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The year has only just started, and it’s already all change at Chelsea.

New Year’s Day saw the news of Enzo Maresca’s departure break, and then within a week, Liam Rosenior was announced as his permanent replacement.

The former Strasbourg boss has quite the job on his hands for the rest of the season, as while the squad is hugely talented, the side is currently three points off fourth in the Premier League.

Fortunately, the transfer window is now open, and if BlueCo act quickly, they could land Rosenior someone who’d be Chelsea’s best signing since Moises Caicedo.

Chelsea should move for Caicedo-level signing

While Chelsea do have a squad full of talented players, including Reece James, Cole Palmer, Enzo Fernández and Caicedo, there are still some areas that need serious work.

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For example, even though the likes of Jamie Gittens and Alejandro Garnacho could come good, some fans would argue they could do with upgrading at some point, as could the two striker signings the club made in the summer.

However, another area of the squad that perhaps needs the most immediate attention is the defence, specifically at centre-back.

Therefore, it would make sense for the Blues to target someone who could help come in and make that area of the pitch far stronger.

There are likely several defenders Chelsea are currently looking at from across the footballing world, but if BlueCo really want to give Rosenior the best chance of succeeding this season and beyond, they should go all out for Marc Guehi.

The West Londoners have been linked with the Englishman plenty of times before, like in the summer last year.

However, there are two potential hurdles to any deal: Liverpool and Manchester City’s reported interest, and the fact that Crystal Palace would demand a hefty fee to sell him this month.

According to reports from earlier this month, the Eagles could demand as much as, if not more than £35m but if they wait until the summer and no one else acquires his signature, he will be available on a free transfer.

Why Guehi could be Chelsea's best signing since Caicedo

There are two primary reasons why Guehi could end up being Chelsea’s best signing since Caicedo, and the first, as mentioned above, is down to the team’s current weakness at the back.

For example, as things stand, the Blues have conceded 22 goals in the league alone, and while that isn’t terrible, it’s eight more than the league leaders, four more than Manchester City and even three more than Sunderland.

So, if Rosenior could come in and help sure up the back, there is every chance that the Blues could find themselves rapidly closing in on Pep Guardiola’s juggernaut once more.

Therefore, the player who helps make that become a reality would surely be one of the club’s best signings in a very long time.

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Now, stepping back from the team’s defensive record this season, the other reason Guehi could be a Caicedo-type signing is the simple fact that he is an immensely talented player.

On top of being vastly experienced in the Premier League and being a vital player for England, he played a crucial role in Palace winning their first significant honour in their history last season.

Moreover, his underlying numbers prove that on top of being rock solid at the back, he’s no slouch with the ball at his feet.

Guehi’s Scout Report

Statistics

Per 90

Percentile

npxG + xAG

0.19

Top 4%

Goal-Creating Actions

0.32

Top 4%

Goals + Assists

0.21

Top 6%

Switches

0.95

Top 6%

Penalty Kicks Won

0.05

Top 6%

Progressive Carries

1.21

Top 7%

Progressive Passes

5.42

Top 7%

Shot-Creating Actions

1.42

Top 7%

Assists

0.11

Top 10%

Passes into Penalty Area

0.42

Top 10%

Ball Recoveries

4.47

Top 10%

Key Passes

0.47

Top 15%

Passes into Final Third

5.05

Top 15%

All Stats via FBref

According to FBref, the 6 foot “monster,” as dubbed by journalist Bobby Manzi, ranks in the top 4% of centre-backs in the Premier League for non-penalty expected goals plus assists, the top 6% for switches, the top 7% for progressive carries and passes, the top 10% for ball recoveries and more, all per 90.

Ultimately, while it would be a difficult deal to get over the line, Chelsea should do all they can to sign Guehi, as he could be their best purchase since Caicedo.

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Posts ByJack Salveson Holmes

A midfield revolution is coming at Manchester United. The Red Devils need more bodies in the middle of the park, especially if Ruben Amorim decides to stick with the 4-3-3 formation he deployed for 45 minutes against Newcastle United.

Either way, there is a clear need to add more options in midfield. Kobbie Mainoo’s immediate future is still up in the air, and Manuel Ugarte has not shown the levels required to play at the highest level for United.

