Daily Times

Peshawar Zalmi scored a four-wicket thrilling victory over Islamabad United in their Pakistan Super League (PSL) match at Dubai International Stadium here Friday. Chasing a target of 177 and needing 14 off the last over, Peshawar’s skipper Darren Sammy — limping with a leg injury — smashed the fourth ball over the long-off boundary for a six but was run out in attempt to take a sharp single as he missed the ball off the fifth. But Liam Dawson, who hammered an undefeated knock of 52 off 35 balls, smashed a last ball boundary off pacer Mohammad Sami to help his team reach home. The victory has given Peshawar their fifth win in seven games and the first team to get ten points. Sammy was equally heroic with 29-ball 40 with two sixes and as many boundaries. Along with Dawson, Sammy added 89 runs in 8.2 overs.

Peshawar were off to a brisk start with Kamran Akmal (12-ball 19 with two sixes and a boundary) and Andre Fletcher (21-ball 21 with two sixes and a boundary) smashing three sixes in Rumman Raees’s third over. Kamran, when on 11, became the first batsman to complete 1,000 runs in the PSL. His feat came in 41st match. But after a brisk start of 37 and then reach 58-1, Peshawar lost four wickets in the space of just 26 runs. Left arm spinner Zafar Gohar had Kamran and dangerman Kieron Pollard (one) while Shadab Khan had Fletcher and Imam-ul-Haq (15) to leave Peshawar in a spot of bother with the board reading 84-5. But Dawson and Sammy changed the scenario of the match. Earlier, Islamabad United were all out for 176 off the final over with Cameroon Delport hitting a solid 55-ball 71 with eight boundaries and a six after they were put into bat.

Delport anchored Islamabad’s innings. Delport added 46 for the second wicket with Phil Salt who made 18-ball 28 with five boundaries and 70 for the third wicket with Chadwick Walton who made 14-ball 22 with two boundaries and a six. Asif Ali smashed two sixes and a boundary in his 13-ball 23 but Islamabad lost their last seven wickets for 29 runs including that of Delport in the 17th over. That slide included two run outs. Leg-spinner Ibtisam Sheikh (2-30), Hasan Ali (2-24), Wahab Riaz (2-20) were all effective in Peshawar’s bowling. With the two wickets Wahab have also completed 250 wickets in all Twenty20 cricket.

Brief scores:

Peshawar Zalmi beat Islamabad United by four wickets.

Islamabad United 176 all out in 20 overs (C Delport 71; Wahab Riaz 2-20, Hasan Ali 2-24) VS Peshawar Zalmi 177-6 in 20 overs (L Dawson 52 not out, D Sammy 40, Shadab Khan 2-21, Zafar Gohar 2-30).

Published in Daily Times, March 2^nd 2019.