Malik stars as PIA take title

Pakistan International Airlines 237 (Malik 80*, Kaneria 7-39) beat Habib Bank Limited 201 (Kamran 40, Sajid 3-37, Zia 3-23) by 36 runs
Scorecard

A captain's performance from Shoaib Malik, with bat and ball, helped Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) beat Habib Bank Limited (HBL) to take the Faysal Bank Division One title at the Gaddafi Stadium. This is PIA's second triumph of the season, after claiming the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy Division One.

HBL, despite fielding a side with a host of players with international experience, failed to chase down 238. An opening partnership of 59 between Taufeeq Umar and Imran Farhat was the only resistance, before HBL lost three wickets for eight runs to slide to 79 for 4. The 17-year-old left-arm seamer Zia-ul-Haq kept the batsmen at bay with his pace, taking 3 for 23.

The captain Hasan Raza anchored a couple of steady partnerships with Humayun Farhat (worth 37) and Kamran Hussain (worth 39) but it was not enough as Kamran Sajid ripped through the tail to bowl out HBL for 201.

Earlier, PIA rode on Malik's unbeaten 80. Faraz Ali and Sajid got off to a solid start but a top-order collapse followed as three wickets fell for five runs. Malik and Faisal Iqbal shared a 106-run stand for the fifth wicket to steady the innings.

PIA was set for a bigger target but Danish Kaneria sent the middle order and tail skittling with 7 for 39, as Malik watched from the other end. Malik had his moments with the ball too, taking 2 for 33 to record a sound all-round performance.