KARACHI: Defending champions Zone VI (North Nazimabad-Orangi) started with an emphatic 10-wicket victory, as their opening round three-day match of the 2008-09 National Inter-District Senior Karachi Region Cricket Championship ended here at the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) Stadium on Thursday.

Zone VI comfortably defeated Zone VII (Nazimabad-Asifabad) after making 395 runs for eight wickets in their allotted 83 overs in the first innings. Wicket-keeper Javed Mansoor was their main scorer with an unbeaten 109 at number seven, made off a mere 95 balls in a little over two and a half hours with nine fours and a six.

Opener Fazal Subhan had earlier made 75 runs to be followed by Fahadullah Khan’s 78 off 93 balls with eight fours and three sixes. Skipper Adnan Kaleem hit 40 while Misbah Khan contributed 50 runs at number nine off just 51 balls with four fours and a six.

Off-spinner Tabish Nawab with figures of 3-36 and 4-60 was Zone VI’s most successful bowler, as Zone VII were dismissed for 173 and 236 in their two innings. Zone VI eventually needed only 15 runs to win.

Scores: Zone VII 173 in 52.5 overs (Adnan Ahmed 33, Asad Iqbal 37; Tabish Nawab 3-36, Misbah Khan 3-38, Adnan Kaleem 3-43) and 236 in 70.2 overs (Owais Rehmani 62, Adnan Ahmed 35, Afsar Nawaz 44, Babar Agha 45; Tabish Nawab 4-60). Zone VI 395-8 in 83 overs (Fazal Subhan 75, Fahadullah Khan 78, Javed Mansoor 109*, Adnan Kaleem 40, Misbah Khan 50; Junaid Naeem 3-80) and 15-0 in 3.2 overs.

Zone VI will now play their second round, three-day non-first-class match against Zone III at the same venue from Saturday (July 5) to Monday. On the same three days, Zone VII wil face Zone II at the TMC Ground.