SHARJAH: Ravi Bopara’s magnificent all-round display enabled Karachi Kings to record a hard-earned 27-run win over Lahore Qalandars in the PSL match here at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday.

Right-handed Bopara, after stroking a 43-ball unbeaten 71 studded with four sixes and three boundaries to help Karachi post a solid 178-5, destroyed Lahore’s resolute chase with an impressive six-wicket haul, giving away just 16 runs from his four overs.

Chris Gayle returned to action after a two-match rest due to a back strain. The left-handed big hitter, opening the Lahore innings with Cameron Delport, put on 98 runs in 11 overs, before Delport (55) was stumped by Mushfiqur Rahim off Usama Mir. Delport hit seven boundaries and two sixes during his 37-ball stay.

Bopara removed Gayle with his first ball of his first over, making him top-edge to Rahim for 37. Dwayne Bravo fell for a duck in the same over with Mir Hamza taking a diving catch at deep cover.

In the last five overs, Lahore needed 59 runs

but Bopara took the next four wickets in succession to win the match almost single-handedly for the Kings.

Earlier, Lahore Qalandars won the toss and elected to field. Karachi shuffled their batting order with skipper Shoaib Malik and Nauman Anwar opening the batting. They put on 54 runs in 6.4 overs before Nauman fell for 35 runs.

Anwar’s knock came off 25 balls and had two boundaries as well, before he fell to a catch at long-on by Umar Akmal off Zohaib Khan.

James Vince quickly followed, hitting Zohaib to Bravo straight to cover. Bopara then walked in and put on 33 runs in 4.2 overs with Malik. After Gohar made Malik hit him to Delport at long-off for 27, and Shakib Al Hasan fell, slog-sweeping Gohar to Bravo for 9, Bopara hit Gohar for two sixes in the 17th over.

Bopara also hit Bravo for a straight six to reach half-century in 36 balls. He put on 39 runs in the last 17 balls with Mushfiqur Rahim (10 not out).

Scoreboard

KARACHI KINGS:

Nauman Anwar c Umar b Zohaib35 Shoaib Malik c Delport b Zafar27 J.M. Vince c Bravo b Zohaib7 R.S. Bopara not out71 Shakib Al Hasan c Bravo b Zafar9 Imad Wasim c Delport b Cooper11 Mushfiqur Rahim not out10

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-6, NB-1)8

TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs)178

FALL OF WKTS: 1-54, 2-62, 3-95, 4-109, 5-139.

DID NOT BAT: Sohail Tanvir, Sohail Khan, Usama Mir, Mir Hamza.

BOWLING: Ehsan Adil 4-0-32-0 (2w); Bravo 4-0-47-0; Cooper 4-0-28-1 (1w); Zohaib Khan 4-0-35-2 (1w); Zafar Gohar 3-0-26-2 (1w); Delport 1-0-9-0 (1nb, 1w).

LAHORE QALANDARS:

C.H. Gayle c Mushfiqur b Bopara37 C.S. Delport st Mushfiqur b Usama55 Umar Akmal c Shakib b Bopara19 D.J. Bravo c Mir Hamza b Bopara0 Mohammad Rizwan b Bopara12 Hammad Azam lbw b Bopara0 Naved Yasin c Malik b Bopara0 K.K. Cooper not out10 Zafar Gohar b Sohail Khan1 Zohaib Khan not out10

EXTRAS (W-7)7

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs)151

FALL OF WKTS: 1-98, 2-98, 3-99, 4-122, 5-122, 6-122, 7-132, 8-134.

DID NOT BAT: Ehsan Adil.

BOWLING: Shoaib Malik 4-0-25-0; Sohail Khan 4-0-30-1 (3w); Sohail Tanvir 3-0-30-0; Usama Mir 4-0-33-1 (2w); Mir Hamza 1-0-17-0 (1w); Bopara 4-0-16-6.

RESULT: Karachi Kings won by 27 runs.

UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and J.S. Wilson (West Indies).

TV UMPIRE: Shozab Raza (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees (Pakistan).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Ravi Bopara (Karachi Kings).

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2016