Casemiro has yet to sign a one-year contract extension, which Amoirm confirmed in a press conference last week.

When United do inevitably sign a midfielder, it seems as though they will come from within the Premier League.

United want to sign Premier League midfielder

There are already some strong links which suggest United will spend a lot of money on a new midfielder. Two of those reports name England midfield duo Elliot Anderson and Adam Wharton as potential targets for the Red Devils.

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However, a new report from the highly regarded Fabrizio Romano has once again linked United to Brighton and Hove Albion midfielder Carlos Baleba.

The journalist, speaking on his Youtube channel, said that “internal talks at the club have not stopped discussing” a move for the Cameroonian star, who has been an INEOS target since the summer.

Romano explains that the Red Devils “remain in contact with people close to the player,” suggesting INEOS will pounce as soon as a move becomes a real possibility.

Of course, this deal wouldn’t be cheap, with United needing to break their transfer record and spend £100m to sign Baleba.

Why Baleba could be the next Pogba

21-year-old Baleba’s quality in midfield is undeniable. He has struggled for consistency this term on the South Coast, but is still an excellent player at his best, described as a “beast” in midfield by football scout Antonio Mango.

Indeed, this season has been a tougher one under Fabian Hurzeler. The Brighton manager has only given Baleba a full 90 minutes in the Premier League once, with the midfielder playing 903 minutes across 16 games.

Don’t let the fact that he hasn’t played as much this term deceive you, though. His importance and quality were highlighted in the 2024/25 campaign, as he made 34 Premier League appearances and played 90 minutes in 17 of them.

He also scored three goals, including this stunning hit against West Ham United.

His numbers from last term are also impressive.

The former Lille player showed his quality on the ball, averaging 1.2 take-ons per 90 minutes, and also how destructive he is without possession, making 6.7 ball recoveries each game.

Baleba key stats in 24/25 PL

Stat

Per 90 mins

Season total

Forward passes

10

296

Take-ons completed

1.2

33

Duels won

6.8

199

Interceptions

1.6

46

Ball recoveries

6.7

197

Stats from Squawka

If United are to sign Baleba, it will smash their transfer record, which is currently the £89m fee they spent on Paul Pogba back in 2016.

Of course, the Frenchman had moments of magic at United despite struggling with injuries throughout his stint at the club.

In that second spell at Old Trafford, the Carrington graduate made 226 appearances for the club. He scored 39 times and assisted 51, helping the club win the Europa League and the Carabao Cup.

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He was one of the finest midfielders around, largely thanks to his incredible technical ability.

Interestingly, Baleba has previously identified the 2018 World Cup winner as his “number one” idol growing up. The similarities go further than two players who would be United’s record signing, though.

The pair are both powerful ball carriers in midfield, able to collect the ball in deeper areas and progress it through the lines. As he showed last season, the Cameroonian star has an eye for a spectacular goal, like Pogba has done so often across his career.

There is no doubt that £100m is a huge investment for INEOS and United. However, they are looking to refresh their midfield, and Baleba could be the perfect option to help Amorim’s side in this revolution.

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Group A

Naumnaullah and Shahid Yousuf scored centuries as National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) set Pakistan Customs a steep target of 410 runs to attain an improbable win on the final day of the eighth round at the NBP Sports Complex. After having gained a slender 23-run first-innings lead over their opponents, NBP hammered 386 for the loss of only three wickets in their second innings and had Customs struggling at 52 for two at close. Naumanullah, fresh from his century in each innings during the previous match against Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) at the same venue, scored his third hundred in succession and fourth in the tournament. His 136 came off 223 balls with 12 fours and a six while Yousuf’s unbeaten 125 took 212 deliveries with the help of seven fours and four sixes. Customs face a daunting task of improving on their first-innings total considerably – where only three of their batsmen reached double figures – to save the match.Hyderabad set up the prospects of their first win of the tournament when they gave third-placed WAPDA an improbable target of 458 runs to win at Niaz Stadium. After having gained a big 167 run first-innings lead over WAPDA, bottom placed Hyderabad scored 290 for five in their second innings with vital contributions from all batsmen before declaring. Faisal Athar top scored with 92. At close, WAPDA were six for no loss in reply.Table leaders Habib Bank Limited (HBL) were left with a modest target of 132 runs for victory by Multan at the Multan Cricket Stadium after having dismissed the hosts for 196 in their second innings. A disastrous start saw Multan lose their first three wickets for only ten runs and, having stabilised in the middle with three 30-plus scores, lost their last four wickets for 12 runs. At close, the HBL openers had reduced the target by seven runs without being separated.Sialkot played well to claim a first-innings lead of 18 even after losing their last five wickets for 37 runs while chasing Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC)‘s 269 at Jinnah Stadium. Sohail Khan picked up three of the last wickets to finish with figures of five for 86 – and took his tournament tally to 43 – as SSGC scored 74 for one in their second innings.Karachi Whites opening batsman Asad Shafiq was unbeaten on 197 against Faisalabad as the tourists replied with a 330 for five at Iqbal Stadium. With only one more day to go, a draw looked certain on the card although the Karachi team still need another 170 runs to overhaul the home team’s total. Asad, who scored a century on his first-class debut in October, scored his second century of his career as no other Karachi batsmen, bar his opening partner Khalid Latif, contributed much.

