LAHORE, March 7: Former Test leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed led from the front to guide National Bank into the semi-finals of the Patron's Trophy with a 53-run victory over Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) with a day to spare at the Sheikhupura Stadium on Monday.

Mushtaq grabbed five for 27 in 14.1 overs while young pace man Mohammad Asif took four for 43 as KRL folded up for 110 in the second innings while chasing a moderate target of 164. Mushtaq finished with a haul of eight for 61 in the match with Asif returning seven for 123.

Earlier, National Bank added 46 runs to their overnight tally of 176 for six with Naumanullah perishing for 86 to off-spinner Saeed Ajmal who claimed five for 41.

By taking six points in this last round 'must-win' fixture, the bankers emerged as the runners-up in Pool 'B' with 15 points and will travel to Karachi to face Pool 'A' champions PIA in the semi-final at the National Stadium.

SCOREBOARD

NATIONAL BANK (1st Innings) 132.

KRL (1st Innings) 191 (Saeed Anwar Jr 51; Zahid Saeed 4-58).

NATIONAL BANK (2nd Innings, overnight 176-6):

Imran Javed b Yasir 2

Faisal Athar b Yasir 8

Naumanullah b S. Ajmal 86

Qaiser Abbas c Ali Naqvi b Yasir 0

Akhtar Sarfraz lbw b Yasir 0

Mohammad Javed b S. Ajmal 34

Imran Nazir c Ali Naqvi b S. Ajmal 9

Zahid Saeed not out 38

Naeem Ahmed st Zulfiqar b S. Ajmal 2

Mushtaq Ahmed c Ali Naqvi b S. Ajmal 10

Mohammad Asif lbw b Yasir 1

EXTRAS (B-12, LB-17, NB-3) 32

TOTAL (all out, 90 overs) 222

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-17, 3-23, 4-23, 5-103, 6-113, 7-193, 8-197, 9-207.

BOWLING: Jaffar Nazir 16-4-40-0 (1nb); Yasir Arafat 15-2-42-5 (1nb); Ali Naqvi 13-5-26-0 (1nb); Saad Janjua 11-4-26-0; Saeed Ajmal 23-7-41-5; Saeed Anwar Jr 12-3-18-0.

KRL (2nd Innings):

Saeed Anwar Jr lbw b Asif 2

Mohammad Saleem b Asif 24

Asif Iqbal lbw b M. Javed 0

Ali Naqvi lbw b Asif 35

Saeed bin Nasir lbw b Mushtaq 11

Intikhab Alam b Mushtaq 9

Yasir Arafat c sub b Mushtaq 10

Zulfiqar Jan c Naeem b Asif 10

Jaffar Nazir c Faisal b Mushtaq 2

Saad Janjua st Naeem b Mushtaq 0

Saeed Ajmal not out 0

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-1, W-1, NB-5) 9

TOTAL (all out, 39.1 overs) 110

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-4, 3-59, 4-74, 5-84, 6-93, 7-98, 8-110, 9-110.

BOWLING: Mohammad Asif 16-3-43-4 (1w); Mohammad Javed 8-1-32-1 (5nb); Mushtaq Ahmed 14.1-4-27-5; Qaiser Abbas 1-0-5-0.