SHARJAH: After a high-octane clash earlier on Saturday, the 2017 HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) provided an enthralling encounter at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in which Islamabad United snatched a last-ball victory over Peshawar Zalmi by five wickets.

In sharp contrast to the run-galore game between Lahore Qalandars and Quetta Gladiators which yielded a staggering combined tally of 402 for the loss of just eight wickets, the night fixture on the same pitch churned out a different game altogether with 14 wickets tumbling for 273 runs. But Dwayne Smith was the one man standing out for the reigning champions to make the difference between winning and losing. The out-of-favour West Indies opener steered his team home by finishing on a splendid 72 with his 59-ball contribution adorned with six boundaries and four sixes.

Ex-Australian all-rounder Shane Watson (30 off 22 balls, two sixes and one four) lent Smith tremendous company until he was run out while attempting a second run that would have sealed the match. But his sprawling dive was short of the crease. However, Amad Butt duly got the all-important single on the final delivery of the night, from Junaid Khan.

The outcome also saw Islamabad swap places with Peshawar into second spot on the standings with six points, a point behind new leaders Quetta Gladiators.

Earlier, the powerful Peshawar batting line-up never exploded against the disciplined Islamabad bowling and no other managed to reach even 30 with England limited-overs skipper Eoin Morgan’s run-a-ball 28 being the highest of their innings.

There were only four sixes for Peshawar with Shahid Afridi smashing a brace of them against his former Pakistan team-mate Mohammad Sami off successive deliveries in the 16th over. Islamabad’s reply included seven sixes. Sami’s outstanding haul of 3-26 earned the man-of-the-match award ahead of Smith.

Scoreboard

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Tamim Iqbal c Misbah b Rumman 4
Kamran Akmal lbw b Shadab 19
Mohammad Hafeez c Misbah b Irfan 10
E.J.G. Morgan c Irfan b Shadab 28
Sohaib Maqsood c and b Sami 0
Shakib Al Hasan c Sami b Amad 5
D.J.G. Sammy c Sami b Rumman 20
Shahid Afridi c Rumman b Sami 17
Wahab Riaz b Sami 23
Hasan Ali not out 1
Junaid Khan not out 1

EXTRAS (W-8) 8
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 136
FALL OF WKTS: 1-17, 2-28, 3-45, 4-46, 5-66, 6-78, 7-109, 8-134, 9-134.
BOWLING: Mohammad Irfan 4-0-31-1; Mohammad Sami 4-0-26-3 (1w); Rumman Raees Khan 4-0-19-2; Shadab Khan 4-0-26-2 (2w); Watson 2-0-25-0; Amad Butt 2-0-9-1.

ISLAMABAD UNITED:

D.R. Smith not out 72
Riffatullah Mohmand c Kamran b Junaid 11
B.J. Haddin lbw b Hasan 2
S.W. Billings b Wahab 11
Misbah-ul-Haq c Wahab b Shakib 5
S.R. Watson run out 30
Amad Butt not out 1

EXTRAS (W-3, NB-2) 5
TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs) 137
FALL OF WKTS: 1-12, 2-15, 3-45, 4-73, 5-136
DID NOT BAT: Shadab Khan, Mohammad Sami, Rumman Raees Khan, Mohammad Irfan.
BOWLING: Hasan Ali 4-0-17-1; Junaid Khan 4-0-49-1 (1nb, 2w); Shakib Al Hasan 4-0-24-1; Wahab Riaz 4-0-21-1 (1nb, 1w); Shahid Afridi 4-0-26-0.

RESULT: Islamabad United won by five wickets.
UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and R.K. Illingworth (England).
TV UMPIRE: Asif Yaqoob (Pakistan).
MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees (Pakistan).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Mohammad Sami.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2017