Group B

With only one day remaining in the match at the KRL Stadium, Karachi Blues still required another 187 runs to attain a first-innings lead over KRL after having gone into close at 217 for seven. Resuming at their overnight 347 for five in a rain-stricken encounter, KRL declared at 403 for seven soon after Bilal Asad had reached his half-century. In reply, most of Karachi’s batsmen got starts but didn’t go on to make big scores as only Shadab Kabir (54), Karachi’s captain, wicker-keeper Mohammad Masroor (56) scored half-centuries.Table leaders Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) may eventually have to settle for only the three first-innings lead points as Lahore Shalimarreached 315 for six at the Gaddafi Stadium. Facing a huge PIA total of 564 for five declared, most Lahore batsmen got among the runs and a 101-run fifth-wicket partnership between Suleman Khan and Ali Raza proved significant. Suleman top scored with 82 off 137 balls with 12 fours while Ali Raza’s unbeaten 60 has come off 102 balls with seven boundaries.At the Arbab Niaz Stadium, hosts Peshawar had Quetta following-on after being dismissed for 143 in reply to Peshawar’s 307. Quetta, however, fared better in their second innings through an unbroken 88-run third-wicket partnership between Hameedullah Khan (40) and Samiullah Agha (61) as they went into close 46 runs behind Peshawar.In the rain-hit match at the Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) declared at 326 for nine, looking for at least the first-innings lead points against Rawalpindi.They had lost six wickets with only 154 runs before a seventh-wicket stand of 93 between Faisal Naved (80) and Zohaib Khan (53 not out) rescued them. Rawalpindi replied with 22 for one by close.

