Pollard propels Zalmi to exciting HBL PSL win against Sultans

KARACHI: Kieron Pollard played one of the most destructive knocks of HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 4 to guide Peshawar Zalmi to a sensational triumph against Multan Sultans at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday.

The West Indian big-hitter smashed three sixes off Daniel Christian in the 18th over to propel Zalmi to a seven wicket win.Pollard stole the show during his 27-ball 52 not out laced with five sixes and a single boundary to help Peshawar overhaul a daunting 173-run target to push Multan Sultans in the relegation zone in the league.

Umar Amin smacked the second ball of the final over for a four to finish with a 37-ball 54 not out with seven boundaries and added 91 for the unbroken fourth wicket stand with Pollard, that came off just 54 balls.

Johnson Charles top-scored with a 31-ball 57 with eight boundaries and a six to post a challenging 172-5 after they were put into bat by Peshawar skipper Darren Sammy.Pollard said he knew one over could change the match.“I missed a couple of balls initially and the asking rate was getting tighter but I knew that one over can make it easy,” said Pollard.

Peshawar were off to a brisk start as another West Indian Andre Fletcher hit three boundaries and a six in his 14-ball 24 with three boundaries and a six to take Peshawar to 34 in the fourth over. But Fletcher and Kamran Akmal (nought) fell in the space of just one run.

From 35-2 Imam-ul-Haq (34-ball 39 with two boundaries and a six) and Amin took the total to 85 when Imam was stumped off Shahid Afridi. With the asking rate climbing there was no better batsman than Pollard to surmount the uphill task.

Sultans rode on a brilliant 76-run second wicket stand between Charles and Vince who made 38-ball 41. The two took Multan to 90 in the first ten overs. Opener Umer Siddiq made 18 before he fell to Umaid Asif.

Charles smashed four consecutive boundaries off Wahab Riaz to complete his half century off just 29 balls. He was finally bowled by left-arm spinner Liam Dawson in the 13th over.

Peshawar Zalmi won toss

Multan Sultans

†Umar Siddiq c Kamran b Umaid 18

J M Vince run out 41

J Charles b Dawson 57

*Shoaib Malik not out 28

D T Christian b Hasan 18

Shahid Afridi run out 1

T J Moores not out 0

Extras (b 2, lb 1, w 6) 9

Total (5 wickets, 20 overs) 172

Did not bat: Mohammad Ilyas, Mohammad Irfan, Junaid Khan, Nauman Ali

Fall: 1-38, 2-114, 3-122, 4-167, 5-171

Bowling: Hasan 4-0-42-1; Dawson 3-0-26-1; Umaid 4-0-31-1; Wahab 4-0-38-0; Ibtisam 2-0-17-0; Pollard 3-0-15-0

Peshawar Zalmi

Imam-ul-Haq st Moores b Afridi 39

A Fletcher c Christian b Irfan 24

†Kamran Akmal b Ilyas 0

Umar Amin not out 54

K A Pollard not out 52

Extras (lb 2, nb 1, w 4) 7

Total (3 wickets, 19.2 overs) 176

Yet to bat: L A Dawson, *D J G Sammy, Wahab Riaz, Hasan Ali, Umaid Asif, Ibtisam Sheikh

Fall: 1-34, 2-35, 3-85

Bowling: Irfan 4-0-29-1; Nauman 1-0-14-0; Ilyas 4-0-22-1; Malik 3-0-14-0; Christian 3-0-44-0; Junaid 3.2-0-42-0; Afridi 1-0-9-1

Result: Peshawar Zalmi won by 7 wickets

Man of the Match: Kieron Pollard (PZ)

Umpires: Ranmore Martinesz (Sri Lanka) and Asif Yaqoob (Pakistan). TV Umpire: Shozab Raza (Pakistan)