LAHORE, July 7: Rawalpindi qualified for the final of PCB-Pepsi-Imran inter-regional cricket tournament after  defeating Lahore by 85 runs in the last Group ‘A’ match at Gaddafi Stadium on Monday.

Rawalpindi won all the four matches to qualify for next Monday’s final at the same venue against Group ‘B’ champions Karachi.

Rawalpindi were set a target of 156 which they  achieved  for the  loss  of four wickets in 35.2 overs.  Their  openers  Fawad Hussain (38 with seven fours) and Asif Mumtaz (25) provided a good start of 42. Hafiz Waqas also batted well to score 33.

Off-spinner Usman Malik took two for 20.

Earlier, Lahore, who suffered a stunning defeat to the lowly-rated Mianwali on Sunday, managed a total of 155 in 39.3 overs.

Off-spinner Qamar Abbas and leg-spinner Samiullah claimed  two wickets each for 22 and 11 runs, respectively.

In  the second match which was of academic  nature,  Peshawar registered  their  first  victory of  the  tournament,  defeating Faisalabad by 85 runs at LCCA Ground.

Summarised scores:

Rawalpindi beat Lahore by six wickets.

LAHORE 155 in 39.3 overs (Omar Akmal 27, Mohammad  Asif 24, Mohammad Shahzada 20; Qamar Abbas 2-22, Samiullah 2-11);

RAWALPINDI 156-4 in 35.2 overs (Fawad Hussain  38,  Asif Mumtaz 25, Hafiz Waqas 33; Usman Malik 2-20).

Peshawar beat Faisalabad by 85 runs.

PESHAWAR 209-9 in 40 overs (Imranullah 46 not out, Naved Khan  38,  Tariq Afridi 27, Najeebullah 25; Raheel  Safdar  3-24, Mubashir Zaman 2-31, Nayyar Abbas 2-49);

FAISALABAD 124 in 33.5 overs (Ali Khan 41; Sajid  Saeed 2-30, Fahad Zaman 2-16).