LAHORE: A captain’s knock by in-form Misbah-ul-Haq steered Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) to the President’s Cup One-day tournament semi-finals as they registered a crushing 76-run win against the National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) at the LCCA ground here on Saturday.
The bankers, the only unbeaten side in group ‘A’ before this match, were surprisingly restricted to 186 for seven in their 50 overs while chasing 263.
Though the pitch was batsmen-friendly but even the star-studded NBP could not pose a threat to SNGPL who were playing under a must-win situation for making the last-four stage. Despite this loss, NBP will accompany SNGPL to the semi-finals from group ‘A’ with six points each.
A strong NBP batting line-up comprising the likes of Nasir Jamshed, Kamran Akmal, Fawad Alam and Hammad Azam could not live up to the expectations.
Nasir was run out in the very first over for a duck with no score on the board. Kamran (36 off 39 balls, six fours) did try to accelerate the innings with Sami Aslam (18, 44 balls) but the Pakistan Test wicket-keeper failed in completing the job as he was trapped lbw by Pakistan’s T20 skipper Mohammad Hafeez at the total of 57.
While Sami and Umar Waheed (three) fell victims to medium-pacer Bilawal Bhatti as NBP slipped to 71-5, in-form Hammad (one) was also dismissed by Hafeez caught by Misbah.
In a last-ditch attempt, skipper Fawad (58 not out off 93 balls, three fours) with Mohammad Nawaz accumulated 88 runs in their sixth-wicket stand, lifting the total from 71-5 to 159-5. But Nawaz departed at the total of 159 when he was run out by Azhar Ali for a 62-ball 57 featuring seven fours. Wahab Riaz (two) was then sent back by Samiullah as the NBP slid to 171-7 and eventually ended at 186-7 off their 50 overs quota.
Hafeez (2-29) and Bilawal (2-35) were the key wicket takers.
Earlier, Misbah decided to bat first.
Taufiq Umar (40, 59 balls, five fours) after losing Hafeez at the total of 28, stabilised the innings with Azhar Ali (47, 64 balls, five fours) adding 64 runs for the second wicket.
Misbah again rose to the occasion with a well-made 60-ball 79, cracking six fours and four sixes. Pakistan’s Test and ODI captain continued his rich batting form when no recognised batsman was left. Misbah fell at the total of 241 caught by Nawaz off Imran Khan.
Medium-pacer Wahab Raiaz finished with three for 61, while Imran took two for 54.
Meanwhile, in another group ‘A’ match which had no bearing on the semi-finals line-up, Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) overcame the Port Qasim Authority (PQA) by 40 runs at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Despite a fine century by Umar Amin (112 off 100 balls), the PQA could not overhaul the 313-run target and were bowled out with 15 balls to spare.
Umar struck 11 fours during a 163-minute stay at the crease. From the tail Aariz Kamal (57, 72 balls, four fours) also provided Umar good support as both of them added 115 runs for the sixth wicket but all in vain in the end. Opener Shahzaib Hasan (48, 36 balls, eight fours, two sixes) was the only other notable scorer for the PQA.
Nauman Ali (3-40), Saeed Anwar Jr (3-42) and Yasir Arafat (2-58) were the main wicket takers.
Earlier, KRL’s top five batsmen produced useful knocks as they amassed 312 for seven in 50 overs.
Opener Zain Abbas (67, five fours, 75 balls), Shoaib Ahmed (53, 45 balls, six fours), Ali Nadeem (34, 52 balls, four fours), Saeed Anwar Jr (33, 20 balls, three fours, two sixes) and Tayyab Riaz (31, 47 balls, four fours) were prominent among the run makers.
Summarised scores:
At LCCA ground, SNGPL bt NBP by 76 runs at LCCA ground.
SNGPL 262-9 in 50 overs (Misbah-ul-Haq 79, Azhar Ali 47, Taufiq Umar 40; Wahab Riaz 3-61, Imran Khan 2-54); NBP 186-7 in 50 overs (Fawad Alam 58 not out, Mohammad Nawaz 57, Kamran Akmal 36; Mohammad Hafeez 2-29, Bilawal Bhatti 2-35).
At Gaddafi Stadium, KRL bt PQA by 40 runs.
KRL 312-7 in 50 overs (Zain Abbas 67, Shoaib Ahmed 53, Saeed Anwar Jr 33, Tayyab Riaz 31; Abdur Rauf 2-50); PQA 272 in 47.3 overs (Umar Amin 112, Aariz Kamal 57, Shahzaib Hasan 48; Nauman Ali 3-40, Saeed Anwar Jr 3-42).