KARACHI: Peshawar Zalmi produced top-drawer teamwork to dethrone Islamabad United as HBL Pakistan Super League champions by storming into the final with a clinical victory in Eliminator 2 at the National Stadium on Friday night.

Darren Sammy was overjoyed at not only leading Zalmi into their third final in four seasons but also avenging last year’s defeat in the title-decider on this very ground.

Incredibly for the tournament, Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators, who are already in Sunday’s final after their 10-run win in Wednesday’s qualifier, will face each other for the fourth time in this edition. The Gladiators have won all the three matches so far.

Both sides and match officials sported black armbands and observed a minute’s silence to mourn victims of the mosque shootings in New Zealand.

United had a herculean task on their hands after they allowed Zalmi to amass a formidable total of 214. The foundation of this daunting score was laid by a blazing opening partnership of 135 in 74 deliveries between Kamran Akmal and Imam-ul-Haq. The duo made United’s bowling look pedestrian with glorious strokes all around the fast outfield.

Kamran and Imam put up a show to remember. The right-handed Kamran cut and pulled with panache, smashing 74 from only 43 balls. His third half-century knock in this PSL edition was laced with seven fours and three sixes.

The former Pakistan wicket-keeper brought up his 50 in spectacular fashion by pulling leg spinner Shadab Khan for successive sixes in the ninth over.

The openers, scoring at breakneck speed, put up a century stand in just 8.4 overs. Although Imam lacked the brutality of his combative senior partner, he was still able to produce two sublime cover drives in successive overs from Mohammad Musa with effortless ease.

The left-hander became part-timer Delport’s second victim after hitting seven fours and a brace of sixes during his 33-ball knock of 58.

Kieron Pollard and Sammy lent lusty finish to the innings after the former bludgeoned four sixes and a four in scoring 37 from 21 balls, while Sammy struck two sixes and as many fours in his 15-ball unbeaten cameo of 30.

United needed both Luke Ronchi and Alex Hales to fire from the onset, but both departed cheaply. Chadwick Walton (48 off 29 balls, three sixes and three fours) and Delport (28 off 25, three boundaries) put on 63 in 35 balls, but the target turned out to be beyond United’s reach despite Faheem Ashraf’s last-ditch 31 off 14 balls (three sixes and one four).

Hasan Ali, PSL’s leading wicket-taker, added three more victims to his tally, which now stands at 25, while Jordan also grabbed three scalps to complete a grand evening for Zalmi.

Scoreboard

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Kamran Akmal c Shadab b Delport 74

Imam-ul-Haq c Ronchi b Delport 58

K.A. Pollard run out 36

Sohaib Maqsood c Ronchi b Shadab 4

D.J.G. Sammy not out 30

Wahab Riaz run out 1

C.J. Jordan not out 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-5, W-5) 11

TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs) 214

FALL OF WKTS: 1-135, 2-138, 3-158, 4-190, 5-198.

BOWLING: Mohammad Sami 3-0-25-0 (1w); Rumman Raees Khan 4-0-48-0; Faheem Ashraf 4-0-37-0 (2w); Shadab Khan 4-0-46-1; Mohammad Musa Khan 2-0-28-0; Delport 3-0-25-2.

ISLAMABAD UNITED:

L. Ronchi c Sammy b Hasan 17

C.S. Delport c Jordan b Hasan 28

A.D. Hales c Pollard b Jordan 1

C.A.K. Walton c Nabi b Mills 48

Asif Ali c Kamran b Pollard 0

Hussain Talat c Pollard b Hasan 19

Faheem Ashraf c Umar b Jordan 31

Shadab Khan c Sammy b Wahab 0

Mohammad Sami c Pollard b Jordan 2

Rumman Raees Khan not out 2

Mohammad Musa Khan not out 8

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-6, NB-2) 10

TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 166

FALL OF WKTS: 1-24, 2-26, 3-89, 4-94, 5-105, 6-151, 7-152, 8-154, 9-155.

BOWLING: Hasan Ali 4-0-29-3; Mills 4-0-31-1 (2w); Jordan 4-0-26-3 (1w); Wahab Riaz 4-0-25-1 (2nb); Pollard 4-0-53-1 (1w).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Kamran Akmal.

Published in Dawn, March 16th, 2019