KARACHI: Babar Azam made the difference with a crucial half-century to help Peshawar Zalmi secure a narrow two-run victory over Karachi Kings on Mo­n­day and a top-two berth in the league stage of the HBL Pakistan Super League.

Zalmi will finish in the top two regardless of the result of Tuesday’s game between Multan Sultans and Quetta Gladiators, getting two chances to reach the final by winning the low-scoring thriller.

Having elected to bat on a slow pitch, Zalmi got off to a fast start thanks to Babar (51) and Saim Ayub (19). But spinner Arafat Minhas dried up the runs and, with wickets falling around him, Babar was forced to slow down.

Having hit five fours and a six in his 46-ball knock, he was the fourth batter to depart when he was run out before Rovman Powell’s 18-ball 30 helped Zalmi post 147-6.

The Kings, out of contention for the playoffs, got off to a solid start thanks to Tim Seifert (41) and James Vince (21) but then lost three wickets for just seven runs; both their openers and skipper Shan Masood.

Irfan Khan Niazi (39 not out) and Shoaib Malik (22) arrested the slide with a 49-run partnership.

Scoreboard

PESHAWAR ZALMI:
Saim Ayub b Zahid19
Babar Azam run out (Zahid)51
Mohammad Haris c Arafat b Hasan13
Haseebullah Khan c Irfan b Arafat1
T. Kohler-Cadmore c Arafat b Sams9
R. Powell run out (Irfan)30
Aamer Jamal not out8
L. Wood not out 0

EXTRAS (B-3, LB-2, W-11)16
TOTAL (for six wickets, 20 overs)147
DID NOT BAT: Naveen-ul-Haq, Mehran Mumtaz, Aimal Khan
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-55 (Saim), 2-79 (Haris), 3-83 (Haseebullah), 4-101 (Babar), 5-113 (Kohler-Cadmore), 6-145 (Powell)
BOWLING: Sams 4-0-37-1 (3w), Malik 4-0-20-0 (3w), Anwar 1-0-14-0 (1w), Zahid 4-0-34-1, Arafat 4-0-11-1, Hasan 3-0-26-1

KARACHI KINGS:
T. Seifert lbw b Aamer41
J. Vince c Kohler-Cadmore b Naveen21
Shan Masood b Saim0
Shoaib Malik b Naveen22
Irfan Khan not out39
K. Pollard c Powell b Wood1
Anwar Ali not out14

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, W-2)7
TOTAL (for five wickets, 20 overs)145
DID NOT BAT: D. Sams, Arafat Minhas, Hasan Ali, Zahid Mahmood
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-61 (Vince), 2-62 (Shan), 3-68 (Seifert), 4-117 (Malik), 5-126 (Pollard)
BOWLING: Wood 4-0-24-1, Mehran 3-0-25-0 (1w), Naveen 4-1-22-2, Aimal Khan 1-0-13-0, Aamer 4-0-38-1, Saim 4-0-18-1
TOSS: Peshawar Zalmi
RESULT: Peshawar Zalmi won by two runs.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2024