KRL, SBP clinch fourth-round victories in President’s Trophy Grade-I

KARACHI: Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) and State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) won their respective fourth-round matches of the President’s Trophy Grade-I here on Wednesday.

At the KCCA Stadium, SBP clinched a narrow one-wicket victory over the Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA), while KRL outclassed defending champions Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) by four wickets.

Set to chase a modest 145-run target on the final day, the SBP had to make hard yards as they lost nine wickets in the process.

Number nine batter Kashif Bhatti was the standout performer for them with the bat as he top-scored with a 47-ball 42, hitting four fours and two sixes.

Naqeebullah led the bowling charge for WAPDA with four wickets for 67 runs in 17.2 overs and ended up taking seven wickets in the match, while right-arm pacer Ali Raza took three wickets.

The one-wicket victory lifted SBP to the top of the President’s Trophy Grade-I standings with 84 points in four matches, while WAPDA remained at the bottom with 28 points.

At the State Bank Stadium, KRL handed the defending champions their third defeat in the tournament as they chased down the 207-run target in 53 overs at the cost of six wickets.

Resuming the pursuit from an overnight score of 81/3, KRL had soon slipped to 93/4 but Muhammad Awais Zafar, who came out to bat at number six, kept his side in the hunt with a crucial half-century.

Awais top-scored for KRL in the run chase with an unbeaten 71 off 77 with the help of seven fours and three sixes.

For SNGPL, Test pacer Rahat Ali and Saad Khan bagged two wickets each, while Haris Rauf and Qasim Akram chipped in with one dismissal apiece.

The four-wicket victory marked KRL’s first in the tournament and it lifted them to the fifth position in the standings, closely followed by SNGPL in sixth spot.