Live scorecard and ball-by-ball commentary

Kevin Pietersen feels the pain as he’s struck by Glenn McGrath © Getty Images

Australia’s perfect home summer continued with England’s tour of woe as Adam Gilchrist and Ricky Ponting set up a crushing eight-wicket victory in the opening CB Series game. If England expected any relief after the Ashes whitewash and the Twenty20 demolition they were severely disappointed and they managed to leave the MCG with more severe bruises.Kevin Pietersen felt the most pain after receiving a cracked rib from Glenn McGrath, which ruled him out of the rest of the series, and Andrew Flintoff suffered further on a demoralising trip by giving up 11 runs of wides in the opening over of their defence.The Australian team does not need such generous donations and Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden piled on the misery during a 101-run opening stand that ended in the 16th over. Despite picking up both openers quickly, England barely had time to celebrate their minor achievements before Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke fulfilled their roles in an unbeaten 125-run partnership that earned the success with 4.4 overs remaining. The result continues their impressive winning streak over the past two months and gives Michael Vaughan an understanding of what lies ahead.Vaughan won the toss in his first ODI for 18 months as he returned from a serious knee injury, but it was one of the few highs during a disappointing contest. “When it rains it pours,” Vaughan said. Pietersen made a courageous half-century and England reached 8 for 242 with help from Flintoff, who returned to form to belt 47 from 38 balls. England’s best player of the Test series continued his strong performances, but Pietersen’s desire to dominate McGrath led to the end of his tour.Attempting to force the pace, Pietersen was on 73 when he charged the bowler – it was a popular tactic during the Ashes – and attempted to swivel the ball to the legside. He missed, was almost bent in half by the impact and collapsed to the ground out of his crease. He returned to safety swiftly, spent a couple of minutes with the team medical staff and was taken for a scan after his dismissal that revealed more bad news.The blow troubled him as he continued his innings and he fell to a slightly mistimed heave to deep mid-on for 82 from 91 balls. Pietersen arrived with England needing a boost after Vaughan’s departure for an encouraging 26 and he provided it once he settled. He registered his fifty with a six over mid-off from White, who he later pounded for two rope clearances in consecutive balls, and combined with Paul Collingwood (43) for a crucial 95-run partnership from the discomfort of 3 for 73.Flintoff built on their gains with a bright contribution after struggling during the Tests. With Vaughan in charge he was able to relax with the bat, although he did not enjoy the same feeling with the ball. While Nathan Bracken’s three wickets and two each to McGrath and Mitchell Johnson combined for a fine home-team performance, England struggled from the opening exchanges.It was Flintoff who had a strong say in his side’s early lack of direction when he started the second innings with a spray of 11 runs, none of which came from the bat. His first ball was a wide and another two went for five wides when they were not intercepted by Paul Nixon, the debutant wicketkeeper.Australia were showing off a new uniform in baggy-green colours and the opening batsmen made sure the first outing was as successful as the previous five Tests under the famous cap. Gilchrist and Hayden sped away during the stand that quickly downgraded England’s total from testing to easy.Gilchrist pounded a string of boundaries in front of the wicket during his 60 – the six he launched over long-on off Flintoff was the best – as England’s hopes of a first win drowned. Benefiting from sloppy early bowling, Gilchrist took advantage while the start was slower for Hayden, who returned to the team after missing the Champions Trophy when Shane Watson was preferred.Hayden edged Monty Panesar on 28 and Gilchrist finished with seven fours from his 61 balls in an innings that ended when he nicked Jamie Dalrymple. Ponting made sure the loss of his two frontmen was barely a blip and he eased the side to victory with an impressive 82 off 96 balls. Clarke’s 57 not out was a useful contribution alongside his captain as a new tournament started with an old result.

Derbyshire have named Graeme Welch as their new captain for the 2006 season. Welch replaces Luke Sutton, who left the club at the end of last season to join Lancashire.Welch, 33, takes over the reins of a club whose fortunes last season could hardly have been worse, finishing bottom of the Championship. Welch, though, remains optimistic for the team’s prospects in 2006.”I am very proud to have been asked to lead the side in what we see as a new era for the club,” he said. “While we struggled last season we also showed some signs of promise for the future. With the young players we have coming through and the excellent signings we have made, we are confident of making real progress in 2006.”Derbyshire had hoped to sign Justin Langer, but the Australian batsman turned down the offer in November. However, Welch will have the services of two experienced Test batsmen after Mohammad Yousuf and Jacques Rudolph signed deals for 2006. The Tasmanian batsman, Michael di Venuto, will be Welch’s deputy.

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Tatenda Taibu celebrates a superb maiden hundred© AFP

Tatenda Taibu’s maiden Test hundred gave Zimbabwe a great chance of winning the second Test and leveling the series after four days of the second Test at Dhaka. But Bangladesh’s openers launched a brave fightback in the final session and were in a good position to save the game, and maybe even post an unlikely win. At the close, Bangladesh were 98 for 0, needing another 276 for victory.Taibu’s 153, which could yet prove be a match-winning one, spanned 292 balls and included 19 fours and two glorious sixes and put Zimbabwe in a position to win the match. It was particularly special as he rescued the team from a dangerous position – they were struggling at 37 for 4 on the third day – and displayed a wonderful range of strokes once he reached his hundred. It was fitting he reached his century with a sweep, his most productive stroke of the innings, before cutting loose. He swept and pulled Enamul for two sixes and lofted effortlessly over the infield. Bangladesh were handicapped by the availability of only three frontline bowlers with Mashrafe Mortaza picking up a hamstring injury.Douglas Hondo contributed only 3 in a 65-run stand for the ninth wicket but it was a valuable knock as Taibu toyed with the bowlers and regularly jumped out of the crease while facing the medium pacers. In the last over before lunch, Enamul had Hondo caught at short leg but by then Zimbabwe had a healthy lead. Enamul, the star in the series for Bangladesh, then snapped up Taibu’s wicket to finish with 12 in the match and a third successive five-wicket haul.

