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Dubai: Peshawar Zalmi pulled off a dramatic last-ball victory over Islamabad United in the 21st match of the Pakistan Super League at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday night.
Peshawar, chasing Islamabad’s 176 runs in 20 overs, needed 22 runs off the last 12 balls.
In the last over from Islamabad skipper Mohammad Sami, Peshawar needed 14 runs.
Despite Peshawar losing Darren Sammy to the fifth ball, run out for 40, to end the 89-run partnership with Liam Dawson in 8.2 overs, birthday boy Dawson gifted his team a sensational four-wicket win by hitting the required four runs off the last ball through a straight boundary.
Dawson and Sammy’s exciting chase erased Islamabad’s Cameron Delport’s brilliant knock of 71 runs off 55 balls with eight fours and one six.
Dawson returned to the pavilion as the hero of the day through an unbeaten 52 off 35 balls with three boundaries and as many sixes.
Peshawar had put Islamabad into bat and opener Luke Ronchi began aggressively by hitting Hasan Ali for a boundary off the first ball through cover point. The second ball too he edged wide of Sammy for another boundary.
Young leg-spinner Ibtisham Shaikh struck with the first ball of the second over by having Ronchi play into the hands Umar Amin at covers for nine.
Next man Philip Salt fell on 28 to a fantastically well-judged sliding catch near the midwicket boundary line by Andre Fletcher to give Shaikh his second wicket.
Delport reached his 50 in 41 balls and with Chadwick Walton put on 73 runs in 6.3 overs for the third wicket before Walton attempted a paddle scoop and got bowled to Wahab Riaz for 22.
In the last five overs, Islamabad lost seven wickets for 44 runs. In the death overs they lost five wickets in seven balls,
Chasing the total, Kamran Akmal and Andre Fletcher gave a breezy start. Akmal hit Sami for a boundary and Rumman Raees for a six in the third over.
Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar ended Akmal’s knock by having him caught by Shadab Khan, who despite colliding with Walton held the catch at cover for 19.
In the seventh over, Shadab dismissed Fletcher by having him caught behind for 21. Imam-ul-Haq and Umar Amin could add only 11 runs in the next two overs before Shadab trapped Haq leg before for 15.
In the 10th over, Faheem Ashraf removed Amin for 6 to push the team to 71 for 4. In the last ten overs, Peshawar needed 99 runs. Kieron Pollard, the hero of their last match win over Multan joined Dawson but lasted only five balls to score one run before being stumped by Ronchi off Gohar. Dawson hit Ashraf for three sixes and a boundary in the 13th over to take 27 runs off that over. There after it was Dawson-Sammy thrilling chase towards the target.
Brief scores:
Peshawar Zalmi bt Islamabad United by four wickets.
Islamabad United 176 all out (20 overs): Delport 71, Salt 28; Hasan 2-24, Riaz 2 for 20
Islamabad United 177-6 (20 overs): Dawson 52n.o, Sammy 40; Zafar Gohar 2-40, Shadab 2-21
