Dunk propels Lahore into top-four contention with win over Karachi

March 09, 2020

LAHOER: Ben Dunk’s ferocious hitting on Sunday propelled Lahore Qalandars to a spot from where they could hope to find a place in the top four of the HBL PSL 2020.

He scored 99 not out off just 40 balls, hitting 12 sixes and three fours to help Lahore record their third win, this time beating Karachi Kings by a comfortable eight-wicket margin.

Dunk amassed 23 runs off the 16th over, bowled by Karachi skipper Imad Wasim, after he had hit Umer Khan for three sixes in the 13th over. His scintillating batting made Karachi’s score of 187 for five look like it was below par.

Lahore required only 10 runs off the last two overs. Chris Jordan bowled a brilliant 19th over, giving away just six runs. But Dunk hit the very first ball of the 20th over, bowled by Cameron Delport, for a straight six to end the match in an emphatic fashion.

Dunk now has 247 runs in his last four knocks at an average of 123.50 and a strike rate of 226.61, including a pair of 90s that have both featured at least 10 sixes.

Dunk and captain Sohail Akhtar added 140 runs for the third wicket after a disappointing slow start in which Lahore scored merely a run a ball and lost opener Fakhar (0) and Hafeez, who played 24 balls for his 16 runs.

Akhtar remained not out at 68 which he scored off 46 balls, smashing six fours and two sixes. Akhtar was on 30 before Dunk had faced a ball and when he flicked Cameron Delport off his pads past fine leg for a boundary at the end of the 12th over to bring up a 34-ball fifty, Dunk was only on 12. But from then on Akhtar was mostly a bystander at the non-striker’s end as Dunk’s fireworks lit up the Lahore night.

Dunk’s knock turned a 93-run stand between Alex Hales and Chadwik Walton into a footnote in the match scorecard. Coming off stunning figures of 4 for 5 in the Qalandars’ previous win, Samit Patel should have had his fellow countryman caught at short third man on 4 in the fourth over of the match after the Kings had been sent in at the toss, but Salman Irshad shelled a regulation chance lunging forward on the ring and it allowed Hales to make merry, ending with an unbeaten 80 off 48 balls.

Hales and Walton smashed five sixes apiece, including a tremendous acceleration by Walton in which he belted Usman Shinwari and Irshad for two sixes apiece in the 18th and 20th overs, respectively. But they looked like small fries by the end of the match as their combined powerhitting output could not match the ferocity of Dunk.

Score Board

Lahore Qalandars won toss

Karachi Kings

Sharjeel Khan run out 5

Babar Azam c Sohail b Maaz 38

AD Hales not out 80

CS Delport c & b Maaz Khan 15

Iftikhar Ahmed run out 1

†CAK Walton c Wiese b Salman Irshad 45

*Imad Wasim not out 0

Extras (b 1, lb 1, w 1) 3

TOTAL (5 wickets, 20 Overs) 187

Did not bat: Mohammad Amir, Aamer Yamin, CJ Jordan, Umer Khan

Fall: 1-10, 2-70, 3-90, 4-94, 5-187

Bowling:Shaheen Shah Afridi 4-0-36-0, SR Patel 4-0-24-0, Maaz Khan 4-0-31-2, Usman Shinwar 3-0-44-0, D Wiese 1-0-11-0, Mohammad Hafeez 2-0-11-0, Salman Irshad 2-0-28-1

Lahore Qalandars

Fakhar Zaman b Mohammad Amir 0

*Sohail Akhtar not out 68

Hafeez c Delport b Umer 16

BR Dunk not out 99

Extras (lb 2, w 5) 7

Total 190 (2 wickets, 19.1 Overs) 190

Yet to bat: DJ Vilas †, D Wiese, SR Patel, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Usman Shinwari, Salman Irshad, Maaz Khan

Fall: 1-2, 2-50

Bowling: Mohammad Amir 4-0-33-1, Aamer Yamin 1.1-0-9-0, Imad Wasim 3.5-0-40-0, CJ Jordan 4-0-36-0, Umer Khan 3-0-37-1, CS Delport 3.1-0-33-0

Result: Lahore Qalandar won by 8 wickets

Man of the match: Ben Dunk (LQ)