KARACHI: Defending champions Sialkot, who have already qualified for the tournament final from Pool A, consolidated their position further at the top of the table, as they defeated Islamabad by an innings and five runs on the final day of their sixth-round 2008-09 National Inter-Region Under-19 Three-day Cricket Championship match, at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad on Monday.

Islamabad were restricted to a score of 207-9 in their 83 overs in the first innings and Sialkot replied with 392-8 to take a big lead of 185 runs. Islamabad were bowled out for 180 runs in their second innings.

The win gave Sialkot a total of 45 points from their five matches, of which they have won all. They still have a game in hand in the seven-team pool in the seventh round.

Islamabad stayed at the bottom of the ranking, with a mere three points from their five matches. Of these, they have lost two and drawn three.

The Sialkot win was set up by their left-handed middle-order batsman Ayaz Tasawwar, who played a brilliant innings of 179 runs, off a mere 167 balls in just over three and a half hours with the help of 22 fours and two sixes.

At the Lahore City Cricket Association (LCCA) Ground in Lahore yesterday, in another Pool A match, Abbottabad came from behind to beat Lahore Ravi by a convincing 78 runs margin.

Lahore Ravi, with a score of 145, had in fact taken a 37 runs first innings lead. Abbottabad then scored 195 runs in their second outing. Chasing a modest target of 159, Lahore Ravi crashed to a poor 80 all out.

While Lahore pace bowler Azhar Attari returned a match haul of 10 wickets for 111 runs (5-48 and 5-63), Abbottabad’s left-arm medium-fast Ikramullah Khan was equally devastating.

Ikramullah also bagged 10 wickets in the match, with figures of six for 46 and four for 29 in the two innings.

Scores: Islamabad 207-9 in 83 overs (Mohammad Ijaz 30, Umair Mir 99; Mohammad Abbas 4-70) and 180 in 52 overs (Ghulam Murtaza 35, Sarmad Bhatti 37; Bilawal Bhatti 4-58, Fawad Mughal 3-36). Sialkot 392-8 in 83 overs (Yasir Ali 39, Yasir Aziz 48, Ayaz Tasawwar 179, Nasir Iqbal 46, Kaleem Ahmed 34).

Abbottabad 108 in 31.5 overs (Azhar Attari 5-48, Abdul Ghaffar 5-29) and 195 in 80.1 overs (Zia-ur-Rehman 59; Azhar Attari 5-63). Lahore Ravi 145 in 52.3 overs (Jumma Khan 33, Siddiq Khan 63; Farooq Ahmed 4-47, Ikramullah Khan 6-46) and 80 in 32.3 overs (Farooq Ahmed 3-33, Ikramullah Khan 4-29, Irad Ali 3-16).