Babar hits 90 as Karachi beat Multan by 7 wickets, Wahab stars in Zalmi win
Wahab Riaz and Saqib Mahmood lead Peshawar Zalmi to a 6-wicket victory over Islamabad United in the second PSL match of the day
Defending champions Karachi Kings produced a stunning run-chase to defeat Multan Sultans by seven wickets in a Pakistan Super League season six match at the National Stadium in Karachi on Saturday.
Kings’ victory has given them the top-spot in the HBL PSL 6 points table. They have won two out of their three games and have four points each with Islamabad United, Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi, but with improved net run-rate they are at the top of the table.
For Kings’, the foundation of the 196-run chase was laid by the opening partnership of 56 between let-handed Sharjeel Khan (27 off 14) and playerof-the-match Babar Azam. Ater the departure of Sharjeel, Babar was joined by Joe Clarke. The pair added 97 runs stand for the second-wicket.
The right-handed Clarke contributed 54 off 26, smashing three fours and four sixes –his first half century in the HBL PSL 6.
Kings were helped past the target by an unbroken 36-run partnership between Babar (90 not out, 60 balls, 13 fours, one six) and Mohammad Nabi (13 not out, eight balls, two fours) with seven balls to spare.
Shahnawaz Dhani with two wickets for 28 runs in three overs was the pick of the Sultans’ bowlers.
“Credit goes to the bowlers first,” Imad Wasim said. “The way we finished at the end was fantastic. We saved almost 15-20 runs at the death.”
Earlier, ater being put into bat by Kings’ captain Imad, the Sultans got off to a flying start. The opening pair of Chris Lynn and Mohammad Rizwan combined for a 50-run partnership in just 4.1 overs. The very next ball, Lynn fell to Imad ater scoring 32 off 14 balls (six fours, one six), his highest so far in sixth season of the PSL.
Rizwan was joined by James Vince with scoreboard reading at 53 for one. Both batsmen continued to dominate the Kings bowling atack as they contributed 70 runs for the second-wicket before Rizwan became right-arm fast Arshad Iqbal’s first victim of the day. Rizwan scored 43 off 32 balls. He struck five boundaries.
Ater the departure of Rizwan, the flow of runs dropped considerably for Sultans, and they ended up scoring 195 for six in 20 overs. Vince top-scored with a 29-ball 45, striking five fours and a six. Sohaib Maqsood contributed an unbeaten 34 off 27, which included two fours and a six.
For Kings, Arshad was pick of the bowlers with two for 36 in four overs.
In another match, a four-wicket haul from Wahab Riaz led Peshawar Zalmi to a comfortable six-wicket win over Islamabad United.
Zalmi’s captain, Wahab, took full advantage of puting Shadab Khan’s men into bat as he dismissed Paul Stirling (one off two) in the first over. Phil Salt (nine off 11, one four) and Faheem Ashraf (two off four) were next to join Stirling in the pavilion with scorecard reading at 41 for three in the sixth over.
Alex Hales, was the only batsman to put up resistance, with the top-score of 41 off 27. The top-order batsman from England smashed five fours and a six.
The United batsmen failed to counter pace bowling spells from Wahab – who returned a brilliant four for 17, his best figures in HBL PSL history – and Saqib Mahmood, who took three wickets for 12, as they were bowled out for 118 in 17.1 overs.
Zalmi were off to a wobbly start as both openers Imam-ul-haq (0 off three) and Kamran Akmal (three off four) were back in the hut by the end of the second over for six runs on the board.
Tom Kohler-cadmore and Shoaib Malik knitted a 60-run partnership for the third-wicket. The former top-scored with run-a-ball 46. He smashed four fours and two sixes.
Haider Ali blazed 36 at a strike rate of 200 and smoked three sixes and as many fours, which helped Zalmi chase down the total with 17 balls spare.
He contributed a 47-run stand for the fourth wicket with Shoaib (29 not out off 30, one four, one six). For United, Hasan Ali took two wickets for 14 in four overs.