Comfortable wins for National Bank, ZTBL

Medium-pacer Zia-ul-Haq finished the match with nine wickets, to help National Bank of Pakistan to a 50-run win over Water and Power Development Authority in a low-scoring game in Rawalpindi.

Adding to his five first-innings scalps, Zia picked up four wickets in the second to stifle WAPDA's top order, and leave them precariously placed at 31 for 4. WAPDA, set a meager 156 to win, were unable to recover from this wobble, as Hammad Azam and Ahmed Jamal notched five wickets between them to bundle WAPDA out for 105 in 36.3 overs. The victory had seemed unlikely at one stage for National Bank when they were bowled out for 116 in their second innings, thanks to Naved-ul-Hasan's 34th five-wicket haul.

But WAPDA showed no improvements from their batting performance in the first innings, when they could only manage 123 in 48 overs. The defeat leaves them towards the bottom of the points table, while National Bank in at No. 2 with a game in hand.

Yasir Hameed and Sharjeel Khan put up a 127-run stand for the opening wicket in the second innings, setting Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited on their way to a six-wicket win over State Bank of Pakistan.

An 88 from Jalat Khan in the second innings had helped State Bank set ZTBL a target of 181, before Hameed and Sharjeel hit 17 fours and four sixes in total, to all but complete the victory. Hameed was trapped lbw by Faisal Yasin for 62, while Sharjeel scored 64 to go with the 81 he struck in the first innings.

Yasin eventually finished the innings with 4 for 49, but Zohaib Khan hit an unbeaten 28, which included six fours, to take ZTBL home. They move to third on the points table, with a game in hand.

Aftab Alam's eighth first-class century led Habib Bank Limited's bid to overhaul the 428-run target set by United Bank Limited, but the match eventually finished in a draw in Islamabad.

Alam hit 29 fours and two sixes during his 181, and added 207 for the seventh wicket with Jamal Anwar, who made an unbeaten 52 to take HBL to 341 before the umpires decided to end play. UBL were earlier propelled by an unbeaten 208 from the opener Abid Ali - a knock that included 32 fours and took them to 386 in the second innings.

Before the flurry of runs from both teams, it was their bowlers, particularly the seamers, who had dominated the first innings.

Ehsan Adil had taken six wickets in the first innings to bundle UBL out for 167 and, in reply, Rumman Raees finished with 7 for 31 to secure UBL the innings lead.