KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi gained invaluable practice for the HBL Pakistan Super League’s playoff phase as they brushed aside Karachi Kings here at the National Stadium on Monday night with ridiculous ease in the last of a hectic 30-match preliminary round schedule.

The result, however, had no bearing on the final team standings, barring Zalmi toppling Quetta Gladiators from the No.1 slot. Both franchises will now face each other in the Qualifier clash on Wednesday. While the winner of that encounter heads straight into Sunday’s title-decider, the loser will play the winner of Thursday’s Eliminator 1 between Islamabad United and Karachi Kings. That match — Elimi­nator 2 — will be played on Friday to determine the other finalist.

Zalmi, the 2017 champions, put up a formidable 203-6 after Imad Wasim elected to bowl first upon winning the toss. A rollicking first-wicket partnership of 137 in 81 deliveries between Kamran Akmal and Imam-ul-Haq laid the platform.

Kamran, who had mixed returns coming into this match with only 154 runs in the previous nine innings on UAE soil, was at his brutal best as he plundered a hurricane 86 from only 48 balls with the aid of 10 boundaries and four sixes.

The 37-year-old right-hander — the crowd’s darling for his penchant for flamboyant strokes — was cautious against Mohammad Amir at the beginning and opened his account, and that of the Zalmis, on the fifth ball of the opening over.

Usman Khan Shinwari, the Kings’ unsung hero in their playoff qualification win over Quetta Gladiators on Sunday, was the first to feel the brunt as Kamran took three boundaries off him in the second over.

The wicket-keeper/batsman didn’t stop there as he went after Umar Khan. The young slow left-armer was hoisted for three of four sixes off his bowling by the rampant opener, who was named man-of-the-match.

At the other end Imam-ul-Haq played second fiddle as the left-hander reached his third half-century in this PSL before he was bowled by Amir. The Pakistan pacer was by far the best of Kings’ bowlers with a return of 3-24. Imam’s 59 off 40 balls included seven fours and one six.

The Kings’ innings had just one shining light when Colin Ingram struck seven fours in a blazing 37-ball knock of 71, but once the South African left-hander fell in the 14th over, he took all his sides hopes with him. Karachi Kings crashed to 142 all out, with Hasan Ali taking 3-15.

Scoreboard

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Kamran Akmal c Umar b Munro 86

Imam-ul-Haq b Amir 59

K.A. Pollard c Ingram b Munro 12

L.A. Dawson b Amir 9

D.J.G. Sammy c Umar b Amir 5

Sohaib Maqsood not out 12

Wahab Riaz c Livingstone b Usman 11

Hasan Ali not ou t1

EXTRAS: (W-6, NB-2) 8

TOTAL: (for six wkts, 20 overs) 203

FALL OF WKTS: 1-137, 2-149, 3-166, 4-170, 5-185, 6-201.

DID NOT BAT: Umar Amin, T.S. Mills, Sameen Gul.

BOWLING: Mohammad Amir 4-0-24-3 (2w); Usman Khan Shinwari 4-0-42-1 (2nb); Sohail Khan 4-0-35-0 (2w); Imad Wasim 4-0-43-0 (1w); Umar Khan 3-0-44-0 (1w); Munro 1-0-14-2.

KARACHI KINGS:

Babar Azam c Wahab b Sameen 13

C. Munro lbw b Hasan 0

L.S. Livingstone c Pollard b Mills 6

C.A. Ingram c Wahab b Mills 71

B.R. Dunk c Kamran b Wahab 6

Iftikhar Ahmed lbw b Sameen 4

Imad Wasim c Sammy b Hasan 30

Sohail Khan c Dawson b Hasan 1

Mohammad Amir c sub b Wahab 1

Umar Khan run out 0

Usman Khan Shinwari not out 0

EXTRAS: (LB-5, W-4, NB-2) 11

TOTAL: (all out, 16.2 overs) 142

FALL OF WKTS: 1-3, 2-13, 3-22, 4-65, 5-87, 6-125, 7-138, 8-140, 9-142.

BOWLING: Hasan Ali 3.2-0-15-3; Sameen Gul 3-0-49-2 (1nb); Mills 3-0-25-2; (2w); Pollard 2-0-15-0 (1w); Wahab Riaz 3-0-19-2 (1nb, 1w); Dawson 2-0-14-0.

RESULT: Peshawar Zalmi won by 61 runs.

UMPIRES: Ahsan Raza (Pakistan) and R.E.J. Martinesz (Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: Asif Yaqoob (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees (Pakistan).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Kamran Akmal.

Final standings

(Tabulated under played, won, lost, points, net run-rate):

Peshawar Zalmi 10 7 3 14 +0.828

Quetta Gladiators 10 7 3 14 +0.376

Islamabad United 10 5 5 10 +0.127

Karachi Kings 10 5 5 10 -0.673

Multan Sultans 10 3 7 6 -0.173

Lahore Qalandars 10 3 7 6 -0.837-

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2019