NBP, WAPDA reach semi-finals with easy wins

National Bank of Pakistan cruised to an eight-wicket victory over Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore, and secured a spot in the semi-finals. ZTBL were in early trouble at 74 for 4 after choosing to bat first, but Babar Azam and Haris Sohail each made brisk half-centuries to propel their side past 200. Azam was caught behind off Mohammad Talha for 61, while Sohail was snapped up by Fawad Alam for 75. Talha was the pick of the bowlers, taking 3 for 29. NBP's succesful chase was built around a pair of almost identical 67s from Nasir Jamshed and Naumanullah. Jamshed, who opened the batting, needed 79 balls to reach his score and struck eight fours, while Naumanullah, who remained not out, took 78 balls and struck seven fours, as NBP reached their target of 223 in the 37th over.

Water and Power Development Authority also reached the semi-finals after posting a comfortable five-wicket win over Sialkot Stallions at the Jinnah Stadium in Sialkot, going past their target of 165 with 13 overs and five balls to spare. WAPDA opted to field first, and the bowlers made steady inroads into the Sialkot batting line-up, reducing the hosts to 91 for 5 before Mohammad Ayub, who top scored with 47, and Bilal Azmat, who made 29, put together the only substantial partnership of the innings - 51 for the sixth wicket. Medium pacer Bilal Khilji and and left-arm spinner Zulfiqar Babar took three wickets each. WAPDA had an early flutter, losing their openers with only 36 on the board, but Rizwan Malik's composed, unbeaten 61 took his side home with plenty of time to spare.

Multan won their third match of the tournament, thrashing Faisalabad at the Iqbal Stadium in Faisalabad, but it wasn't enough to take them to the semi-finals. Multan took just 28.3 overs to chase Faisalabad's score, after bowling them out for 198. Faisalabad got off to a solid start, with opener Mohammad Salman and Hasan Mahmood getting half-centuries. But they collapsed from 144 for 3 to 198 all out after a four-wicket haul by legspinner Imranullah Aslam. Multan's openers knocked off most of the runs themselves, with Zain Abbas scoring 83 off 68 and Imranullah Aslam getting 76. They fell in quick succession, but Multan won by three wickets.

There was no result in the match between Pakistan International Airlines and Habib Bank Limited after rain at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, but both teams had already qualified for the semi-finals. HBL managed to bowl PIA out for 159 after putting them in, but their chase was called off due to the weather after just four overs. Seamer Fahad Masood gave HBL a couple of early breakthroughs, and then legspinner Danish Kaneria and left-arm spinner Mohammad Aslam ran through PIA's middle order. Aslam finished with figures of 3 for 24 in four overs, as PIA's innings lasted just 32.3 overs.

Islamabad completed a 93-run victory on the Duckworth/Lewis system over Rawalpindi in a rain-affected match at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad. Islamabad reached 301 in their 50 overs after half-centuries from Zeeshan Mushtaq, Faizan Riaz and Kashif Majeed. Majeed's 54 came off 36 balls and gave Islamabad the impetus they needed at the end of their innings. Zahid Mansoor picked up five wickets for Rawalpindi, but was expensive, giving away 49 runs in his seven overs. Rawalpindi got off to a poor start, collapsing to 15 for 3. Seamer Nasrullah Khan did the early damage, taking 3 for 22, and Rawalpindi never recovered. After 41.1 overs, Rawalpindi were 159 for 7; the game was called off for bad light and they were well behind the required D/L score.