LAHORE, Dec 13: Pakistan defeated host Thailand by a narrow margin of two runs, in the fifth Asia Cup Baseball championship being held in Bangkok.

Asjad Mahmood, displayed a superb performance getting 27 players out for seven runs in nine innings.

Pakistan made an unsteady start, not scoring any runs in the first innings, while Thailand took the lead first by scoring a run in its second innings.

Pakistan scored two runs in the second innings through Shahzad Anwar and Lateef Moughal to overcome the lead and go ahead 2-1.

Thailand restored the parity in the third innings by scoring one run.

No runs were scored in the fouth innings by either side. Thailand again made it 4-3 by scoring two runs in the fifth innings while Pakistan could score only one run through Shahzad.

Pakistan came back in the match by gaining 6-4 lead in the sixth innings as Lateef, Saqib Butt and Basit Murtaza scored one run each. Pakistan increased the lead (8-4) by collecting two more runs in the seventh innings through Aashiq Hussain and Nasir Butt. The visitors scored one run in the ninth innings.

Thailand scored the remaining three runs in the seventh, eighth and ninth innings.

Pakistan play Sri Lanka in the next match.