Waqar helps Karachi Blues dismiss Faisalabad for 252

KARACHI: Waqar Anwar picked 4-58 to enable Karachi Blues to dismiss Faisalabad for 252 in their first innings on the first day of their four-day Group A match of the Inter-Region qualifiers for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy here at the Southend Club Ground on Thursday.
After being invited to bat first, Faisalabad Region were bundled out in 65.4 overs.
Waqas Wasif struck 66 with eight fours. He added 77 runs for the fourth wicket with Asif Ali, who hammered 59 with ten boundaries.
Imran Ali smacked 38 with five fours. Atif Manzoor made 24.
Waqar Anwar was ably backed by Noor Wali with figures of 3-43. Left-arm spinner Faraz Ahmed Khan grabbed 2-65.
Karachi were 57-1 at stumps. Ramiz Raja was at the crease on 35 in which he had hit seven fours. Saud Shakeel banged three boundaries in his unbeaten 19.
Behram Khan (1) was removed by Zahoor Khan.
In the other Group A show, here at the NBP Sports Complex, FATA staged 362-8 in their first innings against Abbottabad.
Khushdil Shah hammered spectacular 95 off 165 deliveries which featured one six and 14 fours. He added 122 for the fifth wicket with Haroon Sadaqat, who hammered 74 off 106 balls which had nine boundaries.
Almar Khan Afridi made 40 off 94 balls, striking four fours and a six.
Saifullah was the pick of the bowlers with 3-79, while Shakeel Ahmed captured 2-50.
Eight regional teams have been placed in two groups and the winners of each group will make it to the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy.
This is the first time that the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to hold qualifiers. The status of the qualifiers is non-first-class.
In the departmental round, at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, Karachi Port Trust (KPT) posted 347 against Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) thanks to Faisal Khan’s splendid 168.
Skipper Mohammad Hasan made 44. Nabeel Malik (41) and Ahmad Iqbal (30) were the other distinguished contributors.
Saeed Anwar Junior and Mohammad Abbas claimed three wickets each.
KRL will begin their first innings on Friday (today).
Two leading sides from the six-team departmental round will qualify for the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy at the end of the league round.