Fakhar, Agha hit tons to headline first day of President's Trophy Grade-I

Khan Research Laboratories' (KRL) Fakhar Zaman and Kingsmen Academy's Salman Ali Agha scored centuries on the opening day of their respective sides' first-round President's Trophy Grade-I matches.

Zaman, who last played a Test for Pakistan in 2019, tormented Ghani Glass's bowling attack on the opening day of their first-round match, underway at the Imran Khan Cricket Stadium in Peshawar until September 15, and notched up his seventh first-class century.

The 36-year-old smashed 16 fours and two sixes on his way to a brisk 128 off 136 deliveries, helping KRL finish the opening day at 371/5 in 86 overs.

Besides Fakhar, Imran Rafiq and Asim Ali Nasir also made notable contributions to KRL's total with unbeaten half-centuries.

At the conclusion of the opening day, Imran was unbeaten on 85, while Nasir had made 51 not out. The duo will resume KRL's first innings on the subsequent day.

For Ghani Glass, Mohammad Wasim Jr and Ghulam Haider have bagged two wickets each, while Hussain Talat has made one scalp.

On the other hand, all-rounder Salman Ali Agha, who was amongst the seven players released from the Pakistan squad midway during their away Test series against England, registered his 18th first-class century, which helped Kingsmen Academy dominate the opening day of their first-round President's Trophy Grade-I match against Markhor IT (MIT) Solutions at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium in Abbottabad.

Agha remained the top-scorer for Kingsmen Academy with an unbeaten 101 off 171 deliveries, laced with 16 boundaries, and will resume their first innings on the subsequent day, alongside fellow middle-order batter Mohammad Suleman, who had scored 83 not out from 164 deliveries.

Earlier, Agha and Suleman recovered Kingsmen Academy from the shaky start, which saw them lose three wickets for just 72 runs, with an unbeaten 185-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

For MIT Solutions, Samama Riaz, Salman Aslam and Salman Irshad have thus far managed to pick up one wicket apiece.

The opening day of another first-round President's Trophy Grade-I fixture between Pakistan Television (PTV) and the Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) remained largely affected due to the rain at the Diamond Cricket Stadium in Islamabad as only 45 overs could be bowled.

After opting to bat first, the PTV finished the rain-hit day at 146/3, courtesy of an unbeaten half-century by top-order batter Mohammad Taha, who remained their top-scorer with 53.

He also shared an important 76-run partnership for the second wicket with opener Waqar Hussain, who also made a notable contribution with a 90-ball 42.

Emerging batter Sharoon Siraj, unbeaten on 21, however, will resume PTV's first innings on the second day alongside mainstay Taha.

For OGDCL, only Niaz Khan and Mohammad Amir Khan could pick up a wicket apiece on the first day.

Only 19 overs could be bowled on the opening day of the first-round match between State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.

Put into bat first, the SBP's batting unit struggled in the gloomy conditions in Rawalpindi and was reduced to 42/3 as Shahnawaz Dahani, Ahmad Safi Abdullah and Shehzad Gul struck once apiece.

Emerging opener Faham-ul-Haq remained the top-scorer for SBP with a 65-ball 17, followed by veteran Abid Ali, who made 11 off 13.

Skipper Kamran Ghulam, unbeaten on 10, was the only other SBP batter to amass double figures on the opening day, and will resume their first innings on Sunday alongside Sirajuddin, who was not out on two.