Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) won the battle of former champions when they thrashed Habib Bank by seven wickets in a final round match of the 17th National One-day Championship at the Jinnah Stadium, Sialkot, according to information made available here on Thursday.

The bankers, put into bat, were skittled out for 140 in 45.2 overs. PIA, after initial hiccups, achieved victory in 28.3 overs with seven wickets to spare.

The bankers never recovered after the first-ball duck by Tahir Rasheed and a needless run-out of Salim Elahi to collapse to 49 for five after 11 overs.

Farhan Adil (29) and Naveed Anjum (25) briefly halted the rot but once the partnership was broken, it was all over for Habib Bank.

PIA pacer Ali Gohar picked up the wickets of three top Habib Bank batsmen, including an in-form Salim Malik, to finish with three for 38. Left-arm spinners Zahid Ahmad (three for 26) and Nadeem Khan (two for 22) were the other successful bowlers.

The National carriers, in their target chase, suffered the loss of Shoaib Mohammad (0) and Javed Qadeer (15) early in the innings. But Ghulam Ali (35), Zahid Fazal (40 not out with five fours) and Asif Mujtaba (38 with four boundaries and a six) steered PIA to victory.