Sialkot bowlers set up victory

In a dramatic final day at the Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot emerged victorious by 59 runs over Habib Bank Limited. Sialkot began the day on 61 for 7, ahead by 165, and were quickly bowled out, leaving a target of 188 as legspinner Danish Kaneria took 6 for 24. HBL's openers were dismissed early, after which a stubborn third-wicket stand gave them hope of a come-from-behind win. However, a burst of three wickets for four runs reduced HBL to 60 for 5, and despite a 45-run sixth-wicket stand, left-arm spinner Nabeel Malik's four strikes ensured Sialkot took nine points from the match.

After taking control of the game on the third day, Water and Power Development Authority finished the job on the last day, beating Abbottabad by 10 wickets at the Abbottabad Cricket Stadium. Abbottabad had started the day at 70 for 5, and were bowled out for 125. That left WAPDA 60 runs to get, and their openers knocked them off in 14.4 overs. While Naved-ul-Hasan had rocked Abbottabad's top order on the third day, it was left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar and seamer Imran Khan who mopped up the middle order and tail, finishing with seven wickets between them in the innings. Babar's four second-innings scalps meant he finished the match with eight wickets.

Pakistan International Airlines and Islamabad were involved in a draw at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. Afaq Raheem and Naeem Anjum fell early, ending Islamabad's hopes of getting past PIA's first-innings score of 423. Anwar Ali's 5 for 65 ended Islamabad's first innings swiftly on 291 after they had started on 256 for 5. A lead of 142 in the bag, PIA breezed to 157 for 3 in 27 overs before declaring and giving Islamabad 300 to chase. The match ended with Islamabad reaching 99 for 1 and Umair Khan unbeaten on 50.

Kamran Akmal made a big hundred in the company of the lower order as National Bank of Pakistan drew their game with Rawalpindi after having conceded a big first-innings lead at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. Akmal's 139 came off 196 balls with 18 fours and a six. Centurions Umar Amin and Fawad Alam departed early but Akmal ensured Rawalpindi remained on the field for the major part of the day. NBP finally declared on 482 for 8 and the game was called off with Rawalpindi on 52 for 1.

Mohammad Hafeez took five wickets to bowl Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited to a 119-run win over Khan Research Laboratories in Rawalpindi. Chasing 274, KRL collapsed from 113 for 3 to be dismissed for 154. Asad Ali had rocked the KRL top order with three wickets but they had recovered through Ali Naqvi and Ali Khan before Hafeez ran through the line-up, taking 5 for 29 in 20.1 overs. SNGPL had earlier declared on 242 for 8 after Khurram Shehzad and Adnan Akmal had been dismissed for valuable fifties. Offspinner Ali Naqvi finished with 4 for 44.

Needing ten wickets on the final day, Lahore Ravi clinically ground out a massive victory over Lahore Shalimar at Lahore City Cricket Association Ground. Shalimar's openers, Ahmed Dar and Mohammad Hamza, added 65, raising hopes of their team escaping with a draw before a spectacular collapse resulted in the side being bowled for double that score. Even 130 was reached through a 33-run eighth wicket stand after Shalimar were reduced to 86 for 7, as 16-year-old debutant Mohammad Irfan and legspinner Saad Nasim sliced through the line-up to set up a comfortable win.

Hyderabad and Quetta played out a draw at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad. Having already taken the first-innings lead, Hyderabad batted today for 47.1 overs, finally declaring their second innings on 215 for 9 and setting Quetta an improbable chase of 295. Rizwan Ahmed made 81 while Lal Kumar's patient 39 was the next highest score. Seamer Gohar Faiz finished with 5 for 52. In reply, opener Bismillah Khan smashed 15 boundaries to reach an unbeaten hundred off 109 balls, and the game was called off with Quetta on 163 for 3.