Peshawar Zalmi beat Islamabad United by 34 runs

DUBAI: Peshawar Zalmi won their second match after losing the opener in the third edition of the Pakistan Super League, defeating Islamabad United by 34 runs here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Chasing a daunting target of 177, the United could not make a good start as they lost five top-order batsmen for a mere 46. They could not get out of trouble throughout the innings.

However, it was allrounder Faheem Ashraf , who tried to give some respectability to their score with an unbeaten fifty, steering his team to 142 for nine in the allotted 20 overs.

In the process, he found two good partners in tail-enders Mohammad Sami (6) and Rumman Raees (11 not out). Faheem added 38 runs for the ninth wicket with Sami and 31 for the unbeaten tenth wicket stand with Rumman.

Faheem remained unbeaten on 54 from 30 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes.

The only other batsmen getting into the double figures were Samit Patel (23), Chadwick Walton (11) and Andre Russell (11) along with Rumman.

Fast-medium bowler Umaid Asif, playing for the first time in PSL-3, captured four wickets for 23 and the 19-year-old leg-break googly bowler Ibtisam Sheikh grabbed three for 23.

Rumman Raees led Islamabad United in the absence of their regular captain Misbah-ul-Haq, who was unfit due to hamstring injury. He was replaced by Andre Russell, who played his first Twenty20 match after a one-year hiatus.