March 31, 2008	Monday	Rabi-ul-Awwal 22, 1429

KARACHI, March 30: The business end of the National One-day Cricket Championship starts from Monday with four matches in the newly-introduced Super Eight round scheduled.

As expected, the second phase of competition is being dominated by departments. As many as six of them have made it to the Super Eight stage, while Lahore Eagles and Rawalpindi Rams remain the only regional sides in the tournament.

Sadly, both Karachi outfits —Dolphins and Zebras — fared disastrously in the preliminary round and were promptly eliminated with only one win each in their respective pools.

The domestic cricket committee of the PCB had to make alterations in the original schedule because of the forthcoming visit of the Bangladesh team to Pakistan.

According to the new programme, both the semi-finals as well as the final will now be played in Karachi.

Super Eight schedule:

Group ‘A’: KRL, National Bank, Wapda, Rawalpindi Rams.

Group ‘B’: PIA, SNGPL, Habib Bank, Lahore Eagles.

March 31: KRL v National Bank (Sheikhupura Stadium); Wapda v Rawalpindi Rams (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Habib Bank v Lahore Eagles (National Stadium, Karachi; SNGPL v PIA ((NBP Sports Complex, Karachi).

April 2: KRL v Wapda (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Rawalpindi Rams v National Bank (Sheikhupura Stadium); Habib Bank v SNGPL (National Stadium, Karachi); Lahore Eagles v PIA (UBL Sports Complex, Karachi).

April 4: KRL v Rawalpindi Rams (Sheikhupura Stadium); National Bank v Wapda (LCCA Ground, Lahore); Habib Bank v PIA (National Stadium, Karachi); Lahore Eagles v SNGPL (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi).

April 7: First semi-final – winners Group ‘A’ v runners-up Group ‘B’ (National Stadium, Karachi, D/N).

April 7: Second semi-final – winners Group ‘B’ v runners-up Group ‘A’ (NBP Sports Complex, Karachi).

April 10: Final (National Stadium, Karachi, D/N).