Abid, Azam sink Lahore Lions

Abid Hussain's 6 for 47 in Lahore Lions' first innings, and Haseeb Azam's 5 for 70 in the second, set up Rawalpindi Rams' seven-wicket victory inside three days in Hyderabad.

After winning the toss, Rawalpindi skittled Lahore for 129 in 47.1 overs, a collapse that defined the match. They went from 64 for 3 to 66 for 6 at one stage. Only three Lahore batsmen got into double figures and Raza Ali Dar's 42 was the top score. Hussain's 6 for 47, which included three top-order batsmen, was supported by Babar Naeem's 3 for 12.

Seven Rawalpindi batsmen got starts in their first innings but no one made more than opener Sarmad Bhatti's 42. Still, they were able to post 222 before being dismissed in 53 overs on the second day. Malik Aftab took 5 for 79 for Lahore to limit their deficit to 93.

Lahore's batsmen were improved in their second innings but no one converted a start into a score substantial enough to set Rawalpindi a challenging target. Umar Siddiq top-scored with 51, but Lahore slipped from 155 for 3 to 219 all out, with Azam doing most of the damage.

Chasing 127, Bhatti once again top scored, making an unbeaten 58. Lahore lost two wickets in the space of two runs to slip to 63 for 3, but Bhatti took them through to victory without any more losses.