KARACHI: After trouncing Zarai Taraqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL) by 186 runs in the previous round of the President’s Trophy Grade-I National Cricket Championship, Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) will be aiming to extend their lead in the standings when they face minnows United Bank in the sixth round from Thursday.

With four rounds left, Misbah-ul-Haq’s men have put themselves in pole position to make the Dec 3-7 final. After playing United Bank at the Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, SNGPL’s remaining fixtures are relatively tough against PIA, Habib Bank and State Bank.

The winless United Bank, in contrast, find themselves battling for survival as they are rooted at second from bottom in the standings with four defeats in five matches, only ahead of first-class newcomers Port Qasim Authority (PQA).

Habib Bank, who led the standings until PIA ended their four-match winning streak on Monday, will be out to bounce back when they meet fourth-placed Khan Research Laboratories (KRL) in Rawalpindi.

Shahid Afridi, who announced a couple of days ago that he will be making a rare first-class appearance in a desperate bid to regain some form, won’t be featuring against KRL because of a family commitment.

But according to Habib Bank’s sports department chief Abdul Raqeeb, the hard-hitting all-rounder is likely to play against United Bank in the Nov 14-17 tie at the Pindi Cricket Stadium.

PIA, on the other hand, have the momentum to carry forward in their coming match at the Diamond Club Ground in Islamabad against ZTBL, who despite having a number of star-studded figures in their lie-up have just one win — against National Bank in the second-round tie in Sialkot almost a month ago.

Shoaib Malik was the star performer against Younis Khan’s Habib Bank in his first appearance of the championship with vital contributions of 56 and an undefeated 94. The former Pakistan captain is one of several players under the selectors’ radar for next month’s limited-overs tour of India after a lacklustre display at the ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka.

National Bank and Wapda who scored their first wins in the competition in the fifth round will be seeking to press home their advantage against State Bank and PQA, respectively over the next four days.

National Bank only just defeated PQA last time out and cannot afford another hiccup against State Bank at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

Wapda won clinically against United Bank and are again hot favourites to repeat that act against PQA at the Iqbal Stadium.

Sixth-round fixtures (Nov 8-11): National Bank v State Bank (Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore); Port Qasim Authority v Wapda (Iqbal Stadium, Faisalabad); PIA v ZTBL (Diamond Club Ground, Islamabad); SNGPL v United Bank (Pindi Cricket Stadium, Rawalpindi); KRL v Habib Bank (KRL Stadium, Rawalpindi).