Kamran, Sami shine in NBP win, KRL reach semis

KARACHI: Kamran Akmal and Sami Aslam slammed superb centuries to guide National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) to a much needed 70-run victory over Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in their Group I match of the President’s Gold Cup One-day tournament here at the NBP Sports Complex on Sunday.
Skipper Kamran Akmal (134) and left-handed opener Sami Aslam (114) added 200 runs for the second wicket to propel NBP to 356-3 in the allotted 50 overs.
Kamran smashed 16 fours and four sixes in his explosive 87-ball knock.
Sami, who struck his second successive hundred, smacked ten fours and two sixes from 124 deliveries.
Opener Nasir Jamshed hit 57-ball 49 with six fours and a six and scored 77 runs for the first wicket with young Sami.
Imran Khalid got 2-68 from eight overs.
NBP then restricted SNGPL to 286-7. Mohammad Rizwan scored unbeaten 75-ball 76 with four fours and a six. Skipper Azhar Ali scored 81-ball 57 with five fours and a six. Left-hander Ali Waqas hit 41-ball 39 with three fours. Left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar got 3-53 from 10 overs.
Both NBP and SNGPL have six points each.
In Group II, Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) blasted their way into the semi-finals with their fourth win on the trot as they overwhelmed State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) by six wickets here at the RLCA Gulberg Ground.
KRL, who rose to eight points, are yet to face Port Qasim Authority (PQA) in their last match on Tuesday (tomorrow).
Experienced left-arm pacer Sadaf Hussain picked 4-56 from 8.3 overs, while Nouman Ali captured 3-6 from seven overs to enable KRL to dismiss SBP for 140 in 37.4 overs. Rizwan Haider (24), Zafar Gohar (21) and Babar Azam (19) were the leading scorers.
KRL achieved the target in 41.1 overs after losing four wickets.
Skipper Saeed Anwar Junior scored 96-ball 44 not out with two fours. He added 70 runs for the fifth wicket unbroken stand with Ali Khan (30*) to take his team home. Opener Mohammad Yasin had scored 58-ball 37 with four fours. Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar got 2-21 from 10 overs.
In a Group I meeting here at the UBL Sports Complex, Karachi Dolphins recorded their third win to stay alive as they threw Peshawar Panthers out of the event with a nine-wicket win thanks to Shahzaib Ahmed’s fine bowling.
Leg-spinner Shahzaib picked 5-17 from 10 overs to dismiss Panthers for only 127. Israrullah (36) and skipper Akbar Badshah (27*) were the leading scorers.
Left-arm spinner Faraz Ahmed (2-31) and Babar Rehman (2-11) also bowled well.
In reply, Rameez Raja Junior smashed a fiery 76-ball unbeaten 98 with 19 fours and two sixes to enable Dolphins to reach the target in 21.1 overs after losing one wicket. Azam Khan got 1-23.
In a Group II clash at Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad, Port Qasim Authority (PQA) overpowered Islamabad Leopards by 42 runs to stay in contention for the semi-finals.
Khurram Manzoor (130) and Umar Amin (80) added 157 for the third wicket to enable PQA to post 330-5. Khurram, who hit his second consecutive hundred, smashed 13 fours and two sixes from 124 deliveries. Umar cracked nine fours from 91 balls. Mudassir Ali got 2-60.
They restricted Leopards to 288-8. After losing three quick wickets, opener Faizan Riaz (81) and skipper Imad Wasim (73) revived the innings by adding 83 for the fourth wicket. Faizan hit eight fours from 89 balls, while Imad struck four fours from 84 balls.
Mohammad Irfan smashed an explosive 43-ball 71 with four sixes and four fours but failed to take his team home.
Test discard Mohammad Sami picked 4-54 from 10 overs.
In a Group II show, here at the Southend Club Ground, Lahore Lions showed Karachi Zebras the exit doors with a nine-wicket triumph to keep themselves alive in the tournament.
Zebras were folded for 181 with Jahid Ali scoring 44. Hafiz Saad Nasim grabbed 3-44, while Agha Salman and Raza Ali Dar got two wickets each.
Lions achieved the target in 37.4 overs for the loss of one wicket. Umar Siddiq struck unbeaten 84 from 103 balls, hitting six fours. He added 137 for the second wicket with Hafiz Saad Nasim (81*), who smashed six fours and two sixes from 81 deliveries. Faraz Patel took 1-32.
In a Group I match here at the National Stadium, Naved Malik struck his career best 179 not out to enable Rawalpindi Rams to beat Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) by six wickets.
Naved smashed 20 fours and six sixes from 140 balls as Rams raced to the 320-run target with nine balls to spare. Imran Khan got 2-62. Yasir Hameed had hammered 121 off 131 balls with 11 fours and two sixes to guide ZTBL to 319-9.
Atlas Khan and Babar Naeem got three wickets each.