President's Trophy final: Aamer Jamal's 7-32 and fifty win Markhor IT Solutions their first title, by 51 runs over SBP

Markhor IT Solutions (MITS) won the President's Trophy Grade-I final in Lahore on Friday 30 October, beating State Bank of Pakistan (SBP) by 51 runs for their first first-class title. Aamer Jamal was player of the match with 7 for 32 in the first innings, 55 in the second and one more wicket at the end, ESPNcricinfo reported.

The scorecard

The final, played at the Bagh-e-Jinnah ground and scheduled for five days from 27 October, ended on the fourth morning.

How it was won

Bowlers ran this match from the first session. MITS were bowled out for 112 on the opening day, and SBP took a 60-run lead with 172 even though Jamal ripped through their order. In the second innings MITS rebuilt around Tariq's 85, and Jamal's half-century lower down the order pushed the target to 237, a big chase on a pitch where no side had passed 300.

SBP's Raza fought with 73, but Usman's four wickets and Jamal's late strike left them 51 short.

Why Jamal's week matters

The performance came less than a week after Jamal was left out of Pakistan's Test squad for the series against Sri Lanka. Eight wickets and a fifty in a final is the kind of evidence selectors are asked about, and it adds to the case for an allrounder who can bowl seam and bat at No. 8.

The bigger picture

The final was moved to Lahore earlier this month (our story), in a season when the departmental tournament also had to move matches from Peshawar and Abbottabad.

Pakistan's men are back in action today in the ODI tri-series final against Sri Lanka at 1pm PKT at the Gaddafi Stadium (preview). For results of the whole series, see our tri-series page.