Enamul Haque took 5 for 105 and finished with 12 wickets in the match© AFP

Set 374 – only three sides have scored more to win a Test – Javed Omar and Nafis Iqbal set them on their way with an unbeaten 98-run opening stand, a Bangladesh record. They were helped by the superb state of the pitch which has got better for batting throughout – few balls kept low and the batsmen were free to play off the back foot. And Omar and Nafis easily negotiated the turn that the spinners extracted thanks to the slowness of the pitch.Both openers dug in deep as runs came at an dreadfully slow rate. Nafis, playing the best innings of his short career, dealt with every ball on merit. Both negotiated a tricky 23-over phase before tea, when they added 36, and Omar survived a lucky reprieve when he was on 5 when Hamilton Masakadza grassed a straightforward chance at first slip off Chris Mpofu. Soon after he survived two extremely close lbw shouts and escaped a close run-out chance.Taibu shuffled his seamers after tea but the batsmen were up to the challenge. Nafis grew in confidence as his innings progresses and soon opened up as he pierced the cover region with a couple of wonderful drives. Graeme Cremer and Stuart Matsikenyeri, the two spinners, didn’t make too much of an impact with the batsmen taking no risks and Nafis soon brought up his third fifty in Tests by lofting one over widish long-on.Taibu grew increasingly desperate, trying eight bowlers to break the partnership but for the first time in this Test, Bangladesh dominated an entire session. Both batsmen played out 57 overs either side of tea and any one of four results is possible on what should be a fascinating final day.

South Africa’s one-day squad got down to work this afternoon when they practised at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore ahead of Wednesday’s floodlit match against the City Nazim XI. After a 36-hour journey from Johannesburg and the effects of jet-lag, it was a deliberately low-key session.”They were probably between 70 and 80% of optimum capacity, which is fine at this early stage of the trip,” said Eric Simons, the coach. “But it’s going to be a really tough tour, so we will be winding up the pace over the next few days.”For some, like Boeta Dippenaar, the session offered a first taste of the conditions so peculiar to these parts. “The nets were superb, flat and a decent pace, the ball came on to the bat very nicely, I hope they are the same in the middle.”The bowlers all had brief spells of target bowling as they eased themselves back into the different lines and lengths demanded on pitches of such benign nature. Alan Dawson, who won the Man of the Series award in the ODI series in Bangladesh in April, enjoyed his first outdoor net since playing against England in July.”The winter in Cape Town is good for business, but not great for outdoor practice,” said Dawson, who is a professional landscape gardener. But with pace variation a prime weapon on the subcontinent, Dawson was pleased with his control. “Yes, it came out really well today – particularly the slower ball, which is good news.”Simons is hoping to get the go-ahead to use all 14 players on a rotation basis in the warm-up match. “It’s not the best way to prepare for a major international game, but time and circumstances mean that we need to give everyone a fair crack in the middle so that they can all make the necessary adjustments in batting and bowling disciplines. These are very different conditions from those we experienced in England.”The City Nazim XI is made up of Lahore-based players with a sprinkling of international experience. Misbah-ul-Haq will captain the team, although the batsman Faisal Iqbal is the only member of the current Pakistan ODI squad who will play tomorrow. The opening match of the series is on Friday under the lights at the Gaddafi Stadium.

