25);

ATTOCK 35-1 in 14 overs (Nusrat Khan 18; Arsalan 1-8).

Our Sports Reporter adds from Karachi: Promising batsman Faraz Patel struck 90 but his side Zone-VII finished with a moderate total of 189 in 69.4 overs against Zone-IV in the Karachi region fixture at Asifabad Sports Complex.

By stumps, Zone-IV were 81 for three in 27.5 overs.

Apart from Faraz, who hit 10 boundaries, Khurram Ibrahim contributed 45, laced with seven fours.

Slow left-armer Aamir Azam captured four for 23.

In another match at Student Sports Ground, Zone-VI had made 195 for eight in 71 overs against Zone-I.

Meanwhile, there was no play at all in the game featuring Zone-II and Zone-V because of rain.

Summarised scores:

*At Asifabad Sports Complex:

ZONE-VII 189 in 69.4 overs (Faraz Patel 90, Khurram Ibrahim 45, Raheel Waris 24; Aamir Azam 4-23, Mohammad Nadeem 2-26, Mohammad Ali Zafar 2-60);

ZONE-IV 81-3 in 27.5 overs (Aamir Kalim 41; Aamir Junaid 2-27).

*At Student Sports Ground:

ZONE-VI 195-8 in 71 overs (Owais Ahmed Rehmani 40 not out, Rizwan Khan 33, Abdul Samad 30, Danish Alvi 30, Waqas Haroon 24; Asad Butt 3-43, Noman Hussain 2-28) v ZONE-I.

Our Sports Correspondent adds from Lahore: Opener Abid Ali and  Sibtain Raza hammered centuries to help West Zone Blues pile up 305 for eight declared against North Zone Blues in the Lahore region clash at LCCA Ground.

By close of play, North Zone Blues were in deep trouble 43 for four.

Abid, who slammed 111 against East Zone Blues in the previous match,  stroked 14 fours and a six in his 169-ball 105. Sibtain scored exactly 100 off 151 balls, studded with 15 boundaries.

Left-arm pacer Jamshed Ahmed picked up four for 98.

Meanwhile, fine bowling by right-arm pacer Sakhawat Salamat (four for 29) and left-arm paceman Ahsan Raza (three for 19) enabled West Zone Whites to send packing East Zone Blues for 95 in 32.2 overs at Model Town Club Ground in a delayed start because of overnight rain.

West Zone Whites were 15 without loss at stumps.

A fine knock of 97 by opener Shahzad Siddique and three  quick wickets by pacer Asif Ijaz put East Zone Whites in a commanding position against North Zone Whites at Mughalpura Institute Ground.

East Zone Whites made 260 in 65 overs with Shahzad striking 13 fours before falling three runs short of a century.

North Zone Whites, in reply, were struggling at 56 for five in 26.1 overs with Asif taking three for 15.

Summarised scores:

*At LCCA Ground:

WEST ZONE BLUES 305-8 declared in 73.4 overs (Abid Ali  105, Sibtain Raza 100, Wahab Riaz 30, Mohammad Sohail 21; Jamshed Ahmed 4-98);

NORTH ZONE BLUES 43-4 in 22 overs (Yasir Hashim 2-1).

*At Model Town Club Ground:

EAST ZONE BLUES 95 in 32.2 overs (Mohammad Afzal 28; Sakhawat Salamat 4-29, Ahsan Raza 3-19);

WEST ZONE WHITES 15-0 in 3.4 overs.

*At Mughalpura Institute Ground:

EAST ZONE WHITES 260 in 65 overs (Shahzad Siddique 97, Shahid  Khan 51, Atif Ijaz 31, Naeem Arshad 26, Asif Ijaz 20; Shakeel Munir 4-51, Ahmed Liaquat 4-70);

NORTH ZONE WHITES 56-5 in 26.1 overs (Asad Khan 20;  Asif Ijaz 3-15, Naeem Arshad 2-12).

Our Correspondent adds from Hyderabad: Rains disrupted first day’s play of the Hyderabad region game between Badin and Sanghar at Niaz Stadium.

The match eventually started at 3.50pm as rains continued intermittently. The track remained wet as rainwater seep through the covers which had minor holes. The outfield was however dry.

Only 18 overs could be bowled in which Badin scored 38 for three after Sanghar had won the toss.