Islamabad United Thursday inflicted a four-wicket defeat on home side Karachi Kings in a Pakistan Super League’s eighth edition match in Karachi.
The ill fate continued to haunt Karachi Kings this season as well as they have lost the second consecutive match. They had lost nine out of 10 matches in the last edition.
Chasing a target of 174, United reached 178-6 with 10 balls remaining. Collin Munro and Azam Khan impressed with the bat as Munro hit 58 off 28 balls with the help of five boundaries and four sixes while Azam made 44 off 28 balls hitting six boundaries and a six.
Karachi Kings began well in the second innings as tight lines and lengths from Imad Wasim, Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Musa allowed only 13 runs and sent back Hasan Nawaz in the first three overs. The first signs of Islamabad United’s domination and Munro’s intentions came in the fifth over as the left-hander spanked Musa for three fours after he had thudded Paul Stirling’s pad with a yorker on the first ball.
Munro and Rassie van der Dussen, making his PSL debut, attacked the Karachi Kings’ bowlers from that point – putting a match-defining 59-run stand on 31 balls.
Van der Dussen scored 31 off 25 and was bowled by Imad Wasim – most economical bowler on either side with the figures of one for 19 in four overs – in the 10th over that brought Azam to the crease. The wicketkeeper-batter spanked Musa for two fours and a six in the 12th over to ensure Islamabad United retained momentum.
He took on Musa once again, in the 16th over, after Munro was run out because of a mix-up, this time smoking him for three fours, but was caught at midwicket. By then, however, the match was settled as Islamabad United needed only 23 off 24.
It was all too easy for them in the end. Faheem Ashraf hit Amir for consecutive fours through backward point in the 18th over before an incredible one-handed catch diving to his right by Irfan Khan sent the left-hander back.
With two required off 11, Tom Curran clubbed Shoaib Malik for a gigantic six over long on to finish the proceedings.
Earlier, a solid fifty from Haider Ali Thursday helped Karachi Kings to post a 173-7 total on the board in their match against Islamabad United.
After being sent into bat, the Kings started the innings on the wrong foot as they lost the opener, James Vince, quickly to Rumman Raees on the last ball of the first over, Vince hit a boundary in his three-ball stay on the crease before he was cleaned up by Raees.
Fellow opener Sharjeel Khan and the new man in Haider slowly but steadily build the innings for Kings. Tom Curran broke the 77-run second wicket stand in the 11th over when he snarled the wicket of Sharjeel courtesy of a beautiful running catch by Colin Munro. Sharjeel made 34 off 26 balls hitting four boundaries and a six.
The fellow batsmen could not improvise but chipped in with some useful quick runs. Faheem Ashraf got the wicket of Haider with a slower bouncer. Haider could not time it properly and the ball went straight into the hands of Rassie van der Dussen. Haideer made 59 runs off 45 deliveries hitting seven boundaries and two sixes.
Mathew Wade made 18 off 18 balls hitting two boundaries before becoming the victim of Muhammad Wasim. Wasim had strangled Wade down the leg with a pacy short of length ball around the hips. Wade looked for a pull, but can only get a glove on it and Azam Khan dived to his right to complete a good catch.
On the very next ball, Wasim removed the next man in a man in form Imad Wasim for a duck. Wasim sent a short ball to the new man in. Imad tried to pull out but hits it hard straight to Asif Ali at midwicket as the Kings captain went for a golden duck leaving the team at 125/5.
Irfan Khan made 19 runs off 11 balls with the help of two sixes and Shoaib Malik 18 runs off 10 balls with the help of one six and two boundaries as the Kings finished their innings at 173-7.
James Fuller (12 runs off 5 balls with two boundaries) and Andrew Tye (one on one ball) remained unbeaten.
For United, Rumman Raees (2-26), Muhammad Wasim (2-38), Tom Curran (2-42) AND Faheem Ashraf (1-25) were among the wickets. Shadab Khan leaked 40 runs in his four overs without any wickets.