Ali and Haq star as Peshawar crush Karachi in PSL

Riding on opener Imam Ul Haq’s half century and his 76 runs partnership in 8.3 overs for the fifth wicket with Liam Dawson, who hit 43 off 33 balls with four boundaries and a six, Peshawar had posted a challenging 153 for 8. Haq top scored with 56 off 43 balls with five boundaries and a six.

Through a fine display of accurate bowling, Ali restricted Karachi to 109 for 9. Karachi thus slipped to their second successive defeat too after their loss to Lahore on February 16 in Dubai.

Karachi won the toss and elected to field. In the second over, Aamer Yamin got opener Kamran Akmal clean bowled through the gates, for a duck. Opener Imam Ul Haq hit Yamin for a straight six in the same over. Mohammad Amir bowled a tight third over giving away just four runs. Haq stepped out and hit Usman Shinwari for a boundary in the next over. Amin again bowled a tight over and the first five overs produced just 25 runs.

Umar Amin and Haq managed one boundary each in the sixth over but still runs did not flow as Peshawar wanted. However they added 44 runs in 5.5 overs before off spinner Sikander Raza had Amin stumped by wicketkeeper Mohammad Rizwan for 1 in the eighth over. In the same over he also clean bowled Wayne Madsen for a duck.

Much was expected off Kieron Pollard but Karachi skipper Imad Wasim clean bowled him for a duck. At the half way mark, Peshawar were 56 for 4.

Liam Dawson joined Haq and kept the score board moving. In the 12th over Dawson hit Raza for a boundary to end the absence of a boundary for five overs. Dawson also hit Raza for a six in the 14th over. Peshawar reached the 100 run mark in 15.1 overs and the pair recorded their 50 runs partnership in 40 balls. Haq reached his 50 too in 38 balls. The pair went on to add 76 runs in 8.3 overs before Dawson got caught and bowled by Shinwari for 43. Shinwari also clean bowled Haq for 56.

Skipper Darren Sammy, hitting 17 runs off the last over from Yamin, including a last ball six, ensured that his team cross the 150 run mark and remained unbeaten on 24.

Karachi got off to a disastrous start. Hasan Ali trapped opener Karachi opener Liam Livingstone leg before with the first ball. In the third over, an agile Ali had Babar Azam run out for 1 while attempting a single off an appeal for leg before. When Wahab Riaz too had Ben Dunk caught behind for 12, Karachi were tottering at 15 for 3 in 3.3 overs.

Colin Ingram and Sikandar Raza took the score to 43 when Ingram got run out for 21 off a direct hit at non strikers end by Haq from mid-wicket. At the half way mark, Karachi were only 53 for 4 with the asking rate mounting to 10 runs an over.

To make it more difficult for Karachi, Umaid Asif clean bowled Sikandar Raza for 14. Karachi skipper Imad Wasim and Mohammad Rizwan fought hard to find runs. In the last five overs, Karachi needed 74 runs from the last five overs. Wasim and Rizwan took the score from 55 for 5 to 104 when Ali had Wasim caught by Umar Amin at deep mid-wicket for 26. He also picked the wickets of Amir and Yamir in the same over to sink Karachi to a huge defeat.

Brief scores

Peshawar Zalmi bt Karachi Kings by 44 runs. Peshawar Zalmi 153 for 8 in 20 overs (Imam Ul Haq 56, Liam Dawson 43, Darren Sammy 24n.o, Usman Shinwari 2 for 36, Sikandar Raza 2 for 23) Karachi Kings 109 for 9 in 20 overs (Colin Ingram 21, Imad Wasim 26, Mohammad Rizwan 32n.o. Hasan Ali 4 for 15)