KARACHI: Haider Ali was the toast of the Peshawar Zalmi with a timely cameo that carried his team to a sensational six-wicket victory over a shell-shocked Multan Sultans in an HBL Pakistan Super League 6 fixture here on Tuesday night.

Chasing a daunting target of 194, Peshawar Zalmi — who celebrated their first win in two matches — paced their innings to perfection and won the match in 19 overs as Haider clobbered 24 from just eight balls in a frenetic finish and fittingly helped the 2017 champions over the line with a cracking six over long-off against Shahnawaz Dhani, who was thrashed for 24 runs in that dramatic climax.

Shoaib Malik (11) watched in awe from the other end at his young partner’s sudden change of gear during their unbroken partnership of 44 from just 12 balls, with Haider bludgeoning two sixes and as many fours.

Dhani, who otherwise excelled in his maiden T20 game after claiming two wickets for 20 in three overs, had brought Multan Sultans back into contention with the wickets of Sherfane Rutherford and Tom Kohler-Cadmore — the 26-year-old Englishman who starred on his PSL debut by blasting 53 from 32 balls and was named man-of-the-match.

Until those histrionics from Peshawar Zalmi, Multan Sultans seemingly had the match in their control. However, the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket had a final twist to the tale.

Kohler-Cadmore, who stroked six fours and a towering six, was the initial architect and Imam-ul-Haq (48 off 39 balls, five boundaries) put on 77 runs in 52 balls after Kamran Akmal had provided the impetus with a breezy 37, and was given out LBW on DRS after Aleem Dar had turned down the appeal from spinner Usman Qadir.

Earlier in the evening, Multan Sultans lost the toss, but cashed in on a flat pitch to amass a seemingly winning score of 193-4, largely through the brilliance of James Vince, who was the fourth man out after scoring 84.

Vince was the undoubted star for Multan as the discarded England right-hander produced the highest individual innings. His scintillating 55-ball knock was thoroughly pleasing to the eye as the 29-year-old right-hander crunched nine exquisite boundaries and clobbered three sixes.

Peshawar Zalmi were tidy in their ground fielding, but Vince operated in a different class while sharing the two most productive partnerships of the innings.

Captain Mohammad Rizwan kept pace with Vince as the duo added 82 runs in 53 deliveries after Chris Lynn (1) had been smartly caught at slip by Haider Ali off the very first ball of the match’s second over, when former Pakistan left-arm seamer Mohammad Irfan came on at the pavilion end.

Rizwan (41 off 28 balls, three fours and two sixes) cut the ball and was held at point by Imam to give emerging left-arm paceman Mohammad Imran a deserved wicket. Sohaib Maqsood also made a statement with a feisty 21-ball 36 (four fours and two sixes) while putting 71 in only 41 deliveries with Vince.

Scoreboard

MULTAN SULTANS:
Mohammad Rizwan c Imam b Imran 41
C.A. Lynn c Haider b Irfan 1
J.M. Vince c Irfan b Saqib 84
Sohaib Maqsood c Kamran b Saqib 36
R.R. Rossouw not out 14
Khushdil Shah not out 6

EXTRAS: (LB-1, W-9, NB-1) 11
TOTAL: (for four wkts, 20 overs) 193
BOWLING: Mohammad Imran 4-0-24-1; Mohammad Irfan 4-0-41-1; Saqib Mahmood 4-0-36-2 Mujeeb Ur Rahman 4-0-40-0 (2w); Wahab Riaz 4-0-51-0 (1nb, 2w).

PESHAWAR ZALMI:
Imam-ul-Haq run out 48
Kamran Akmal lbw b Usman 37
T. Kohler-Cadmore c Sohail b Dhani 53
S. Rutherford c Brathwaite b Dhani 15
Shoaib Malik not out 11
Haider Ali not out 24

EXTRAS: (B-4, LB-1, W-4) 9
TOTAL: (for four wkts, 19 overs) 197
BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir 3-0-40-0 (2w); Shahnawaz Dhani 4-0-44-2 (2w); Brathwaite 4-0-41-0; Shahid Afridi 4-0-38-0; Usman Qadir 4-0-29-1.

RESULT: Peshawar Zalmi won by six wickets.
UMPIRES: R.K. Illingworth (England) and Shozab Raza (Pakistan).
TV UMPIRE: Asif Yaqoob (Pakistan).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Tom Kohler-Cadmore (Peshawar Zalmi).

Published in Dawn, February 24th, 2021