LAHORE, Oct 8: An all-round performance by Kamran Younis helped defending champions Sialkot Stallions enter the final of the National Twenty20 Cup for the consecutive third time after defeating Lahore Lions by six runs in a low-scoring second semi-final at the Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday night.

Set to score 118 for victory, the Lions were restricted to 111-6, despite lusty hitting from Waqas Ahmed in the closing stages.

Despite boasting a good batting line-up of Salman Butt, Nasir Jamshed, skipper Mohammad Yousuf, Kamran Akmal and Ahmed Shahzad, the total looked getable. But except for Salman (32 off 38 balls, one six and one four) and Waqas (31 off 12 balls, three sixes and two fours), no one could excel.

Yousuf again failed to prove he is suitable for this type of cricket as he scored 17 only off 34 balls with one four. Though Waqas tried to make a match of it by striking three sixes and two boundaries, it was too late.

Earlier, Kamran, who picked up two for 16, made 36 off 54 balls with two boundaries. Ayub Dogar (21, two fours) was the only other major scorer as the Stallions reached 117-6. Spinner Sohail Ahmed bowled well to finish with three for 22 while Waqas also excelled with the leather taking two wickets for 17 runs.

Scoreboard

SIALKOT STALLIONS:

Kamran Younis c Umar b Sohail 36

Naeemuddin c and b Imran 1

Ayub Dogar c Kamran b Waqas 21

Shoaib Malik c Umar b Waqas 2

Qaiser Abbas st Kamran b Sohail 3

Adeel Malik c Wahab b Sohail 10

Abdul Rehman not out 16

Mansoor Amjad not out 12

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, W-7, NB-4) 16

TOTAL (for six wkts, 20 overs) 117

DID NOT BAT: Shakeel Ansar, Sarfraz Ahmed, Kashif Raza,

FALL OF WKTS: 1-8, 2-51, 3-56, 4-62, 5-78, 6-88.

BOWLING: Wahab Riaz 4-0-25-0; Imran Ali 4-0-25-1; Mohammad Khalil 4-0-23-0; Waqas Ahmed 4-0-17-2; Sohail Ahmed 4-0-22-3.

LAHORE LIONS:

Salman Butt c Kashif b Kamran 32

Nasir Jamshed c Shakeel b Sarfraz 0

Ahmed Shahzad lbw b Kashif 0

Mohammad Yousuf c Kamran b Shoaib 17

Sohail Ahmed b Kamran 3

Umar Akmal not out 8

Kamran Akmal c Mansoor b Rehman 12

Waqas Ahmed not out 31

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-6) 8

TOTAL (for six wkt, 20 overs) 111

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-10, 3-51, 4-56, 5-58, 6-79.

DID NOT BAT: Imran Ali, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Khalil.

BOWLING: Sarfraz Ahmed 4-0-18-1; Kashif Raza 4-1-17-1; Abdul Rehman 4-0-44-1; Shoaib Malik 4-0-14-1; Kamran Younis 4-0-16-2.

RESULT: Sialkot Stallions won by six runs.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Kamran Younis.