Daily Times

SHARJAH – Bangladesh batsman Tamim Iqbal stroked his third fifty of the PSL, his 58-ball 80 guiding Peshawar Zalmi to a seven-wicket win against Islamabad United played at Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Friday, ESPNcricinfo.com reported.

Victory also meant that Peshawar took top spot in the table after five games; defeat for Islamabad left them rooted near the bottom at fourth. Set 153 for victory, Peshawar lost Mohammad Hafeez early after a brisk start, but Tamim almost single-handedly kept the runs flowing, blasting six fours and three sixes during his knock.

Two more quick wickets, of Jim Allenby and Kamran Akmal, gave Islamabad a glimmer, but Shahid Yousuf quickly dashed those hopes by slamming a 19-ball 27 and combining with Tamim for a fourth-wicket association which yielded 60 runs, as Peshawar got home with nine balls to spare.

The top scorer was Khalid Latif who – hitting his first fifty of the tournament – scored 59 runs off 41 runs. Skipper Misbah ul Haq chipped in with 32 runs while openers Shane Watson and Sharjil Khan made 19 and 28 respectively. For Zalmi, Wahab Riaz and Mohammad Asghar took two wickets each, followed by Tait and Junaid Khan who bagged one wicket each. Bangladesh’s Tamim opened Zalmi’s innings and smashed 80 off 58 balls with the help of six boundaries and three sixers.

Earlier, Islamabad’s 152 for 6 had been built on the back of a bright half-century from Khalid Latif, who smoked four sixes during a 41-ball 59. Latif received ample support from Misbah-ul-Haq during a 57-run stand, but the dismissal of Misbah halted Islamabad’s charge, as the team struggled to accelerate at the death. Shaun Tait (1 for 18), Mohammad Asghar (2 for 25) and Wahab Riaz (2 for 24) all produced economical spells to ensure that Peshawar’s target was a reachable one.