Northern register second consecutive win
Captain Nauman Ali's match haul of 10 wickets helped Northern beat Sindh by 128 runs at UBL complex in Karachi. Northern had the upper hand throughout the match. Northern had 111-run lead in the first innings and then set a target of 423, making 311 for 6 declared, thanks to centuries from Sarmad Bhatti (108) and Hammad Azam (100*).
Sindh made a sloppy start to their chase of the big target, losing four of their batsmen for 77. Saud Shakeel was the bright spot for Sindh as gave them hope scoring 174, but his contribution went in vain as Nauman ran through the rest of the line-up, bundling them out for 294.
This is Northern's second successive win and they are currently second on the table with 52 points, while South Punjab leading with 55 points.
The contest was marred by controversies, with Sindh captain Sarfaraz Ahmed being fined 35 per cent match fee for using inappropriate language against an umpiring decision and senior batsman Asad Shafiq fined 20 per cent of his match fee for showing dissent towards umpire.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spinners provide first win of the season
South Punjab were undone by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa spinners Khalid Usman and Sajid Khan, who combined to take 15 wickets to lead their side to a 75-run win at the National Bank of Pakistan Sports Complex in Karachi.
When South Punjab were set 263 to win in the fourth innings, Usman and Sajid never let them settle on a spin-friendly track, skittling South Punjab out for 187. It is KP's first win of the season, following a couple of rounds where they were beaten by Balochistan and only managed a draw against Sindh.
It was a game of fine margins until then. Mohammad Abbas took his 11th ten-wicket haul as KP went on to take a slender lead of 16 runs in the first innings, and when the contest entered the final day, Southern Punjab required another 250 runs with all ten wickets at their disposal. They were dealt an early blow, though, with captain Hussain Talat, who scored 131 in the first innings, dismissed by Sajid cheaply, and Umar Siddiq's 56 was the only half-century in the innings. In the absence of a partnership that chipped away at the total, the two spinners continued to make inroads and intensify the pressure, ultimately condemning Southern Punjab to a defeat. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa walked away from the game with 22 points while Southern Punjab managed just five.
Azhar Ali 95* as Central Punjab draw with Balochistan
With 55 required to win in the last hour at the National Stadium in Karachi, and with Azhar Ali at the crease and three wickets remaining, Central Punjab ended up drawing the match against Balochistan. The captain spent over 250 minutes in the middle and missed what could have been a significant knock to lift his side, who are sitting at bottom of the table with two defeats.
Earlier in the game, Amad Butt's 6 for 57 helped Balochistan to a 55-run lead in the first innings after Central posted 306. Central bowlers had a better outing in the second innings, bowling Balochistan out for 213 with left-arm spinner Ahmed Safi Abdullah picking 4 for 31. Central Punjab had nearly three sessions to chase down a target of 269. Azhar being around would have given them some hope, but as three wickets quickly fell in the final session, the captain batted cautiously with the tail and finished with an unbeaten 95.