Sialkot win Champions Twenty20 League berth

Shoaib Malik, the Sialkot Stallions captain, took 2 for 26 and was involved in two important partnerships during a seven-wicket win over the Karachi Dolphins in Lahore. As a result, Sialkot also earn a place in the Champions Twenty20 League in December.

Karachi, after choosing to bat, failed to get partnerships going as Sialkot made frequent inroads. Left-arm seamer Sarfraz Ahmed took 2 for 23 and Malik, who dismissed Khalid Latif and Naumanullah in quick time, ensured Karachi did not get off to a brisk start. Fawad Alam top scored with 40 but with wickets falling regularly at the other end, Karachi could only post 125.

Sialkot lost opener Faisal Naved early but, unlike Karachi, their batsmen built partnerships. Mansoor Amjad, who made 39, added 41 for the second wicket with Kamran Younis, and 33 for the third with Malik. However, Amjad was retired hurt with the score on 91 and Qaiser Abbas fell cheaply as Sialkot slipped to 97 for 3 in the 17th over. But Adeel Malik scored 23 off 11 balls, with two sixes, to take his team past Karachi's total with two balls to spare. Shoaib Malik's 19 off 23 balls, and his bowling performance, fetched him the Player-of-the-match award