Zalmi still breathing as Kamran blitz gets them past Kings

SHARJAH: Peshawar Zalmi opener Kamran Akmal plays a shot during their Pakistan Super League match against Karachi Kings at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Thursday.—Courtesy PCB

SHARJAH: Peshawar Zalmi kept their playoff aspirations in the HBL Pakistan Super League very much alive after the defending champions completed a desperately-sought victory against Karachi Kings by 44 runs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium here on Thursday.

Currently languishing in the fifth place, Peshawar are still not yet out of the woods and must beat Lahore Qalandars in the penultimate fixture of the league phase on Friday afternoon to get into the top-four.

The champions dominated Karachi who made early intrusion on the third ball of a pleasant afternoon, after Darren Sammy opted to bat first. The casualty upfront was Mohammad Hafeez when a wild heave across the line cost him dear.

The Peshawar innings was a tale of two halves. Kamran Akmal was their hero after a narrow escape on 32, as Colin Ingram grassed a simple catch at sweeper cover as the wicket-keeper/batsman tried an inside shot against Usama Mir, the leg-spinner playing his first game this season.

Kamran, however, gained in confidence to blast 75 from only 51 deliveries with six sixes being his most productive strokes, while also managed to strike three fours. It was left to Usman Khan Shinwari — who had bowled with brilliant control and picked up three wickets for 11 runs in his four overs — to end what was a scintillating innings via the help of Ravi Bopara when Kamran got overambitious and went to clear the long-off boundary at the far end.

After he exited at 118-4 in the 16th over, the stage was set for Saad Nasim and Sammy to give Peshawar the impetus they had been searching for. Saad, playing his first game in this edition, justified himself by bludgeoning 35 off 18 balls (four fours and two sixes) and helped his captain put on 42 in a matter of only 11 deliveries.

Sammy finished off in style. Having thrashed a hat-trick of sixes off Mohammad Irfan Jr during his partnership with Saad, the powerful striker hit another at the back plus two fours in reaching 36 off 15 balls as Peshawar posted a challenging 181-6.

Karachi’s reply really didn’t merit a mention when they limped to 137-8 and not being able to break the shackles throughout the innings. Babar Azam, whose ability as T20 batsman needs drastic improving when it comes to the rate of his scoring, batted through into the 17th over but only got to 66, a 50-ball effort laced by 40 runs in boundaries — four sixes and as many fours — bit the strike-rate of 132 never caused Peshawar to get panic.

Liam Dawson spun his way to miserly analysis of 3-17 with Wahab Riaz and Umaid Asif both chipping in with a brace as well before Kamran stepped forward to claim the man-of-the-match for his third half-century in the event as Peshawar live to fight another day.

Scoreboard

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Mohammad Hafeez b Usman 0
Kamran Akmal c Bopara b Usman 75
D.R. Smith c Babar b Afridi 15
M.H. Wessels c Usman b Bopara 11
Saad Nasim b Usman 35
D.J.G. Sammy not out 36
L.A. Dawson b Amir 2

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-4, NB-1) 7

TOTAL (for six wkts, 20 overs) 181

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-47, 3-81, 4-118, 5-160, 6-181.

DID NOT BAT: Umaid Asif, Hasan Ali, Wahab Riaz, Sameen Gul.

BOWLING: Mohammad Amir 4-1-33-1; Usman Khan Shinwari 4-0-11-3; Mohammad Irfan Jr 3-0-46-0 (1nb); Usama Mir 3-0-34-0; Shahid Afridi 4-0- 34-1; Bopara 2-0-17-0.

KARACHI KINGS:

Babar Azam c Dawson b Wahab 66
J.L. Denly c Umaid b Hasan 0
C.A. Ingram b Wahab 0
E.J.G. Morgan c Saad b Dawson 5
R.S. Bopara c sub b Dawson 7
Shahid Afridi c sub Dawson 26
Mohammad Rizwan c Sameen b Umaid 16
Usama Mir b Umaid 9
Mohammad Irfan Jr not out 0

EXTRAS (B-5, LB-3) 8

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 137

FALL OF WKTS: 1-15, 2-27, 3-40, 4-62, 5-92, 6-118, 7-137, 8-137.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Amir, Usman Khan Shinwari.

BOWLING: Hasan Ali 4-0-20-1; Sameen Gul 4-0-43-0; Wahab Riaz 4-0-26-2; Dawson 4-0-17-3; Umaid Asif 4-0-23-2.

RESULT: Peshawar Zalmi won by 44 runs.

UMPIRES: Ahmed Shahab (Pakistan) and Shozab Raza (Pakistan).

TV UMPIRE: Asif Yaqoob (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees (Pakistan).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Kamran Akmal.

Current standings

(Tabulated under played, won, loss, no result, points, net run-rate):