LAHORE: After 38 matches across eight rounds, it all comes down to the final round to determine the two Quaid-e-Azam Trophy finalists — and the two sides that will miss next year’s first-class season.

Table-toppers and defending champions Sialkot (149) lead wild-card entrants Karachi (138) by 11 points, while last year’s finalists Peshawar and Faisalabad are tied on 132 points apiece.

In the final-round match-ups, Sialkot and Karachi will go head-to-head at the Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium. At the same time, Faisalabad will meet eighth-placed Bahawalpur at the Marghzar Cricket Ground, and Peshawar will face seventh-placed Islamabad at the Diamond Cricket Ground.

With 17 points separating the top four sides — and 16 points available for an outright win, plus bonus points for first innings, batting, and bowling — even Sialkot can miss out on a final berth depending on Karachi’s performance against the reigning champions and how Peshawar and Faisalabad fare in their respective matches.

Sialkot enter the final round having won four of their last five games, while Karachi are riding a three-match winning streak. Faisalabad have also won four of their last five, whereas Bahawalpur have won their last two.

Peshawar suffered back-to-back losses in the fifth and sixth rounds before recovering to win their next two matches. They will take confidence into their match against a struggling Bahawalpur, whose only win in the tournament came in the fifth round.

While the top four sides fight an intriguing battle for the two final spots, the bottom four will be clashing tooth and nail to finish eighth or higher and avoid relegation from next year’s event.

Islamabad go into the final league match on 78 points, followed by Bahawalpur (75), Multan (73) and Abbottabad (67). With only 11 points separating these four and plenty still available, anything is possible in this survival scrap.

In the final round, Islamabad face Peshawar, Bahawalpur take on Faisalabad, and Multan and Abbottabad lock horns in a battle between the bottom two.

The eight rounds have produced outstanding individual performances, and teams will once again look to their top performers for one final push — either towards the final or away from relegation.

Bahawalpur’s Saad Khan leads the batting charts with 836 runs, including three centuries and three half-centuries. He now has the added incentive of scoring 164 more against Faisalabad to complete 1,000 runs in Pakistan’s premier first-class tournament.

Karachi’s Mirza Saad Baig is close behind with 833 runs (four centuries, two half-centuries), while Islamabad’s ShamylHussain is the third batter past the 800-run mark with 823 (three centuries, four half-centuries).

Two other batters — Shahzaib Khan of Abbottabad and Azan Awais of Sialkot — have crossed 700 runs. Shahzaib has 760 (three centuries, two half-centuries), while Azan has 754 (three centuries, three half-centuries).

Among the bowlers, Multan’s Ali Usman leads with 38 wickets. Unfortunately for Multan, his strong showing has not been enough to lift them out of the relegation zone.

Ali is followed by Karachi’s Saqib Khan (37 wickets), Lahore’s Mohammad Abbas (32) and Abbottabad’s Khalid Usman (29).

Ninth round fixtures:

Sialkot v Karachi, Shoaib Akhtar Cricket Stadium

Lahore v FATA, Imran Khan Cricket Stadium

Multan v Abbottabad, Abbottabad Cricket Stadium

Faisalabad v Bahawalpur, Marghzar Cricket Ground

Islamabad v Peshawar, Diamond Cricket Ground