KARACHI, Nov 19: The RBS Pentangular Cup fixture between Punjab and the unbeaten NWFP was nicely balanced after the visitors reached 212 for seven in their first innings on the second day of the four-day match at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday.

Younis Khan, the Pakistan batting star, held the NWFP’s innings together after Punjab were bowled out for 265 earlier in the morning.

Younis was batting with 70 as the NWFP closed at 53 runs behind Punjab’s total with three wickets standing.

Younis, who came to the crease with side in some bother at 44 for two, has so far hit six boundaries in his 134-ball knock.

Tailender Aslam Qureshi was the other batsman at crease with three to his name.

Apart from Younis, only left-handed opener Adnan Raees (34) and Shoaib Khan (24) managed to cross the 20-run mark in the NWFP innings.

Mohammad Talha, an upcoming right-arm paceman, was easily the best of Punjab bowlers with four for 54.

Earlier, opener Azhar Ali failed to add to his overnight score of 116 as Punjab collected 27 runs before losing the last two wickets.

Pacers Shakeel-ur-Rehman (4-60) and Nauman Habib (3-63) were the chief wicket-takers for the NWFP.

While the NWFP are already through to the final, the bottom-placed Punjab are almost out of reckoning since Federal Areas were poised to reach the final after taking command of their match against fellow-contenders Balochistan in Islamabad.

Scoreboard

Punjab (1st Innings, overnight 238-8):

Mohammad Hafeez c Zulfiqar b Nauman 12

Azhar Ali c Zulfiqar b Shakeel 116

Umar Akmal c Zulfiqar b Nauman 4

Mansoor Amjad c Zulfiqar b Nauman 29

Ayub Dogar c Shoaib b Shakeel 8

Khurram Shahzad b Shakeel 13

Mohammad Salman b Younis 8

Abdur Rehman c Riffat b Aslam 10

Wahab Riaz c Adnan b Junaid 19

Mohammad Talha c Junaid b Shakeel 25

Mohammad Khalil not out 5

EXTRAS (LB-12, W-4) 16

TOTAL (all out, 77.3 overs) 265

FALL OF WKTS: 1-23, 2-29, 3-90, 4-107, 5-121, 6-151, 7-168, 8-218, 9-240.

BOWLING: Nauman Habib 21-4-63-3; Shakeel-ur-Rehman 21.3-8-60-4 (4w); Junaid Khan 21-2-74-1; Younis Khan 2-0-3-1; Aslam Qureshi 12-1-53-1.

NWFP (1st Innings):

Yasir Hameed c Salman b Talha 11

Adnan Raees c Salman b Khalil 34

Riffatullah Mohmand c Hafeez b Talha 6

Younis Khan not out 70

Shoaib Khan b Talha 24

Aftab Ahmed b Mansoor 14

Zulfiqar Jan c Salman b Khalil 2

Shakeel-ur-Rehman c Rehman b Talha 13

Aslam Qureshi not out 3

EXTRAS (B-7, LB-8, W-8, NB-12) 35

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 63 overs) 212

FALL OF WKTS: 1-35, 2-44, 3-71, 4-138, 5-161, 6-166, 7-201.

TO BAT: Nauman Habib, Junaid Khan.

BOWLING (to-date): Mohammad Khalil 17.4-1-77-2 (4nb, 6w); Mohammad Talha 18-1-54-4 (7nb); Wahab Riaz 11-2-35-0; Abdur Rehman 11-3-17-0; Mansoor Amjad 3-0-11-1 (1nb); Mohammad Hafeez 2.2-0-3-0.