Peshawar live to fight another day as Karachi fall short

K Akmal, Dawson help Peshawar Zalmi avoid elimination with 44-run win over Karachi Kings

Web Desk

March 15, 2018

Liam Dawson is congratulated by Mohammad Hafeez

SHARJAH: A quickfire 75 by Kamran Akmal and a three-wicket haul by Liam Dawson helped Peshawar Zalmi avoid elimination with a 44-run win over Karachi Kings in Sharjah on Thursday.

Player-of-the-Match Kamran Akmal smashed 75 off 51 balls and spinner Dawson took 3 for 17 runs as Karachi were limited to 137-8 in chase of Peshawar's 181-6.

With this win, Peshawar's hopes of making it to the top 4 and hence staying in the tournament remain alive. Also courtesy of this result, Islamabad United have now cemented their spot in the top 2 and will be playing the 1st playoff on Sunday.

Afridi's cameo, Dawson's magic

Shahid Afridi's blitzkrieg cameo caused some chaos on the field as Peshawar Zalmi faltered, but only briefly, before dismissing the flamboyant all-rounder for 26 off 8 balls.

Hasan Ali dismissed Joe Denly for a 5-ball duck, and Wahab Riaz cleaned up Colin Ingram for an 8-ball, after Kamran Akmal's ruthless 75 off 51 balls catapulted Peshawar Zalmi to 181-6 in a must-win game for the Yellows.

Stand-in captain Eoin Morgan, who joined Karachi Kings earlier this week, was removed for a mere 5 runs by his English team-mate Liam Dawson.

Just as Karachi seemed to be caving in, Afridi, along with Babar Azam, added some quick runs to the scoreboard, before being dismissed by another slow ball from Dawson.

Babar Azam soon followed after a valiant 50-ball 66, extinguishing all hopes for a Karachi victory.

Merciless Kamran, economical Shinwari

Peshawar lost opener Mohammad Hafeez to a duck in the second over of the inning, after Darren Sammy won the toss and opted to bat in a do-or-die game for the Yellows. Shahid Afridi ended Dwayne Smith's inning at 15 to leave Peshawar at 47-2.

K Akmal, however, showed no mercy to the opponent bowlers, bringing up his 50 from 38 balls. He was dismissed by Usman Khan Shinwari after he holed out to Bopara in the deep.

Saad Nasim, along with skipper Sammy, kept up the run rate before getting bowled by Usman Shinwari for 35 off 18. Liam Dawson was dismissed off the last ball of the inning, leaving Peshawar with 181-6 on the scoreboard.

Darren Sammy remained not out at 36 off 15 balls.

Usman Khan Shinwari remained largely immune to the big-hitting, finishing with bowling figures of 4-0-11-3.

With Peshawar Zalmi's victory today, Karachi Kings and Multan Sultans will now have to wait until Peshawar’s next match against Lahore on Friday.

If Peshawar win on Friday as well, they will reach the playoffs, leaving Karachi and Multan to wait for the result of the last league match of this PSL: Islamabad United vs Karachi Kings.

It will be advantage Karachi: if they win, they’re through. Even if they don’t, they’ll have to try their best to score as much as possible to be able to surpass Multan on NRR, as a Karachi defeat scenario would see them tied with Multan with 9 points each.