Karachi push Lahore out to make play-offs
dubai — It was one of those days when it rained cats and dogs. But luckily enough, we did get a game going at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. And then there was the impending storm.
Chris Gayle hadn’t fired all tournament, up until now that is. The big-hitting West Indian perhaps took a leaf out of his countryman and Karachi Kings teammate Kieron Pollard’s heroic act on Saturday night, a game that he sat out.
Swapping places again with Mahela Jayawardene, Gayle finally found his mojo to lay the rails for Karachi Kings’ confirmation in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) play-offs on Sunday night.
Needing 124 after the match was reduced to 15 overs a side, Gayle coshed a 17-ball 44 with five massive sixes and two boundaries. And although the Karachi Kings floundered a bit, they scraped through by six wickets and with a ball to spare.
Karachi Kings’ win meant that the Lahore Qalandars will be booking their flight tickets soon enough. Lahore had a glimmer of hope had the Karachi Kings finished on 110 or lower. But Kumar Sangakkara’s side got past 111 to seal their berth and then went on to clinch the win.
And it will be a repeat fixture between the Karachi Kings and Islamabad United in the play-offs at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday night after they finished third and fourth respectively, on the points table.
Table toppers Peshawar Zalmi will take on the Quetta Gladiators in the first play-off, also at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, on Tuesday night.
Players such as Gayle can make a mockery of totals and that’s what the Jamaican did. Gayle had got going with an edged boundary off the towering fast bowler Mohammad Irfan. He later went on to smoke the same bowler for two successive sixes and a boundary in one over.
And there was more to come from the man with the dreadlocks, with him smacking offspinner Saeed Ajmal for three consecutive sixes before he fell in the same over.
Earlier, it was probably a miracle that we got a game going considering that the rain was spitting down on Dubai.
There was a one-and-a-halfhour delay because of the rain and the ground staff worked tirelessly to have a match on.
The consequence of the rain was that the Islamabad United team bus was stuck in slow-moving traffic on Shaikh Zayed Road before negotiating the puddles to make it to the Stadium.
The covers finally came off at 8.30pm after which the umpires had an inspection. They then said that the toss would be held at 9.10pm and play would start at 9.30pm, with it being 15 overs a side.
james@khaleejtimes.com