Karachi Blues sneak home by two wickets

A five-wicket haul by fast bowler Asad Ali helped Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to a big innings and 53-run win over Lahore Shalimar at the Lahore City Cricket Association Grounds. Resuming their overnight score of 134 for 4, Lahore lost the wickets of Ali Raza and Sheraz Butt in very quick succession, both to Asad. Mohammad Naved delayed the inevitable with an attacking 75 off 55 balls at No. 9, smashing 15 fours and a six. Lahore were ultimately bowled out for 260.

A five-wicket haul by the fast bowler Aizaz Cheema set up Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)'s ten-wicket win over Pakistan Customs at the NBP Sports Complex in Karachi. Pakistan Customs ended the third day in a jittery position at 85 for 4, still 11 runs short of making PIA bat again. But they couldn't build on after attaining the lead and eventually managed a disappointing 142. Ali Imran and Anwar Ali made the early breakthroughs before Cheema cleaned up the tail to finish with 5 for 26. PIA's openers chased down the required 47 in just 8.3 overs.

The encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium ended in a high-scoring draw with Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) batting out the final day to end of 316 for 6 against Habib Bank Limited (HBL). The WAPDA middle order helped themselves to some batting practice with captain Aamer Sajjad, Bilal Khilji and Ali Azmat making half-centuries. Azmat, who scored a fifty in the first innings as well, top scored with an unbeaten 84, off 105 balls.

Karachi Blues held their nerve to beat Islamabad by two wickets after being set a middle of the road target of 197 at the Diamond Club Ground. The Islamabad tail too frustrated the opposition earlier in the day by stretching their overnight score of 295 for 8 to 356, thanks to Ameer Khan's 53. Tanvir Ahmed was the main wicket-taker with 6 for 104. Karachi openers Ali Asad and Khalid Latif began steadily, adding 74 before Nasrullah Khan struck twice. Nasrullah and Shehzad Azam struck at regular intervals to turn the match in their favour. When Islamabad were at 175 for 8, it was anybody's game but Javed Mansoor saw his team through with Mohammad Sami for company.

Junaid Khan's six-wicket haul helped Abbottabad to a 217-run win over Hyderabad at the Abbottabad Stadium. Set an improbable 433, Hyderabad crashed to 215, with Khalid Usman following up his second-innings fifty with a three-wicket haul to support Junaid's effort. Resuming his overnight score of 63, Usman added five more before being dismissed by Lal Kumar, who took 7 for 100. Abbottabad were ultimately bowled out for 295. Hyderabad got off to a shaky start in their chase, slipping to 37 for 3, with Junaid taking three top-order wickets. Nasrullah Memon top scored with 68 but Hyderabad suffered due to lack of big partnerships.

It was a run-fest at Sargodha as three Peshawar batsmen - Fawad Ali, Sajjad Ahmed and Azam Jan - helped themselves to centuries in a tame draw against Faisalabad. The bowlers toiled on the final day, picking up only three wickets. Nawaz Ahmed and Mohammad Rizwan failed to capitalise, but Sajjad and Jan were involved in a big stand of 201 for the sixth wicket. Jan made 110 while Sajjad remained unbeaten on 117.

The match at Jinnah Stadium expectedly ended in a draw as Sialkot batted out the final day against Multan. Resuming on 77, Multan's Naved Yasin helped himself to 122. Kashif Naved's 48 helped push the score to 331, extending Multan's lead to 330. Captain Mohammad Ayub top scored with 53 as Sialkot ended the game at 146 for 5.