April 08, 2008	Tuesday	Rabi-us-Sani 1, 1429

KARACHI, April 7: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) wasted little energy in reaching the ABN-Amro National One-day Cup final with a 91-run rout of Khan Research Laboratories in the second semi-final at the NBP Sports Complex on Monday.

Skipper Mohammad Hafeez made nullified KRL’s advantage of winning the toss and electing to field first by smashing seven fours and one six in a 48-ball 50 as SNGPL collected 257-8 in their 50 overs.

Azhar Shafiq (38) and Umar Akmal (46) put on 66 for the third wicket to keep the momentum going before Khurram Shahzad (28), Adnan Akmal (24) and Imran Khalid (27) added useful runs in the final overs.

KRL, in reply, ran into trouble from the onset as Asad Ali removed ex-Pakistan batsmen Ali Naqvi, skipper Mohammad Wasim — both of whom had ironically marked their respective Test debut in the late 1900s with a century before fading away into obscurity — and Zulfiqar Jan in a hostile new-ball spell.

Fellow paceman Samiullah Niazi compounded KRL’s misery when left-handed opener Saeed Anwar Junior became his prey. And although Azhar Ali (67 off 111 balls, five fours) stuck to his guns defiantly, the game was long over before the final rites were conducted by Imran Khalid, the slow left-armer who took three wickets.

SNGPL have the chance to complete a grand double since earlier in the season they lifted the Quaid-i-Azam Trophy for the first time when they ‘defeated’ Habib Bank, their opponents on Thursday, on the basis of first-innings lead.

Scoreboard

SNGPL:

Mohammad Hafeez c and b Ali Naqvi 50

Yasir Arafat Jr run out 12

Azhar Shafiq c Faisal b Ali Khan 38

Umar Akmal b Saeed Anwar Jr 46

Khurram Shahzad run out 28

Saleem Mughal c Ali Khan b S. Ajmal 9

Adnan Akmal b Ali Khan 24

Imran Khalid c Wasim b S. Ajmal 27

Imran Ali not out 3

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-8, W-10) 20

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 50 overs) 257

FALL OF WKTS: 1-58, 2-76, 3-142, 4-173, 5-196, 6-201, 7-238, 8-257.

DID NOT BAT: Samiullah Niazi, Asad Ali.

BOWLING: Faisal Afridi 4-0-34-0 (1w); Jaffar Nazir 8-0-42-0 (6w); Akhtar Ayub 0.5-0-0-1-0; Ali Naqvi 9.1-0-32-1 (1w); Saeed Ajmal 10-0-39-2 (1w); Ali Khan 8-0-42-2 (1w); Saeed Anwar Jr 10-0-57-1.

KRL:

Saeed Anwar Jr c I. Khalid b Sami 2

Ali Naqvi c Hafeez b Asad 0

Mohammad Wasim lbw b Asad 5

Zulfiqar Jan lbw b Asad 2

Azhar Ali c Azhar b Imran Ali 67

Shahzad Malik lbw b Hafeez 19

Ali Khan c Hafeez b Khurram 31

Faisal Afridi c Adnan b I. Khalid 12

Jaffar Nazir c Adnan b I. Khalid 6

Saeed Ajmal not out 6

Akhtar Ayub st Adnan b I. Khalid 5

EXTRAS (B-2, W-5, NB-4) 11

TOTAL (all out, 43.2 overs) 166

FALL OF WKTS: 1-2, 2-6, 3-8, 4-16, 5-46, 6-108, 7-131, 8-147, 9-156.

BOWLING: Samiullah Niazi 8-0-20-1 (3nb); Asad Ali 7-1-26-3 (1nb, 2w); Mohammad Hafeez 6-0-20-1; Imran Ali 10-1-40-1 (2w); Imran Khalid 9.2-1-44-3; Khurram Shahzad 3-0-14-1 (1w).

RESULT: SNGPL won by 91 runs.

UMPIRES: Nadeem Ghauri and Ahsan Raza.

MATCH REFEREE: Anwer Khan.

MEN-OF-THE-MATCH: Asad Ali and Azhar Ali.