close
Tuesday March 19, 2024

Islamabad record five-wicket win over Qalandars

By PPI
February 16, 2019

DUBAI: Asif Ali smashed a whirlwind 19-ball 36 with three sixes and two boundaries to guide defending champions Islamabad United to a five-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars as Pakistan Super League kicked off here on Thursday night.

The 27-year-old wielded his bat like a hammer as Islamabad United chased down the 172-run target with Faheem Ashraf sending the ball sailing over mid-wicket for the winning six on the second ball of the last over.

Pakistan opener Fakhar Zaman had lifted Lahore to 171-8 with a polished 44-ball 65 studded with three sixes and six boundaries, while fellow opener Sohail Akhtar made 30-ball 37.

Left-arm paceman Rahat Ali turned from hero to villain as Lahore Qalandars were brought back in the game with four wickets in his three overs for just 13 runs. But Asif smashed Rahat for two sixes in the 18th over to spoil his figures.

Hussain Talat made 30-ball 37 with three fours and a six but Islamabad were in a spot of bother, needing 103 in the last ten overs. Asif put them on the winning ways with some clean hitting.

Islamabad captain Mohammad Sami praised Asif’s hitting prowess. “Asif is such a good player that he can change the complexion of the game in a few balls and that he did today,” said Sami. “Lahore got off to a good start but Faheem and Waqas brought us back in the match,” he added.

Lahore captain Mohammad Hafeez rued the lost momentum in slog overs. “We should have scored 190 but even 172 was good,” said Hafeez.Luke Ronchi had started off well with 17-ball 27 with a six and four boundaries but he became one of three wickets to fall in the sixth over, bowled by Rahat.

Talat and Cameroon Delport, who made 24 with two sixes, added 55 for the fourth wicket.Lahore was let down by lanky Pakistan paceman Shaheen Shah Afridi, who conceded 45 runs in his four wicket-less overs.

Lahore lost their way in the final overs after getting a brisk 97-run start by the 11th over. They managed just 78 runs in the last ten, losing eight wickets.Fakhar showed his intentions with the very first ball, driving Mohammad Sami exquisitely through the covers for a boundary and then lifted spinner Samit Patel for a six to deep mid-wicket boundary.

At the other end, Sohail hit four boundaries and a six as they made 97 for the opening wicket.AB de Villiers smashed two exquisite boundaries, piercing the narrow gaps in the field. He then smashed a six off Hussain but a brilliant catch by Phil Salt cut short his innings. AB scored 24 off 17 balls.

Anton Devcich (14), Brendon Taylor (two), Carlos Brathwaite (six) and Mohammad Hafeez (five not out) failed to give impetus to the innings as Lahore lost six wickets for just 34 runs.

Islamabad United won toss

Lahore Qalandars

Fakhar Zaman c Rizwan b Shadab 65

Sohail Akhtar c Ronchi b Faheem 37

AB de Villiers c Salt b Waqas 24

A P Devcich run out 14

†B R M Taylor lbw b Delport 2

C R Brathwaite c Talat b Faheem 6

*Mohammad Hafeez not out 5

Yasir Shah run out 7

Shaheen Shah Afridi lbw b Sami 2

Extras (lb 2, w 2, pen 5) 9

Total (8 wickets; 20 overs) 171

Did not bat: Haris Rauf, Rahat Ali

Fall: 1-97, 2-129, 3-137, 4-147, 5-155, 6-160, 7-169, 8-171

Bowling: Sami 3-0-30-1; Patel 2-0-19-0; Waqas 4-0-25-1; Shadab 4-0-34-1; Faheem 4-0- 24-2; Talat 1-0-20-0; Delport 2-0-12-1

Islamabad United

†L Ronchi c Haris b Rahat 27

Rizwan Hussain c Hafeez b Rahat 15

C S Delport c Hafeez b Rahat 24

P D Salt c sub (Hassan) b Rahat 4

Hussain Talat c Rahat b Brathwaite 37

Asif Ali not out 36

Faheem Ashraf not out 23

Extras (lb 3, nb 1, w 7) 11

Total (5 wickets; 19.2 overs) 177

Did not bat: Shadab Khan, S R Patel, *Mohammad Sami, Waqas Maqsood

Fall: 1-45, 2-45, 3-49, 4-104, 5-118

Bowling: Shaheen 4-0-45-0; Rahat 4-0-29-4; Brathwaite 2-0-25-1; Yasir 4-0-30-0; Hafeez 3.2-0-28-0; Haris 2-0-17-0

Result: Islamabad United won by 5 wickets

Man of the Match: Faheem Ashraf (IU)

Umpires: Richard Illingworth (England) and Rashid Riaz (Pakistan). TV umpire: Shozab Raza (Pakistan). Match referee: Roshan Mahanama (Sri Lanka)