KARACHI: Already having qualified for the tournament final, defending champions Sialkot restricted Islamabad to a first innings score of 207 for nine in the allotted 83 overs, on the opening day of their sixth round, Pool A 2008-09 National Inter-Region Under-19 Three-day Cricket Championship match, at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad on Saturday.

After they were put in first, Islamabad had crashed to a poor 28 runs for five wickets when wicket-keeper Umair Mir walked in. He missed a hundred by just one run, but helped lift Islamabad to 171 although three more wickets had fallen by then.

The left-handed Umair, who represented Pakistan at the Under-19 World Cup in Malaysia in February earlier this year, batted for four hours 10 minutes, negotiating 220 balls for 99 runs and hit 13 fours.

With Mohammad Ijaz, 30, his sixth-wicket stand was worth 75 runs. Earlier, pace bowlers Mohammad Abbas (4-70) and skipper Bilawal Bhatti (2-50) had made early inroads into the Islamabad batting.

Islamabad are currently placed at rock bottom in the seven-team Pool A table. Of their previous four matches, they have lost one and drawn three.

At the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground in Lahore yesterday, Abbottabad were dismissed for a mere 108 runs by Lahore Ravi in another Pool A match. However, 18 wickets fell during the day as the Lahore team were down to 139-8 by the close in reply.

They have gained a first innings lead of 31 runs though with two wickets still in hand. Lahore Ravi are placed at number three in the table, but have no opportunity to qualify for the final. Abbottabad are at number six.

Having won the toss, Abbottabad batted first and were undone by Lahore’s pace bowlers. Azhar Attari captured five wickets for 48 runs in 16 overs while the left-armed Abdul Ghaffar took 5-29 in 10.5 overs.

Only one Abbottabad batsman crossed 20, Fawad Malook getting 26 at number seven, off 56 balls with a solitary boundary.

Lahore’s second-wicket stand produced 51 runs, with opener Jumma Khan getting 33 off 52 balls with five fours and a six. The next seven wickets then crashed for the addition of just 43 runs to make it 96 for eight.

Siddiq Khan, who came in at number three, has held the fort though with an unbeaten 58 off 140 balls in almost four hours of batting with six fours. His unbroken ninth-wicket partnership with Salman Afzal, 17 not out, has so far been worth 43 runs.

Abbottabad’s left-arm medium-fast bowler Ikramullah Khan was devastating, as he has captured six wickets for 41 runs in 17 overs.

With the programme in the six-team Pool B having come to an end, Rawalpindi have qualified from there for the final.

Scores: Islamabad 207-9 in 93 overs (Mohammad Ijaz 30, Umair Mir 99; Mohammad Abbas 4-70) v Sialkot.

Abbottabad 108 in 31.5 overs (Azhar Attari 5-48, Abdul Ghaffar 5-29). Lahore Ravi 139-8 in 49 overs (Jumma Khan 33, Siddiq Khan 58*; Ikramullah Khan 6-41).