KARACHI: Sialkot, inspired by sparkling centuries from Ayub Dogar and skipper Mansoor Amjad, made a splendid recovery to reach 273-4 on the opening day of the seventh-round Division One match in the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy National Cricket Championship here on Saturday.

Put into bat by Karachi Blues captain Saeed bin Nasir at the National Stadium, Sialkot found themselves in deep trouble at 48-4 before Ayub and Mansoor came together to add 225 for the ongoing fifth-wicket partnership with both batting on identical scores of 109. Ayub, who hit an unbeaten 107 in the drawn game against National Bank on Wednesday, has so far laced his 186-ball knock with 15 fours and one. Mansoor's 218-ball innings includes 13 boundaries.

Habib Bank, currently second behind leaders Wapda, made a dream start by bowling out ZTBL for 118 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium with ex-Test all-rounder Azhar Mahmood grabbing 5-41 and Younis Khan three for 20.

By stumps, Habib Bank had already taken a 12-run lead as they reached 130-4. Younis scored 32 before becoming left-arm paceman Mohammad Khalil's third wicket of the innings.

PIA made good recovery to make 214 after being reduced to 85-7 by Wapda at the Marghazar Cricket Ground in Islamabad with off-spinner Tahir Khan rescuing them with an undefeated 69. Wapda were 30-1 in reply.

Current Test wicket-keeper Adnan Akmal excelled with five catches to help SNGPL dismiss National Bank for a modest first-innings total of 155 at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad.

Barring opener Nasir Jamshed (40) and skipper Kamran Akmal (31), the National Bank batsmen found the going tough. SNGPL went to stumps at 73-2 in their reply.

Multan's dismal run in the championship continued as they crashed to 81 all out against Faisalabad at the Bahawalpur Cricket Stadium. Although ex-Test paceman Abdur Rauf led from the front with figures of 7-80 in 21 overs, Faisalabad still managed to get 163-9 when play ended for the day.

Rawalpindi were 59-1 after bowling out neighbours Islamabad for 218 at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad.

Fast bowler Sohail Khan, another Test discard, captured 6-53 as Karachi Whites restricted Lahore Ravi to a first-innings tally of 208 in the Division Two encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. The visitors completed a fine day by finishing on 48 without loss.

At the adjacent LCCA Ground, PTV reached 217-5 after opting to bat first against Lahore Shalimar.

Table leaders State Bank were sent packing for 148 after asked to bat first by KRL skipper Mohammad Wasim at the latter's backyard in Rawalpindi. Yasir Arafat claimed 5-53. KRL, in reply, were 78-2.

Left-hander Aqeel Anjum struck an undefeated 115 (194 balls, 19 fours) as Hyderabad progressed to 310-7 after being sent in by Peshawar at the National Cricket Ground in Islamabad.

In the remaining tie, Quetta were all out in the closing overs for 215 against hosts Abbottabad.

Scores on Saturday (day one of four):

Division One:

At National Stadium, Karachi: SIALKOT 273-4 in 83 overs (M. Ayub Dogar 109 not out, Mansoor Amjad 109 not out; Babar Rehman 3-65) v KARACHI BLUES.At Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad: NATIONAL BANK 165 in 48.3 overs (Nasir Jamshed 40; Zulqarnain 3-40, Asad Ali 3-46); SNGPL 73-2 in 19 overs.At Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium: ZTBL 118 in 35.5 overs (Azhar Mahmood 5-41, Younis Khan 3-20); HABIB BANK 130-4 in 35 overs (Younis Khan 32; Mohammad Khalil 3-44).At Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad: PIA 214 in 67 overs (Tahir Khan 69 not out); WAPDA 30-1 in 11 overs.At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: ISLAMABAD 218 in 65.1 overs (Ameer Khan 79, Imad Wasim 46; Rashid Latif 5-77, Sadaf Hussain 3-45); RAWALPINDI 59-1 in 8.2 overs.At Bahawalpur Cricket Stadium: MULTAN 81 in 33.1 overs (Rauf Nazir 4-23, Zeeshan Asif 3-14); FAISALABAD 163-9 in 43 overs (Ahmed Hayat 45 not out; Abdur Rauf 7-80).Division Two:

At Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore: LAHORE RAVI 208 in 62 overs (Zeeshan Ali 66 not out, Mohammad Saad 41; Sohail Khan 6-44); KARACHI WHITES 48-0 in 12 overs.At LCCA Ground, Lahore: PTV 217-5 in 77 overs (Awais Zia 75, Ammar Mahmood 48; Aamir Hayat 3-73) v LAHORE SHALIMAR.At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi: STATE BANK 148 in 44.3 overs (Yasir Arafat 5-53, Rahat Ali 3-36); KRL 78-2 in 21.3 overs.At National Cricket Ground, Islamabad: HYDERABAD 310-7 in 80 overs (Aqeel Anjum 115 not out, Sharjeel Khan 61, Kashif Bhatti 45; Sajjad Ahmed Jr 4-109) v PESHAWAR.At Abbottabad Cricket Stadium: QUETTA 215 in 77 overs (Arun Lal 52, Mohammad Aslam 49; Armaghan Elahi 3-60) v ABBOTTABAD.