Big wins for United Bank, SNGPL

Centuries from Saeed Bin Nasir and Wajihuddin helped United Bank Limited crush Lahore Lions by an innings and 54 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium.

After being inserted, Lions were bundled out for 216 in 82.2 overs in their first innings. A few of their batsmen made starts, but none were able to raise a fifty, as Rumman Raees took 4 for 46 to run through their line-up.

United Bank then enforced their advantage by scoring 471 for 9 declared, to earn a first-innings lead of 255. Ahsan Ali hit 50 to lay a solid foundation, before Bin Nasir and Wajihuddin batted Lions out of the game with a 234-run partnership. Bin Nasir's 120 included 11 fours, while Wajihuddin hit 22 fours and two sixes during his 164.

Lions did not fare any better in their second essay as they did in their first, and were bowled out for 201. Saad Nasim's 50 was the only notable contribution, as the medium-pacer Ali Zahid collected a five-wicket haul to dismiss the team in 58 overs.

Opener Naeemuddin's 126 was the cornerstone behind Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited's (SNGPL) 112-run victory against Islamabad Leopards at the Diamond Club Ground.

SNGPL, opting to bat, were bowled out for 262 in their first innings. Imran Butt (72) and Ali Waqas (83) both raised fifties, but seamer Shehzad Azam took 7 for 82 to dismiss the team in 73.3 overs. Leopards, however, could not build on their impressive bowling display, as they themselves were skittled for 236. Sarmad Bhatti's 58 and Zohaib Ahmed's 57 was offset by three-fors from Imran Khalid and Imran Ali.

With a slender but crucial 26-run lead, Naeemuddin extended SNGPL's advantage by striking 16 fours during his ton, before Hussain Talat's hit an unbeaten 67, prompting SNGPL to declare at 315 for 6.

Set 342 for the win, Leopards slumped to 112 for 8 before two big partnerships for the final two wickets got the team to 229. Khalid once again shone for SNGPL, taking 4 for 69 to seal the big win.

A fifty from the captain Babar Naeem, and a seven-wicket match haul from the fast bowler Rizwan Akbar helped Rawalpindi Rams to a three-wicket win against Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited.

Chasing 244 in the fourth innings, Naeem's 76 gave the team a solid start, before Zahid Mansoor's 57 helped fight off a four-wicket haul from Iftikhar Anjum to guide Rams home in 67 overs.

ZTBL, having been inserted, were earlier pegged back by Akbar's 4 for 49 in the first innings, which bundled them out for 205. Rams managed that exact score in their first essay, with Naved Malik's 58 at No.7 the only notable contribution to the team. Seamer Kashif Daud was the pick of the ZTBL bowlers and ended with 5 for 65.

Shahid Yousuf raised an unbeaten 121 in ZTBL's second innings, but none of the other batsmen could muster more than 25, as Rashid Latif and Akbar snared seven wickets between them to bowl the team out for 243 in 70.3 overs.

A strong performance from Water and Power Development Authority's bowlers, and an unbeaten century from Adnan Raees helped seal a three-wicket win against Karachi Dolphins at the National Stadium.

After being inserted, Dolphins were dismissed 80 in 23.2 overs in the first innings, as Mohammad Ali (5 for 42) and Waqas Maqsood (5 for 37) accounted for all 10 wickets between them. In reply, Raees' 141 not out, which included 18 fours, helped the team to 303, earning a first-innings lead of 223.

Dolphins fared better in their second stint, as Babar Hussain scored 120 to lift the score to 311, but it meant that WAPDA needed just 89 for victory. WAPDA nearly made a mess of the chase, losing seven wickets, but Mohammad Saad's 26 took the team home in 25.3 overs.