Dubai: Restricting the strong Karachi Kings batting line up to a paltry 118 for 7 in 20 overs, Peshawar Zalmi recorded a seven-wicket win in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) second edition at the Dubai International stadium.
Eoin Morgan, through a swashbuckling unbeaten knock of 80 runs off 57 balls with eight boundaries and three sixes, steered Peshawar to victory with nine balls to spare.
Peshwar won the toss and elected to field. Karachi got off to a horrendous start. Opener Shahzaib Hasan lifted Mohammad Hafeez’s third delivery of the first over without getting to the pitch of the ball offered an easy catch to Chris Jordan at deep long on for a duck.
Next man Babar Azam fell to a brilliant catch by skipper Darren Sammy to the third ball of the second over from Hasan Ali. Azam on 5, slashed hard and Sammy dived full length to the right and pulled off a spectacular catch.
Much was expected off Karachi skipper Kumar Sangakkara but he lasted only six balls to score five runs. He pulled Jordan to Hafeez at square leg. Worse was to follow with Chris Gayle on 2 also falling in the fifth over, trapped leg before by Hafeez.
Four wickets down for 12 runs in 4.4 overs, Ravi Bopara and Shoaib Malek began the repair act. Slowly but steadily they picked runs and by the 10th over the score reached 48. The pair put on 59 runs in 10.4 overs when Bopara lost his concentration and hit left-arm spinner Mohammad Asghar to Jordan at long off for 33 runs.
Kieron Pollard began by lifting Ashgar for a straight six. Malek too hit an identical shot off Ashgar’s last ball of the over for another six. Shahid Afridi dropped Malek at square leg on 37 when the batsman miscued a pull off Hasan Ali. Wahab Riaz then had Malek caught behind at 44 to an angling delivery in the 18th over.
Pollard steered Karachi past the 100 run mark by pulling Jordan for a six and remained unbeaten on 27 off 14 balls with two boundaries and two sixes.
Chasing a target of 118 in 20 overs at a run rate of 5.90,opener Mohammad Hafeez for the second day in succession fell for a duck. Mohammad Amir produced a beauty with the fourth ball of the first over to trap him leg before. Kamran Akmal, who cracked a brilliant 88 runs against Islamabad United on Thursday, too fell for a duck miscuing a shot to mid on.
Eoin Morgan hit Sohail Khan for two successive boundaries in the fourth over. Dawid Malan chipped in with 22 runs before hitting to Babar Azam at deep mid wicket. The pair had put on 46 runs in 6.5 overs.
Morgan then took control and with Harish Sohail (13n.o) steered the team safely to the target by putting on a 71 runs unbeaten partnership in 9.4 overs.
