Peshawar Zalmi 203 for 7 (Kamran 86, Imam 59, Amir 3-24) beat Karachi Kings 142 (Ingram 71, Imad 30, Hasan Ali 3-15) by 61 runs
How the game played out
There was never likely to be much on the line in this game.
A victory for Karachi Kings might have put them level with Peshawar Zalmi on 12
points, but so poor had Kings' run rate been, and so healthy was Zalmi's that
Kings would have had to chase down Zalmi's target in 9.1 overs to finish in the
top two.
Very quickly, it became apparent that Zalmi was not going to
roll over so easily. Usman Shinwari had been Kings' hero as he bowled an
outstanding final over on Sunday night, but on Monday, it was in his first over
that the opposition's charge began. Kamran Akmal struck three fours off that
first Shinwari over - the most attractive of his shots an on-the-up drive to
pierce the covers. He and Imam-ul-Haq, who hit three fours himself in the
fourth over of the innings, were outstanding in the Powerplay. Together they
put on 61 by the end of six overs - Akmal hitting two sixes off spin to make 37
of those runs.
Where Imam slowed down a touch when the field restrictions
ended, Akmal's assault maintained its intensity. He was sweeping Umer Khan for
six, pummeling Imad Wasim down the ground, and blasting the quicks around the
ground as well, though not with quite the same frequency. In the 12th over, bowled
by Umer, he hit a four, six and a four in succession. With Imam (who had
earlier been dropped on 32 off the bowling of Shinwari, in the ninth over) also
having struck a six before turning the strike over to Akmal, Zalmi plundered 23
off that over. Umer's economy rate lay in tatters - him having given away 45
off three overs.
The partnership - worth 137 in 13.2 overs - was easily
Zalmi's best ever opening stand. Akmal was first to go, in what was perhaps the
most eventful over of the innings, bowled by Colin Munro. After he had had
Akmal caught at extra cover for 86 off 48 balls, including 10 fours and five
sixes, Munro was immediately monstered for two sixes down the ground by Kieron
Pollard. Then, in fifth ball of the over, Pollard tried to hit his third
consecutive six and holed out to long off, leaving Munro to perform
celebrations that might have been interpreted as a send-off in international
cricket, though the PSL match officials might be a little more lenient. In any
case, the over had two sixes and two wickets in the space of four balls.
Having been 150 for 2 after 14 overs, perhaps Zalmi would
have wanted a score in the range of 220, rather than the 203 for 7 that they
ended up with, but it did not matter that they ran out of steam towards the end
of their innings - Amir coming back to bowl some excellent overs at the death.
With ball in hand, Zalmi were almost as irresistible as they
had been in the first innings. Hasan Ali and Sameen Gul both struck early to
leave Kings two down after two overs - Gul removing the dangerous Babar Azam.
By the end of the eighth over, Wahab Riaz had struck as well, and the required
rate was well over 11.
Colin Ingram produced a sustained assault, hitting 71 off 37
balls in an innings that featured seven fours and four sixes, but he was caught
at mid-off off the bowling of Tymal Mills, and Kings' innings unraveled
spectacularly from there. Having been 125 for 5 in the middle of the 14th over,
they ended up being all out in the 17th, with 142 runs on the board. Hasan Ali
buttressed his reputation as the league's best bowler with 3 for 15, and now sits
two wickets clear of Islamabad United's Faheem Ashraf on the wicket-takers'
list, with 21 dismissals to his name.
Turning point
This was basically all one-way traffic, wasn't it? Zalmi
made only one run in the first over - bowled by Amir - but reaped 14 in the
second to take Kings by the collar, and did not relinquish their grip from
there onwards. Zalmi did lose five wickets for 53 runs in the last six overs of
their innings, but they had made so much ground earlier on, that theirs was
always a commanding match position. When Kings lost their top three inside the
first four overs, it was beyond even the considerable powers of Ingram to get
them back in the game.
Star of the day
The easy choice would be Kamran Akmal, for his 86 at a
strike rate of 179. But almost as impressive was Amir, who even despite Hasan's
superior figures, was the best bowler of the evening. Where Hasan had the
benefit of scoreboard pressure, Amir was the talisman in Kings' misfiring
attack, taking 3 for 24 from his four overs. It was his last two overs that
helped restrict Zalmi, and prevented the opposition from turning their
outstanding total into a truly gargantuan one.
The big miss
Perhaps it would not have made a huge difference to the
outcome, but had a diving Liam Livingstone held on to a tough catch off
Imam-ul-Haq in the ninth over, they would have dented that wonderful opening
stand. Imam went on to add 27 more runs, finishing on 59 off 40 balls.
Where the teams stand
Zalmi have cemented their place in Wednesday's qualifier
against Quetta Gladiators. In fact, so comprehensive was this win, that Zalmi
actually finished the league stage top of the table with 14 points, which is
the same as Gladiators, only Zalmi have a superior net run rate.
Kings, who had confirmed their presence in the playoffs with
that sensational win over Gladiators on Sunday night, will play the first
eliminator, against Islamabad United on Thursday. The winner of the eliminator,
and the loser of the Gladiators v Zalmi qualifier, will then play what is
effectively a semi-final on Friday. The winner of the Gladiators v Zalmi game
goes straight through to the final.
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