Multan Tigers beat Karachi Zebras by one wicket with just two balls to spare, in an exciting match at Karachi. The Zebras crashed to their fourth straight defeat in the ABN-AMRO Cup while Multan gained their first win in three matches.
Choosing to bat first, the Zebras scored a challenging 290 in 49 overs with Naumanullah scoring a brilliant century. He scored 112 off 124 balls, with six fours and three sixes, and was involved in a 106-run stand for the sixth wicket with Wasim Naeem. Wasim hammered 72 off just 53 balls, including six fours and two sixes, and took the score from 147 for 5 to beyond the 250 mark.
Saeed Anwar jnr, the Multan opener, started with a knock of 64 off 56 balls with 13 boundaries while Kamran Hussain took only 41 deliveries for his 45. Later, Bilal Khilji kept the tempo up with 57 off 45 balls with four fours and two sixes.
Atiq-ur-Rehman hit a splendid 114 to lead the Sialkot Stallions to victory in their fourth round ABN-AMRO Cup match against Peshawar Panthers by five wicketsat Karachi.
Having been asked to bat first, the Panthers were bowled out for 246 in 48.3 overs and the Stallions were home in 47.1 overs. Atiq, the 21-year-old from Gujranwala scored his third century in domestic limited overs cricket, his 114 coming off 136 balls with 13 fours and a six. After Imran Nazir had perished for a first-ball duck, Atiq added 91 for the fourth wicket with Shahid Yousuf (49).
Earlier, Jannisar Khan and Akhtar Sarfraz produced useful half-centuries for Peshawar, with Wajahatullah Wasti chipping in with 43. Jannisar hit 51 while Akhtar, coming in at No.7, took only 56 deliveries to contribute an unbeaten 52. Akhtar and Fazl-e-Akbar, with 26 off 11 balls, hammered 48 for the last wicket in a little more than four overs. Mansoor Amjad, the teenaged leg-spinner finished with 4 for 66 in 8.3 overs for the Stallions.
Lahore Eagles enhanced their chances of making the Gold League final as they beat Rawalpindi Rams by five wickets in a low-scoring ABN-AMRO Cup match at Karachi.
Rawalpindi, sent in to bat first, were dismissed for a modest 128 in 41.2 overs. Rawalpindi's Yasir Arafat bowled his fast-medium intelligently and very economically, conceding only nine off his eight overs and picking up three wickets. Lahore reached the target comfortably in the 40th over.
The Eagles were five down with only 57 on board in the 24th over. Arsalan Mir and Jahangir Mirza then stemmed the rot, as their unbroken sixth-wicket stand produced 73 in the next 15 overs and took the Eagles to a welcome win, moving to second place in the points table.
Arsalan, who had earlier taken 3 for 41 in 10 overs with his medium pace, hit an unbeaten 45 while Jahangir scored an unbeaten 32.
All three fourth-round Silver League matches in the ABN-AMRO Cup to be played on Wednesday between Abbottabad Rhinos and Hyderabad Hawks, Lahore Lions and Islamabad Leopards and Karachi Dolphins and Quetta Bears were washed out due to heavy rains at all three centres. All six teams involved had to be content with gaining two points each.