Bowlers, Smith haul Islamabad to last-ball win

By our correspondents

February 20, 2017

SHARJAH: Islamabad United scraped to a win on the final ball of their match against Peshawar Zalmi in Pakistan Super League here on Saturday night.

With all eleven men in the circle for the final ball, little-known Amad Butt managed to dig out a yorker from Junaid Khan back down the ground to beat a desperate leap from Chris Jordan at mid-on, giving his side a much-needed five-wicket win.

This was a match in stark contrast to the run-fest Sharjah had witnessed a few hours earlier but no less thrilling. There wasn’t much to be said about the Peshawar innings, with disciplined bowling from Mohammad Irfan and Rumman Raees in the Powerplay not allowing the batsmen to get a foothold.

The trend continued in the middle overs, as Eoin Morgan, Mohammad Hafeez and Kamran Akmal got starts but failed to make a meaningful contribution. A pair of loose overs — the 16th by Shane Watson and the 18th by Mohammad Sami — brought 41 runs to push the run rate past 6.

Shahid Afridi flicked Sami over deep square leg for six. He then hit a ball by Sami — who won Man of the Match award — out of the ground.

Outstanding last two from Raees and Sami went for a total of four runs, which kept Peshawar to an under-par 136.

The second innings was characterised by excellent bowling in spells but wretched fielding throughout and Darren Sammy’s men were often architects of their own downfall.

Hasan Ali was impressive with the ball but comically dropped Dwayne Smith, the leading scorer in the tournament, on the boundary with the batsman on 44 in the 14th over.

Sammy palmed a slog from Smith over the long-off rope in the 19th to all but seal Peshawar’s fate.

Peshawar were all over the place with their death bowling, and the two points Islamabad gain were thanks in no small part to the errors of their opposition.

Islamabad needed 38 from four overs but an 18-run over from Junaid, which included one no-ball, two wides and two sixes, could not have come at a worse time.

Smith took his time to settle in, scoring only eight off his first 18 balls, but made good on yet another start and regularly chipped in with crucial boundaries. He remained unbeaten on 71 off 58 balls.

The efforts of the bowlers on either side deserve acknowledgement. They saw over 400 runs scored on this very pitch just hours earlier and refused to be daunted. Raees was at his accurate best, encapsulated in a superb 19th over, mixing fast yorkers with slower deliveries in an over that cost only two runs.

From Peshawar, Hasan opened the attack with a classically elegant over, maintaining an off-stump line as the ball seamed away to beat Smith’s bat multiple times. In his following over, Hasan swung the ball back into the right-hander at times, one of which was far too good for Brad Haddin, who was plumb in front when the ball came back and crashed into his pads.

Islamabad United moved to second on the table with six points after the win, one behind leaders Quetta Gladiators. Peshawar Zalmi have five points and are placed third.

Score Board

Islamabad United won toss

Peshawar Zalmi

Tamim Iqbal c Misbah b Rumman 4

†Kamran Akmal lbw b Shadab 19

M Hafeez c Misbah b Irfan 10

E J G Morgan c Irfan b Shadab 28

Sohaib Maqsood c & b Sami 0

Shakib Al Hasan c Sami b Amad 5

*D J G Sammy c Sami b Rumman 20

Shahid Afridi c Rumman b Sami 17

Wahab Riaz b Sami 23