Wahab, Kohler push Peshawar to summit

KARACHI: Wahab Riaz and Tom Kohler-Cadmore pushed Peshawar Zalmi to the summit of the points table when they downed two-time champions Islamabad United by six wickets in their fourth round fixture of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2021 here at National Stadium on Saturday night.

Wahab (4-17) produced the best figures of his PSL career to enable Zalmi to fold United for only 118.

Kent-born 26-year-old Kohler-Cadmore then hammered a-run-a-ball 46 and Haider Ali belted explosive 18-ball 36 as Zalmi chased the target with 17 balls to spare after losing four wickets. This is the third straight win from Zalmi and they now lead the points table with six points from four outings.

After losing a couple of early wickets, Kohler-Cadmore and Shoaib Malik added 63 off 64 balls for the third wicket association to put Zalmi in the driving seat. Kohler-Cadmore fell prey to the Australian leggie Fawad Ahmed (1-40), held by keeper Phil Salt, after hitting four fours and two sixes. When Kohler fell Zalmi were 69-3 in the 13th over.

Young Haider then dominated a 47-run fourth-wicket stand with Shoaib Malik before Hasan Ali got rid of the former when Zalmi were just three runs shy of a well-deserved win. Haider smacked three sixes and three fours in his entertaining knock.

Malik remained not out on 30-ball 29, striking one six and one four. Sherfane Rutherford made six not out.

Defending a low total, Islamabad United had a bright start as Hasan Ali got rid of Imam-ul-Haq (0) in the first over of the innings. Mohammad Wasim (1-26) trapped Kamran Akmal (3) lbw in the next over to leave Zalmi struggling at 6-2 in two overs. Kamran faced four balls.

Earlier, it was a pathetic display from the United’s batsmen. Only English player Alex Hales was able to handle Zalmi bowlers. He scored 27-ball 41.

After being invited to bat, Islamabad United had a disastrous start. Left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz bowled Irish Test cricketer Paul Sterling (1) off his fourth ball of the innings. English pacer Saqib Mahmood soon afterwards clean bowled out-of-form Australian batsman Phil Salt (9) with a fine in-swinger. Salt hit one four from 11 balls.

Right arm pacer Umaid Asif, playing his first game, then had Faheem Ashraf (2) caught at mid-wicket by Kohler-Cadmore. Skipper Shadab Khan got run out for a five-ball six while taking a single that left United gasping at 55-4 in seven overs. Shadab struck one four.

Hales, who opened the innings with Sterling, batted aggressively, hitting five fours and one six, before he was caught by Imam-ul-Haq off the bowling of Saqib.

Afghan spinner Mujeeb-ur-Rehman then got rid of Hussain Talat (22) to leave United at 86-6 in the 12th over. The left-hander went for a reverse sweep to a delivery that was pitched up but got hit on the pads. Zalmi took a review which confirmed that Talat had to go. Talat hit two fours in his 15-ball knock. Iftikhar (7) also failed to help his side and was held in the deep by Kohler-Cadmore off Wahab.

The skipper got rid of Asif Ali, held by Shoaib Malik in the deep. Asif hit two sixes in his 12-ball 19.

Wahab then removed Hasan Ali (7), trapped lbw, before Saqib took the wicket of Mohammad Wasim (1) to fold United in 17.1 overs.

This is also the third lowest total from United in the PSL history.

Wahab was ably backed by English pacer Saqib, who finished with 3-12 in 2.1 overs.

Wahab was declared the man of the match.

Zalmi made one change, replacing discarded international Mohammad Irfan with Umaid Asif.

United made two changes, bringing in Australian leggie Fawad Ahmad and Paul Sterling in place of Lewis Gregory and Zafar Gohar.