Karachi pull off 10-run win over Peshawar

Dubai: Karachi Kings pulled off an exciting 10-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi in front of their home crowd at the National Stadium on Friday. Despite Karachi posting 201-4, through Babar Azam, who cracked 78 runs off 56 balls with seven boundaries and two sixes backed by his skipper Imad Wasim’s quick 50 off 30 balls, Peshawar chased through Liam Livingstone’s unbeaten 54 and skipper Darren Sammy’s 30 runs. They put on 62 runs in 5.1 overs but a brilliant last over by Umaid Asif, giving away just five runs, gave Karachi the victory.

Peshwar won the toss and elected to field. Karachi opener Sharjeel Khan, returning to cricket after his ban in the 2017 spot fixing scandal, scored 19 runs off 11 balls before hitting high to Shoaib Malek at mid-on off Hasan Ali.

Next man Cameron Delport and Azam added 48 runs for the second wicket before Delport got bowled to a googly from leg spinner Mohammad Mohsin for 20. Azam raced to his 50 jn 38 balls and with his captain Imad Wasim swelled the total. Karachi went past the 150 run mark in 15.2 overs. At the score on 171 for 3 in 17.5 overs, Azam got run out for after putting on 97 runs with Wasim in 9.1 overs. Wasim reached his half century in 29 balls but fell next ball to brilliant diving catch by Malek at long off.

Iftikhar Ali, hitting two sixes and a boundary off Hasan Ali ‘s last three balls of the last over, steered Karachi past the 200 run mark to remain unbeaten on 16.

Peshawar got off to a poor start with Chris Jordan trapping opener Tom Banton leg before for 13 and clean bowling Haider Ali for 4. Malek hit 16 runs off 12 balls before being run out. In the 10th over, Kamran Akmal who was stroking well got bowled by Delport for 43.

In the last ten overs, Peshawar needed 119 runs

On Thursday night, defending champions Quetta Gladiators got off to a winning start in the opening match of the fifth edition of the Pakistan Super League at the National Stadium in Karachi by defeating Islamabad United by three wickets. Islamabad posted 168 in 19.1 overs and Quetta reached

the target in 18.3 overs despite losing seven wickets. Quetta’s nineteen-year-old pacer Mohammad Hasnain with a fine a spell of 4 for 25 was responsible for checking Islamabad’s run flow after Dawid Malan had scored 64 off 40 balls.

Chasing the target, Quetta lost three wickets for 26 runs before 21-year-old Azam Khan played a match winning knock of 59 off 33 balls with five boundaries and three sixes. Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed chipped in with 21 and Mohammad Nawz (23) before Ben Cutting scored an unbeaten 22 off 12 balls to ensure the victory.

Brief scores

Karachi Kings bt Peshawar Zalmi by 10 runs Karachi 201 for 4 (Babar Azam 78, Cameron Delport 20, Imad Wasim 50, Hasan Ali 2 for 52) Peshawar 191 for 7 in 20 overs (Kamran Akmal 43, Liam Livingstone 54n.o, Liam Dawson 22, Darren Sammy 30, Chris Jordan 2 for 39, Umaid Asif 2 for 23) Man of the match: Babar Azam

Quetta Gladiators bt Islamabad United by 3 wkts Islamabad 168 in 19.1 overs (Luke Ronchi 23, Dawid Malan 64, Faheem Ashraf 20, Sohail Khan 2 for 21, Mohammad Hasnain 4 for 25, Ben Cutting 3 for 21) Quetta 171 for 7 in 18.3 overs (Sarfaraz Ahmad 21, Azam Khan 59, Mohammad Nawaz 23, Ben Cutting 22n.o, Muhammad Musa 3 for 30) Man of the match: Mohammad Hasnain