Haris Rauf steers Northern to National T20 final.

LAHORE -- Northern beat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by three runs in a last over thriller at Faisalabad's Iqbal Stadium to secure a spot in the final of the National T20 Cup.

Northern fast-bowler Haris Rauf defended eight runs in the last over, taking three wickets in process, of the first semi-final. Haris started the over by taking the wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed, the top-scorer of the run-chase with 53 from 45 balls. Musadiq Ahmed (0 off 1), Zohaib Khan (5 off 5) and Mohammad Mohsin, who was run-out, were the other three wickets to fall in the over.

Northern had set a target of 149 after being asked to bat by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa captain Mohammad Rizwan. Opener Umar Amin scored a 33-ball 43, hitting four fours and a six, and stitched a 50-run stand for the third-wicket with wicketkeeper-batsman Rohail Nazir, who scored run-a-ball 21. Asif Ali was the other notable run-getter as he scored 28 runs from 16 balls with two sixes and a four. With five wickets for just 13 runs in four overs, Usman Shinwari was the star...