Kings overpower Qalandars to stay in hunt for playoffs

KARACHI: Veteran all-rounder Shoaib Malik’s heroics kept Karachi Kings in the hunt for HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoffs as he smashed a four when three runs were required off the last ball against Lahore Qalandars here at the National Bank Stadium on Saturday.

Till the 15th over, the Qalandars bowlers kept Kings’ batters at bay. They needed 56 off 30 balls on a tricky surface. The 52-run stand between Malik (27) and Irfan Khan (35) gave Kings a much-needed win.

Irfan, the player of the match, played a 16-ball cameo, smashing six fours to bring Kings back into the match before being clean bowled by cracking Shaheen Afridi in the 19th over.

But Malik emerged as the eventual hero for the home side as he kept his cool in the final over that saw two batters – Anwar Ali and Arafat Minhas – being removed when eight runs were required.

Qalandars crawled back into the game after the power play as their bowlers curtailed the run-scoring by not conceding a boundary till the 10th over. Kings stood at 83-1 at the halfway stage, having scored 58 in the first six overs.

James Vince (42) and Tim Seifert (36) gave Kings a steady start. Vince, who smashed six fours and a six, was removed by medium-pacer Tayyab Abbas with 59 runs on the board, after which Seifert and skipper Shan Masood (24) forged a 40-run stand.

Two successive boundaries in the 11th over by Shan brought some momentum, but spin all-rounder Sikandar Raza, who gave away just 13 runs in two overs put further pressure on Kings by removing the well-set Shan in the 12th over. Tayyab took the scalp of in-form Kieron Pollard in the 13th over. Raza was the stand-out bowler with figures of 1-23 in four overs. Shaheen and Zaman also picked one each, while Tayyab took 2-23 in three overs.

After being put into bat, Lahore Qalandars posted a competitive 177 for five courtesy of quick-fire cameos from David Wiese (24) and Raza (22) in the last three overs on a pitch where big hits were hard to come by.

For Kings, leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood was brilliant with figures of 2-27 in four overs, while pacers Blessing Muzarabani and Anwar Ali picked a wicket each for 40 and 36 runs, respectively. Hasan Ali went wicketless for 30.

Qalandars were rescued by well-tailored fifties from Fakhar Zaman (54), who finally regained form, and Abdullah Shafique (55).

Wiese, known for his brutal hitting in the death overs, smacked three sixes, and Raza smashed two fours and a six.

Kings’ bowlers had exploited the suitable bowling conditions, containing Qalandars to just 44 runs in the power play.

Opener Mirza Baig was dismissed in the third over by Anwar Ali, after which Zaman and Abdullah forged a crucial 70-run partnership. Zaman smashed two sixes and five fours during the 35-ball fifty before an excellent direct-hit run-out from Irfan Khan ended his knock.

Abdullah scored 55 off 39 balls with five fours and a six, but Qalandars started to fall apart as Shai Hope (9) and skipper Shaheen (1) were removed by Zahid before the 46-run stand between Wiese and Raza.