Abbottabad, SBP hold out for draws

Abbottabad's batsmen saved the game against Karachi Whites at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium, getting to 352 for 7 by the end of the last day. It was a team effort from Abbottabad, with five different batsmen getting past 40. Karachi broke the hosts' opening partnership early on the fourth day, but then Ghulam Mohammad and Waqar Orakzai put together 61 for the second wicket. Orakzai went on to get 89 and shared a 103-run fourth wicket partnership with Fawad Khan. Fawad scored 72 and Riaz Kail came in and got a half-century too.

Karachi may have felt they had a chance to win when they got the fifth wicket with Abbottabad on 277 and time still left in the day. Wicketkeeper Rehan Afridi ensured there was no lower-order collapse, scoring 46. It was a crucial result for Abbottabad, as they stayed level with Karachi in the table, despite conceding three points for the first-innings lead.

Pakistan Television came within three wickets of a victory that would have taken them to second in the table, but had to settle for three points as State Bank of Pakistan held on at the Marghzar Cricket Ground in Islamabad. Pakistan Television declared after batting for 12.3 overs on the fourth day, and set SBP a target of 322. Four wickets from seamer Saad Altaf and three from his new-ball partner Mohammad Ali reduced SBP to 99 for 7 with time still left to take the final three wickets. Adnan Raees held firm for SBP, getting 40, and Rizwan Haider battled it out at the other end, as the two managed a 39-run partnership and took their team through till the end of the day. The draw means SBP stay in second spot.

Hyderabad stole three points for the first-innings lead from Lahore Shalimar on the fourth morning at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground, thanks to a 60-run last wicket partnership between fast bowler Lal Kumar and seamer Kashif Pervez. In a tense start to the last day, the hosts needed five more runs to go past Lahore Shalimar's first-innings score of 355, with one wicket in hand. They not only got those, but went on to reach 401. Kumar scored 126 and made sure Pervez only had to play 17 balls. Buoyed by his century, Kumar then took three wickets as Hyderabad reduced Lahore Shalimar to 130 for 5 by the end of the match.