Big wins for WAPDA, SNGPL

Pacer Sarfraz Ahmed's nine-wicket match haul helped Water and Power Development Authority rout Pakistan Television by an innings and 137 runs.

Ahmed picked up 4 for 20 to bundle out PTV for 69 in the first innings and followed that up with a five-for in the second innings, after WAPDA enforced the follow-on. Adnan Raees' 13th first-class century, and fifties from Rafatullah Mohmand, Aamer Sajjad and Ayaz Tasawwar had earlier helped WAPDA post a commanding 475 for 7 declared. In reply, PTV were dismissed for 69 and although they managed a better batting performance in the second innings - half-centuries from Fahad-ul-Haq and Yasim Murtaza took them to 269 - it wasn't enough to avoid an innings defeat. The win gave WAPDA 10 points, helping them move up to the fourth place on the points table.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited opened up a 16-point lead at the top of the league with a 109-run win over State Bank of Pakistan.

Chasing a target of 326, the State Bank batsmen failed to convert their starts into substantial scores, falling to the SNGPL attack led by pacer Samiullah Khan, who took four wickets in each innings.

Earlier, a second successive first-class hundred from Azhar Ali had led SNGPL to 403 for 9, in spite of the efforts of Tabish Khan, who picked up 5 for 132, and Rizwan Haider. In reply, State Bank were struggling at 59 for 6 before a lower-order rally helped them post 204. With a lead of 199, SNGPL batted for a little more than 27 overs in their second innings, declaring their innings at 126 for 5 to set their opponents a target of 326.

Khan Research Laboratories took away three points from a draw against National Bank of Pakistan, after failing to build on Sadaf Hussain's first-innings haul of 8 for 50. Hussain had reduced NBP to 25 for 4 before Kamran Akmal's 71 guided the batting side to 158.

In reply, KRL, anchored by Shoaib Ahmed's 92, were on track to posting a big score but Wahab Riaz thwarted the opposition, picking up three of the last five wickets. KRL lost their last five wickets for 18 runs, going from 254 for 5 to 272 all out. At 56 for 4, National Bank's second innings seemed to be heading the same way as their first, but Fawad Alam stepped up, scoring an unbeaten 112 to help National Bank reach 235 for 5 before the match was called off.