Finance, P&IP, Freight and Machinery qualified for the semifinals of the 12th Kanoo Inter-Division League, Western Province, for 2008-09. In the semifinals, Finance will take on P&IP while Freight clash with Machinery. In the 5th week matches, Commercial trounced Machinery by 6 wickets and Freight sank Travel by 21 runs. Machinery started well with openers Panduka (32 - 3 fours, 1 six) and Mushtaq (20 - 2 fours) accelerating from the word go. Waqar and Indika did well before Commercial bowlers Irfan T (2-37) and Irfan Jr (2-32) struck vital blows to restrict it to 143-5 in 15 overs. In reply, Commercial lost 2 wickets in quick succession but Riyaz (22 - 2 fours, 1 six) and Irfan Jr (51 - 3 fours, 3 sixes) continued the run flow. Asif and Irfan Pasha ensured it experienced no further hiccups. Commercial won its first league match after losing 3 consecutive matches but was unable to qualify for the semifinals due to lower net run rate. Man of the Match: Irfan Jr of Commercial. Freight started its innings briskly with Oliver (48 - 4 fours) and Donald (19) putting up an opening partnership of 48 runs in 4 overs. Then came Fazal who smashed 3 sixes and 3 fours in his quickfire 39. He was supported by Ashfaq (36 - 2 fours, 1 six) to enable the team reach a formidable total of 171 in 15 overs. Oliver carried his bat with some patient batting at one end. Travel bowlers toiled hard to take wickets as Junaid, Ibad and Ali Reza got one wicket each. In reply, Travel lost 2 quick wickets but Junaid (40 - 5 fours, 2 sixes), Aleem (26 - 1 six), Ibad (32 not out - 4 fours) and Muteeb (26 - 2 fours, 2 sixes) played extremely well before they were rattled by Ashfaq (2-37), Hameen (2-27), Jayasuriya and Donald. Travel ended at 150-6 in 15 overs to give Freight a comfortable win by 21 runs. Man of the Match: Oliver of Freight. In the 6th week matches, Finance downsized Machinery by 30 runs while P&IP dumped Travel by 3 wickets. Finance slumped to 40-3 but Tasneem stroked 2 fours in his 18 and was supported by Jerome (22 - 2 fours) before Sami Khan joined the party.Sami Khan, who is in fabulous form, ripped the bowling attack and slashed 4 fours and 10 sixes (including 5 off consecutive balls) in his well-made 81. Machinery bowlers Suresh picked 4 wickets and Ashwaq chipped in with 2 to halt Finance at 196-7 in 15 overs. In reply, Machinery lost an early wicket but Panduka (33 - 3 fours, 2 sixes) and Tarish (32 - 1 fours, 3 sixes) batted well. Later Prakash Rai came in and played a cameo innings of unbeaten 49 not out (4 fours, 3 sixes) while wickets tumbled at the other end. Sami Khan picked 3-27 and Qaisar took 2-51 to give Finance a clean sweep of league matches and top the table. Man of the Match: Prakash Rai of Machinery. Travel started well but lost vital wickets in quick succession. Arif (33 - 2 fours), Ibad (15 - 1 six) and Moidu (24 not out - 2 fours, 1 six) played well but had no answer to the accurate P&IP attack. Travel folded up for a paltry 122 in 15 overs. P&IP skipper Shafi took 3-35 and one vital wicket each by Vasi, Ibrahim and Matheen. In response, P&IP openers Razi (24 - 1 fours, 1 six) and Liyakat (30 not out - 2 fours) and Matheen (28 - 3 fours, 2 sixes) helped the team reach the target in 10.3 overs. P&IP after losing its first two matches came back strongly to win the next two and qualify for the semifinals. Travel's Ali Reza (3-28) and Ibad (2-33) were only the successful bowlers. Man of the Match: Liyakat of P&IP. __