Victorian batsman Brad Hodge feared he had suffered a broken cheekbone after being struck a vicious blow in the face while fielding in the Bushrangers’ Pura Cup match against South Australia here today.Hodge sent a major scare into the Victorian camp when he collapsed at third slip with his face bloodied after failing to pick up a regulation edge from Redbacksopener Ben Johnson.After having a 5cm gash under his right eye stitched in the rooms, Hodge was taken to hospital where X-rays revealed no structural damage and he will batsometime during Victoria’s first innings tomorrow.Hodge’s error turned into a costly miss for the Victorians as Johnson, on 23 at the time, went on to carry his bat in making 138 not out in the Redbacks’ first innings of 229.But it could have had far more serious implications for Hodge.Considered an outside chance of forcing his way into the Australian side for the upcoming tri series against New Zealand and South Africa, Hodge intially feared he had suffered a potentially season-ending injury.”It could have been a lot worse,” Hodge admitted after escaping with a black eye and headache to go with the stitches.”I knew it got me somewhere around the eye and I thought with the way the eye is structured, I might have chipped a bone under the eye.”Relieved at not having sustained a serious injury, Hodge was at a loss as to how he came to lose sight of the ball.One of Victoria’s best slip fielders, he had already taken a more difficult chance at third slip to remove opener Jeff Vaughan.He admitted he saw Johnson’s edge initially fly off the bat but then lost the ball in transit.”I’m not sure what happened. All I know is I found myself on the ground,” he said.”I just thought I was going to catch it once I saw it (the edge) off the bat.”

A freer dressing room culture and a renewed focus on fitness helped improve Sri Lanka’s fielding in the recent series against West Indies, interim head coach Jerome Jayaratne said.Slipping fielding standards had been a major area of concern for Sri Lanka in 2015. In January, captain Angelo Mathews had said the team’s poor catching cost them the Wellington Test match, before Sri Lanka’s fielding drew yet more criticism during the World Cup, most notably from then-chief selector Sanath Jayasuriya. Chances continued to be spilt during mid-year series against Pakistan and India, but the team has been credited with a better fielding performance against West Indies. Jayaratne said giving players freedom to make mistakes was vital in bringing change.”I said I was going to bring in a policy at the beginning of the series, which was to try and catch even half-chances,” Jayaratne said. “I don’t care whether you drop catches and any dropped catch will not be discussed hereafter. The players started to believe in themselves and were not afraid to drop anything. They gave it their best shot.”Jayaratne said the dressing room atmosphere was “not all that good” when he took over as head coach. “The root of it was they were scared to drop catches. When I spoke to them individually, they preferred the catch going to the next man, rather than to them. Tillakaratne Dilshan likes the ball coming to him and he enjoys fielding. If you don’t find the means to psychologically enjoy fielding, you will never be a good fielder.”Sri Lanka earned their first trophies this year with big victories in the Test and ODI series against West Indies, but the upcoming away tour to New Zealand shapes as a key test for a transitioning team, and as an audition for its acting coach. Players have spoken out in support of Jayaratne so far, and the board is presently considering extending his tenure until the end of the World T20 in April. If the upcoming series go well, Sri Lanka Cricket may consider keeping Jayaratne in the role permanently.”The New Zealand tour will be a very stiff test for us,” Jayaratne said. “New Zealand have been playing good cricket from about a couple of years. It’s good for us especially to play under their conditions. It will show what our guys are made of at the moment.”The selection panel, headed by Kapila Wijegunawardene, have also shifted focus to the New Zealand series, which Wijegunawardene described as a “watershed tour”. He said the West Indies series had helped settle a new Test XI, but hinted the selectors would consider their options for the No. 3 position vacated by Kumar Sangakkara. Lahiru Thirimanne had earlier been groomed to take up that role, but has had a mediocre Test record so far.”What we planned earlier for the No. 3 spot is not quite working out the way we anticipated,” Wijegunawardene said. “We will be open to making a few experiments in that position to see who best needs to be slotted in there. We’re going through some of the performances from the ‘A’ team. There is some element of risk which is being forced on us when trying to identify the right player for the line-up.” Wijegunawardene named Udara Jayasundera, Kithuruwan Vithanage and Kusal Mendis as the players they have in mind for the spot.Thirimanne is not being discarded altogether from the Test set-up, however. “It’s a matter of getting his confidence back for Thirimanne. It can happen to every player now and again. He needs to work on his technical flaws and get his confidence back,” Wijegunawardene said.

