KARACHI: Pakistan Television (PTV) considerably eased their own President’s Trophy relegation fears while further compounding State Bank of Pakistan (SBP)’s misery with a crucial five-wicket victory within three days at the National Cricket Ground in Islamabad on Monday.

After SBP had staged a futile recovery through an eighth-wicket partnership of 68 between Umar Khan (25) and Rizwan Haider (top scorer with 45) before being all out for 112, PTV — chasing 132 — sealed their second win by reaching 135-5. PTV spearhead Rizwan Akbar didn’t add to his Sunday’s five wickets but still finished with a superb match bag of 10-89.

PTV now lie eighth in the standings with 15 points from six matches, while SBP find themselves languishing at the bottom with just seven points in as many games.

Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) surged into second spot after crushing Younis Khan-led Habib Bank Limited (HBL) by 10 wickets at the Marghazar Cricket Ground in the federal capital.

HBL, resuming their second innings at 8-0 after Wapda had obtained a lead of 72 runs on the first, capitulated inside 41 overs for a depressing total of 131 with none of their Test players entering double figures.

Openers Imran Farhat and Shan Masood made six apiece, Hasan Raza two, Ehsan Adil six while Younis, on whom HBL’s hopes depended, was dismissed first ball by paceman Mohammad Haseeb with wicket-keeper Ahmed Said taking the catch.

Wapda then knocked off the 60 runs they required to complete their third victory that lifted their tally of points to 31. HBL are currently struggling at No 9 with 13 points.

United Bank Limited (UBL)’s amazing rise continued on Monday when they overpowered Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) by six wickets at the KRL Stadium in Rawalpindi to move fourth in the table with 27 points.

Spinners Atif Maqbool and Kashif Bhatti shared nine wickets between them as KRL were all out for 234 after resuming their second innings at 189-5. Off-spinner Atif, who led UBL in this fixture, grabbed four for 114 in 33.5 overs to end up with match figures of 10 for 136, while slow left-armer Kashif took five for 72 in 31 overs, giving him seven for 84 in the game.

Useful contributions from Mohammad Zohaib (40) and Saeed bin Nasir (42 not out) then saw UBL over the line in their pursuit for 158.

Former international Imran Nazir led from the front with an unbeaten 144 (108 balls, 21 boundaries and two sixes) as Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) battled to reach 262-4 in their second innings against Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.

PIA, earlier, earned a huge first-innings lead of 323 when they totalled 502 after beginning day three at 420-6. The overnight pair of Sarfraz Ahmed and Tahir Khan carried their seventh-wicket partnership to 294 before being separated.

Sarfraz, who resumed at 141, was finally out for 165 with his 198-ball innings containing 21 boundaries. Tahir added a further 30 runs before returning undefeated with 141 (205 balls, 19 fours and one six).

Paceman Imran Khan dismissed Aizaz Cheema to finish with five for 113 in 25.1 overs.

National Bank of Pakistan (NBP), who were second in the standings before the current round of matches, were left battling for survival after being forced to follow on against leaders Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad.

Replying to SNGPL’s 394, NBP managed 204 after starting at 76-6. All-rounder Hammad Azam (87 off 114 balls, 13 fours and two sixes) and fellow Pakistan discard Wahab Riaz (31) added 84 for the eighth wicket but still NBP trailed their opponents by 190 runs.

Fit-again Asad Ali (5-53) and Samiullah Khan Niazi (4-55) shared the bowling honours for SNGPL.

Batting again, NBP went to stumps at 132-4, still 58 runs away from making SNGPL bat again on Tuesday’s final day.

Close of play scores and results on Monday (day three of four):

At Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi: ZARAI TARAQIATI BANK LIMITED 179 in 43.5 overs (Mohammad Khalil 57; Aizaz Cheema 4-83, Tahir Khan 2-20, Kamran Sajid 2-22, Najaf Shah 2-30) and 262-4 in 52 overs (Imran Nazir 144 not out, Luqman Butt 30 not out; Najaf Shah 3-53); PAKISTAN INTERNATIONAL AIRLINES 502 in 110.1 overs (Sarfraz Ahmed 165, Tahir Khan 141 not out, Faisal Iqbal 44; M. Imran Khan 5-113, Mohammad Khalil 3-125).

At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi: United Bank Limited beat Khan Research Laboratories by six wickets.

KHAN RESEARCH LABORATORIES 76 in 39.4 overs (Usman Salahuddin 21 not out; Atif Maqbool 6-22, Kashif Bhatti 2-12, Tariq Haroon 2-16) and 234 in 78.5 overs (Usman Salahuddin 65, Ali Khan 65; Kashif Bhatti 5-72, Atif Maqbool 4-114); UNITED BANK LIMITED 153 in 68.2 overs (Mohammad Wajihuddin 50, Ali Asad 35; Saeed Anwar Jr 5-26, Nayyar Abbas 3-50, Rahat Ali 2-28) and 158-4 in 55.3 overs (Saeed bin Nasir 42 not out, Mohammad Zohaib 40, Khaqan Arsal 26 not out; Yasir Ali 2-35).

At Marghazar Cricket Ground, Islamabad: Water and Power Development Authority beat Habib Bank Limited by 10 wickets.

HABIB BANK LIMITED 180 in 68.5 overs (Jamal Anwar 33, Rameez Aziz 30, Hasan Raza 28, Younis Khan 19; Azhar Attari 4-57, Mohammad Haseeb 3-31, Zulfiqar Babar 2-54) and 131 in 40.3 overs (Aftab Alam Khan 30; Mohammad Naeem 4-19, Azhar Attari 3-39, Mohammad Haseeb 2-32); WATER AND POWER DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY 252 in 76 overs (Ahmed Said 76 not out, Ayaz Tasawwar 46, Riffatullah Mohmand 30; Aslam Qureshi 5-63, Ehsan Adil 2-85) and 60-0 in 10.2 overs (Mohammad Ayub Dogar 37 not out, Ali Rafiq 21 not out).

At National Cricket Ground, Islamabad: Pakistan Television beat State Bank of Pakistan by five wickets.

STATE BANK OF PAKISTAN 178 in 58.2 overs (Mohammad Saad 97, Rizwan Haider 36; Rizwan Akbar 5-48, Mohammad Ali Bhutta 4-54) and 112 in 38/1 overs (Rizwan Haider 45, Umair Khan 25, Kashif Siddique 22; Rizwan Akbar 5-41, Mohammad Ali Bhutta 3-29, Mohammad Abbas 2-33); PAKISTAN TELEVISION 159 in 48.1 overs (Yasim Murtaza 49 not out, Imran Ali 41; Tabish Khan 4-57, Mohammad Naved 3-41) and 135-5 in 32.4 overs (Nawaz Ahmed 52, Zeeshan Mushtaq 36 not out; Tabish Khan 3-34).

At Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad: SUI NORTHERN GAS PIPELINES LIMITED 394 in 120.4 overs (Ali Waqas 127 not out, Khurram Shehzad 76, Naeemuddin 63, Samiullah Khan Niazi 41, Adnan Akmal 35; Hammad Azam 3-66, Ataullah 3-75, Wahab Riaz 2-91); NATIONAL BANK OF PAKISTAN 204 in 48 overs (Hammad Azam 87, Wahab Riaz 31; Asad Ali 5-53, Samiullah Khan Niazi 4-55) and 132-4 in 39 overs (Fawad Alam 48 not out, Umar Waheed 34, Kamran Akmal 20 not out; Samiullah Khan Niazi 2-39).