Dubai: Islamabad United snapped debutants Multan Sultans winning run with a five-wicket victory in the sixth match of the Pakistan Super League at the Dubai International Stadium.
Multan, who recorded impressive victories in their last two matches, produced a shoddy batting performance. Though bowled out for 113, they reduced Islamabad to 63 for 5 at the half-way stage. Hussain Talat scored a crucial unbeaten 48 and with Faheem Ashraf (12 not out) put on an invaluable 54 runs in 7.1 overs to ensure the victory with 14 balls to spare.
Earlier, Islamabad won the toss and elect to bowl. They removed the consistent Kumar Sangakkara early with Rumman Raees, leading the team for the second match in succession due to an injury to captain Misbah Ul Haq, inducing an edge behind the wicket from the Sri Lankan ace.
Sangakkara, who had hit two successive half centuries, fell for just six runs to the first ball of the third over.
Like Sangakkara, next man Darren Bravo too fell for six, lasting only five balls.
Mohammad Sami forced Bravo to go for a short-arm pull and the resulting top edge found Steven Finn at backward square leg. Sami then made Shoaib Maqsood aim a shot to the midwicket region but again a top edge flew to Raees running in from mid-on, who took an excellent catch. Maqsood lasted only four balls.
Ahmad Shehzad and captain Shoaib Malek took the score to 31 but Finn forced Shehzad to top-edge to substitute fielder Amad Butt at fine leg. All eyes turned towards Kieron Pollard, hoping he would lift Multan out of trouble.
Pollard and Malek added 54 runs for the fifth wicket before Andre Russell trapped Pollard leg before for 28 while attempting a cross-batted flick.
Two overs later, Russell bagged the prize wicket of Malek for a run-a-ball 35 runs when young Shahab Khan pulled off a brilliant catch at backward point. Sohail Tanvir got run out for 9 while rest of the batsmen too fell quickly to be bowled out for 113.
Raees bowled brilliantly to return with figures of 3 for 14.
Islamabad got off to a bad start losing opener Luke Ronchi, who played the third ball of the first over from Mohammad Irfan, into the hands of Pollard at first slip for a duck.
Shahibzada Farhan and Chadwick Walton took the score to 37 by the fifth over when Multan introduced their strike bowler and leg spinner Imran Tahir. He struck right away by castling Farhan for 9. A well-set Walton was also sent back by Junaid Khan for 27, the ball settling into the hands of Shehzad at backward point.
At the half-way mark, Islamabad needed 51 more runs but Asif Ali departed to the second ball of the 11th over, caught behind by Sangakkara off Tahir for 11. Tahir struck again to trap Andre Russell leg before for a duck.
With half the side back in the pavilion, Islamabad struggled for runs. Malek introduced himself and Hussain Talat, on 11 at the time, escaped being stumped by Sangakkara.
Islamabad inched towards the target despite needing just 28 runs off the last 30 balls.
Talat went on to play some beautiful shot, including a six over long off to a Tanvir delivery.
