SNGPL bowlers set up innings victory

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) completed an innings victory over Hyderabad at the Niaz Stadium in Sind, courtesy incisive spells from their new-ball pair, Bilawal Bhatti and Adil Raza. Hyderabad began day three on 32 for 3, still trailing by 332 in their second innings. Overnight batsmen Lal Kumar went on to complete a half-century, following which captain Mir Ali and Taj Wasan also made fifties, but none of them could push on to make the big scores Hyderabad required. They were eventually bowled out for 298, 66 short of making SNGPL bat a second time, with Bhatti - who finished with ten wickets in the match - and Raza claiming seven wickets between them.

Khan Research Laboratories (KRL)'s bowlers brought their side back into the game against Karachi Whites at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex in Karachi. Karachi Whites had resumed on 50 for 2 - 179 runs ahead - but fast bowler Yasir Ali struck early. From then on, left-arm spinners Nayyer Abbas and Nauman Ali struck with regularity to bowl out the home side for 175. None of the batsmen managed more than Akbar-ur-Rehman's 42. Chasing 305 for a win, KRL were rocked early by first-innings star Tabish Khan. He picked up three wickets to complete his ten-wicket match haul and reduce KRL to 58 for 3. However, Mohammad Wasim and Abbas steadied the chase with an unbroken 63-run stand, setting up an interesting fourth day.

Naved Yasin hit a century to carry Multan to 356, just 27 shy of Lahore Ravi's first-innings score at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore. Yasin struck 16 boundaries in his knock of 138, but the lower middle order failed to support him well enough to gain the first-innings' lead. Only Haziq Habibullah showed some resistance, with an unbeaten 41. Mohammad Zahid then removed one of the Lahore Ravi openers, Mohammad Saad, cheaply, to leave the match well poised.

Unbeaten half-centuries from Abid Ali and Taimur Ali put Quetta in charge of their game against Lahore Shalimar at the Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. The pair took Quetta to 172 for 4, with a lead of 218, after a wobbly start to their second innings had left them 46 for 4. Earlier in the day, Lahore Shalimar were bowled out for 230. At one stage they looked like they would be bowled out below 200, but a handy 48-run stand for the eight wicket between Ali Manzoor and Tanzeel Altaf took them past the landmark, before Saeed Khan picked up the three remaining wickets to finish with 6 for 62.

Sajjad Ahmed hit his best score in first-class cricket, 86, to put Peshawar in a position of strength against United Bank Limited at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar. Sajjad Ahmed was supported by his captain, Akbar Badshah. The duo put on 89, to set up a chase of 364 for United Bank. Peshawar's bowlers then knocked over two top order wickets, to give their side the edge. United Bank went to stumps on 91 for 2 and will hope opener Ali Asad, who finished 41 not out, will anchor the chase on the fourth day.