LAHORE: The third round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I 2025-26 concluded with Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) returning to winning ways after their setback against WAPDA in the previous round.
SNGPL sealed a 48-run victory over State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) at the State Bank Stadium, wrapping up the contest in just seven balls on the fourth morning as they claimed the last two wickets for five runs.
Overnight batter Qasim Akram, who resumed on 33 not out, was dismissed for 37 off 58 balls, while Shehzad Gul added a sixth wicket to his innings and an 11th overall in the match. His figures of 11 for 91 were the best of his first-class career, earning him joint player-of-the-match honours alongside centurion Azan Awais. The victory lifted SNGPL to second place on the points table with 59 points, behind leaders WAPDA, while PTV followed in third with 49 points after three rounds.
The fixture between Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) and Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) ended in a stalemate at the NBP Sports Complex. Chasing 275, KRL reached 82 for 2 in 22 overs before the teams agreed to a draw. Left-handed opener Shahzaib Khan remained unbeaten on 45 off 63 balls, striking five fours and two sixes, while Imran Rafiq held firm with 10 not out off 43 deliveries to deny OGDCL any chance of forcing a result.
Earlier in the day, OGDCL’s Mohammad Sarwar Afridi registered his third first-class century, scoring 115 off 175 balls with nine fours and three sixes. Resuming on 90, Afridi anchored the innings as OGDCL added 178 runs for their last six wickets to post 377 all out. Contributions came from Danish Aziz (70), skipper Adil Amin (55), and Muhammad Imran (25), while KRL’s Arshad Iqbal claimed four wickets and Ahmed Bashir three. KRL had earlier posted 347 in their first innings, with Waqar Ahmed (81), Saad Baig (80), and Imran Rafiq (54) leading the charge. Afridi’s century earned him the player-of-the-match award.
Pakistan Television (PTV) defeated Ghani Glass by 88 runs at the National Bank Stadium, with Amad Butt named player of the match. At the UBL Sports Complex, Water and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) crushed Sahir Associates by an innings and 32 runs, thanks to a standout performance from Mohammad Ammar, who was adjudged player of the match.
