Sharjah
Sharjah: Luke Ronchi, Sahibzada Farhan and Samit Patel thrashed Karachi Kings bowling attack to steer Islamabad United to an emphatic seven-wicket win with 23 balls to spare in the 13th match of the Pakistan Super League at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. It was Islamabad’s second successive win and third victory in this league as Karachi Kings slipped to their third defeat.
Put into bat by Islamabad, Karachi could muster only 143 for 6 in 20 overs due to fine spell from Faheem Ashraf, who took three wickets for 26 runs. Ben Dunk top scored for Karachi with an unbeaten 49 off 32 balls with three boundaries and two sixes but his effort went in vain.
Chasing the score, Ronchi and Farhan (30) put on 80 runs in eight overs for the second wicket. Ronchi then partnered Patel and added another unbeaten 62 runs in 7.1 for the fourth wicket to ensure the easy victory. Ronchi, who was in full flow from start, remained unbeaten on 67 off 35 balls with eight boundaries and three sixes while Patel remained unconquered on 45 off 30 balls with six boundaries and a six.
Karachi kept losing wickets at regular intervals from the start. Off the third ball of the first over, Rumman Raees had Colin Munro caught by Hussain Talat at deep backward square leg for a duck. Off the second ball of the fourth over, Awais Zia got caught by Samit Patel at short fine leg off Mohammad Musa for 3.
In the fifth over, Faheem Ashraf picked his first wicket by forcing Colin Ingram to pull to Rumman Raees for 5. When Babar Azam too got run out off a fine throw from Patel at short third-man, Karachi were struggling at 51 for 4 at the half way mark.
Liam Livingstone and Ben Dunk added 28 runs in 4.5 overs when Faheen Ashraf produced a double strike in the 14th over. He forced Livingstone to edge the ball on to his stumps for 22. With the next ball he also forced Karachi skipper Imad Wasim to play on to his wicket.
With only five more overs to go, Karachi were 80 for 6. Dunk and Aamer Yamin steered them past the 100 run mark in 17 overs. They posted 69 runs in the last 6.1 overs.
Chasing the total, Islamabad too lost an early wicket, when Cameron Delport got run out to the fifth ball of the first over through an accurate throw from Colin Munro at mid-on for a duck. Opener Ronchi went for his shots and hit Usman Shinwari for two sixes in the fourth over. He also punched Imad Wasim off his backfoot to bring in his 50 runs partnership with Sahibzada Farhan. Ronchi also stepped down to hit Wasim into the crowd in the seventh over.
Farhan, who provided good support for Ronchi by adding 80 runs in eight overs got clean bowled by Wasim for 30. Next man Hussain Talat got stumped by wicketkeeper Dunk off Wasim to the next ball.
Samit Patel joined Ronchi and began to attack. He hit Usman Shinwari for a two boundaries and a six in the 13th over.
Brief scores:
Islamabad United bt Karachi Kings by 7 wkts. Karachi Kings 143 for 6 in 20 overs. (Babar Azam 27, Liam Livingstone 22, Ben Dunk 49, Faheem Ashraf 3 for 26) Islamabad United 147 for 3 in 16.1 overs (Luke Ronchi 67n.o, Sahibzada Farhan 30, Samit Patel 45n.o, Imad Wasim 2 for 27) Man of the match: Luke Ronchi.
