KARACHI: Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) took contrasting semi-final routes to qualify for the final of the fourth Naya Nazimabad Ramazan Cup at the Lawai Cricket Stadium here on Monday night.

In the first semi-final, giant-killers Dawood Sports proved no match for SNGPL who coasted smoothly to a 70-run victory.

Batting first, SNGPL reached 181-7 with Mohammad Imran hitting 62 off 49 balls with the aid of three sixes and two fours. Asif Ali bludgeoned a hurricane 33 off only 15 balls with three sixes and two fours, while Bilal Asif scored a 20-ball 25, which included a brace of sixes.

Off-spinner Mahmood Ali claimed three for 35.

Dawood Sports, in reply, were dismissed inside 17 overs for 111 with Arsalan Bashir scoring 34. All-rounder Hussain Talat’s medium-pacers fetched him four wickets for 23 runs. Imran completed a brilliant all-round game by taking 3-31.

The second semi-final was a cliff-hanger before SNP edged Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) by four wickets in a low-scoring clash.

SSGC were tottering at 32-5 before a 66-run partnership between left-handed Mohammad Irfan (51 off 36 balls, five sixes and two fours) and veteran all-rounder Tariq Haroon (20 off 24, one six and one four) took them to 98-6 before last four wickets fell for only three runs.

SBP’s reply was also disappointing before Mohammad Afzal smashed a splendid unbeaten 43 in 29 balls with three towering sixes and two boundaries to settle the issue.

Summarised scores:

SBP beat SSGC by four wickets.

SSGC 101 in 17.3 overs (Mohammad Irfan 51, Tariq Haroon 25; Zahid Mahmood 2-10, Asif Fawad 2-16) SBP 103-6 in 18.1 overs (Mohammad Afzal 43 not out, Kamran Ghulam 15; Zia-ul-Haq 2-19, Asif Zakir 1-18), SNGPL beat Dawood Sports by 70 runs.

SNGPL 181-7 in 20 overs (Mohammad Imran 62, Asif Ali 33, Bilal Asif 25; Mahmood Ali 3-35, Mohammad Asad 2-42); Dawood Sports 111 in 17 overs (Arsalan Bashir 34, Shiraz Ali 29; Hussain Talat 4-23, Mohammad Imran 3-31).

Published in Dawn, July 6th, 2016