KARACHI, March 4: Quetta Bears caused a major shock in the National One-day Cup Division II segment when they moved into the semi-finals at the expense of fancied Karachi Zebras with a 33-run victory at the NBP Sports Complex here on Sunday.

With reigning champions Lahore Eagles already through to the last-four stage with three straight wins in Group ‘B’, the Bears also chalked up their third successive success to qualify for the knockout phase of the event.

After being restricted to 195-9 by the Zebras, who chose to field first, the Bears hit back strongly to bowl out their opponents for 162 in the 46th over.

In the other fixture, which was already reduced to an academic affair, Multan Tigers ended their run of three consecutive defeats with a 46-run win over Hyderabad Hawks at the Niaz Stadium in Hyderabad.

Skipper Naved Yasin led from the front to smash 92 from 81 deliveries as the Tigers piled up 270-6 after being sent into bat by the Hawks captain Mir Ali Talpur. Naved adorned his fine innings with seven fours and one six.

Opener Aamir Yamin also had a good match. After scoring a 69-ball 59 (nine fours and one six), he claimed three for 60 with his medium-pacers as the Hawks stumbled to 224 all out in 45.5 overs.

The Hawks did well to cross the 200-run mark after being reduced to 83-5 with Ali Akbar doing most of the damage with the new ball as he grabbed three for 37 in 10 overs.

Meanwhile, the position in Group ‘A’ remains unclear as Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) escaped a defeat after their fixture against United Bank Limited (UBL) was hit by rain before ending in no result. KRL, electing to bat first, were all out for only 159 after the game was reduced to a 40-over affair. Former Test opener Ali Naqvi made 57.

But before UBL could began their innings, further rain then curtailed their chase to 135 in 29 overs under Duckworth/Lewis Method. The bankers had advanced to 87-2 when the heavens opened again to bring the game into a premature end.

The other match in this group, between Peshawar Panthers and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited at the Arbab Niaz Stadium in Peshawar, has been put back until Monday for unspecified reasons.

Results: Group ‘A’: At KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi: KRL v UBL – no result (rain).

KRL 159 in 39.1 overs (Ali Naqvi 59, Saeed Anwar Jr 33; Kashif Bhatti 3-25, Rumman Raees Khan 2-26, Misbah Khan 2-43); UBL 87-2 in 18 overs (Saeed Mutabir 29 not out, Tahir Mughal 28; Saeed Anwar Jr 2-20).

Group ‘B’: At NBP Sports Complex, Karachi: Quetta Bears beat Karachi Zebras by 33 runs.

QUETTA BEARS 195-9 in 50 overs (Taimur Khan 41, Ata-ur-Rehman 39, Taimur Ali 36; Sohail Khan 3-30, Tabish Khan 2-42); KARACHI ZEBRAS 162 in 45.2 overs (Akbar-ur-Rehman 69, Saeed bin Nasir 34, Faraz Ahmed Khan 26; Arun Lal 3-23, Mohibullah 2-28).

At Niaz Stadium, Hyderabad: Multan Tigers beat Hyderabad Hawks by 46 runs.

MULTAN TIGERS 270-6 in 50 overs (Naved Yasin 92, Aamir Yamin 59, Maqbool Ahmed 38, Najam Abbas 37; Zahid Mahmood 2-54); HYDERABAD HAWKS 224 in 45.5 overs (Ghulam Yasin 66, Mir Ali Talpur 34, Zahid Khan 26, Rizwan Ahmed 26, Ayaz Jamali 21; Ali Akbar 3-37, Aamir Yamin 3-60, Mohammad Waris 2-35).