Group A

Khalid Latif, the former Pakistan Under-19 captain, made his way to a career-best 153 as Karachi Whites posted 391 against Multan at the UBL Sports Complex. Latif was at the crease for close to nine-and-a-half hours and faced 449 balls, hitting 11 fours and three sixes. Latif was able to extend his overnight score of 70 with the help of wicketkeeper Javed Mansoor (40), with whom he added 90 runs for the sixth wicket. By the close of play, Multan had lost the Tariq brothers – Hammad and Usman, for the addition of 29 runs.At the Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad, at 227 for 8, still needed 18 more runs to claim the first-innings lead against Hyderabad. They were led by skipper Ijaz Ahmed jnr, who scored 72 off 176 balls, with seven fours. Left-arm spinner Pir Zulfiqur ensured that Hyderabad were kept in the hunt with figures of 4 for 50.Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) bowled out group leaders Habib Bank Limited (HBL) for 138 to claim the first-innings lead at the Sheikhupura Stadium. Kashif Raza, the right-arm medium-pacer, took 5 for 55 and was assisted by seamer Azharullah, who had figures of 3-30, as three top-order batsmen from HBL fell without scoring. Opener Rafatullah Mohmand scored 52 off 138 balls, and along with captain Hasan Raza (32)and Humayun Farhat (23), ensured that HBL went past the 100-run mark. Earlier, WAPDA could only add four runs to their overnight first-innings score to be bowled out for 194; left-arm spinner Mohammad Aslam finishing with 5 for 28. By the close of play, WAPDA had stumbled to 46 for 3, but more importantly, extended their lead to 102.Lahore Ravi were propelled to 371 after a maiden first-class hundred from Waqas Ahmed, who put the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) bowlers to the sword at the Lahore Country Club. Waqas, the No. 9 batsman, resuming on his overnight score of 54, smashed his way to 114 off 79 balls with 13 fours and four sixes. SSGC made a positive reply, reaching 169 for 3 when stumps were drawn. Opener Asif Zakir was still at the crease, unbeaten on 90 off 167 balls.At the Jinnah Stadium, Pakistan Customs reached 80 for no loss to even out the first-innings lead gained by Sialkot. Opener Usman Ahmed, with 63 not out, led the Customs’ response after Sialkot had scored 225 in their first innings to claim an 80-run lead. Faisal Khan (66) and wicketkeeper Khalid Mahmood, who scored 55 off just 53 balls, were the best Sialkot batsman on view.

Group B

Abbottabad, relying on an unbeaten 78 from Riaz Kail, reached 198 for 4 in response to Karachi Blues’ 363 at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Kail was involved in a 94-run fourth-wicket stand with captain Adnan Raees (42) after Abbottabad had lost their first three wickets for 67 runs. Earlier, Karachi Blues added 91 runs to their overnight score, with 41 of those runs scored by the left-handed opener Shadab Khabir (167). Abbottabad’s left-arm spinner, Noor-ul-Amin, had a satisfying outing, finishing with figures of 5 for 131 as the last six Blues wickets fell for the addition of 83 runs.Pakistan International Airlines had Islamabad reeling at 88 for 6 after declaring at 404 for 8 at the Diamond Cricket Club Ground. The wrecker-in-chief from PIA was seamer Aizaz Cheema, who took 4 for 11. Cheema was supported by Fazl-e-Akbar, who had figures of 2 for 29. Earlier, PIA, riding on useful knocks by Shoaib Khan snr (76), Anwar Ali (74), and Fahad Iqbal (41), managed to extend their overnight score, which stood at 214 for 3.At the Mirpur Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi had Lahore Shalimar in trouble at 92 for 5 after scoring 284 in their first innings. Earlier, Lahore opening bowler Mohammad Naved took 6 for 91 to bowl out Rawalpindi. When they resume tomorrow, Lahore will need 43 more runs to make Rawalpindi bat again.Khurram Shehzad’s heroics enabled Sui Northern Gas Pipeline Limited (SNGPL) to reach 298 from their overnight score of 52 for 5 and claim a 140-run lead against Peshawar at the Arbab Niaz Stadium. Shehzad powered his way to 166, his maiden first-class hundred, a knock which contained 24 fours and two sixes. By the close of play, Peshawar had crashed to 64 for 4, still needing 76 runs to avoid defeat.Quetta posted 460 after resuming on their overnight score of 200 for 5 against Zarai Taraiqiati Bank Limited at the Khan Research Laboratory Ground. After Jalat Khan (75) fell early on the second day, some solid batting from Arun Lal (68) and a 83-run ninth-wicket partnership between Naseer Khan (52) and wicketkeeper Sanaullah Khan (50 not out) ensured that Quetta extended their score. ZTBL were eight for no loss when stumps were drawn.