SNGPL overcome The Rest and enter final

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited held their nerve to pip The Rest at the post and surge into the finals of the RBS Pentangular Cup on a thrilling fourth day at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex. Chasing 234, at a challenging run-rate, to face Habib Bank Limited in the final, The Rest seemed to be favourites at 176 for 5, before Yasir Shah and Mohammad Hafeez scripted the most dramatic of collapses. Amer Sajjad, whose quickfire fifty had taken his side to the home-stretch, was caught by captain Misbah-ul-Haq off Shah, triggering panic among the ranks. The last four wickets, inevitably including a run out, fell in a manic passage of play for the addition of three runs, as Shah and Hafeez ended with three scalps each.

That SNGPL had an eventually defendable score to bowl at, was thanks to some sensible lower order batting earlier in the day. Resuming 150 ahead with five wickets standing, The Rest added a further 84 runs on a day when Shah could do no wrong. His patient 32 was crucial to the cause, as were the efforts of Usman Arshad and Adnan Akmal who made patient scores in the mid-twenties. Zulfiqar Babar scythed through the line-up, en route to impeccable figures of 41.2-20-55-7, and a ten-wicket match-haul. He deserved to be on the winning side, and Naved Khan's assured fifty and Sajjad's adventurous one almost ensured that it happened, but it was not to be.