Dubai: Peshawar Zalmi kept their cool and lifted their game come crunch time to reach the final of the third edition of the Pakistan Super League. The month-long tournament will now culminate with Peshawar taking on Islamabad United in the title clash in Karachi on March 25 thus capping the massive interest generated by matches played in the UAE in the initial stages.
It was yet another spectacular show from Peshawar’s opening batsman Kamran Akmal that put Peshawar in the final. He smashed 77 runs off just 27 balls with eight sixes and five boundaries. Kamran had scored 75 runs against Karachi Kings and an unbeaten 107 against Lahore Qalandars at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium to clinch his team a place in the knockout stage.
Akmal is poised to bag the player of the tournament award with his consistent showing in the tournament. Against Karachi, he gave a rollicking start to Peshawar after they were put in to bat. Alongside opener Andre Fletcher, who scored 34 runs from 30 balls, the pair put on 107 runs in 9.1 overs. Ravi Bopara gave Karachi a glimmer of hope with a double blow, removing Fletcher and Akmal in the same over. He also had Mohammad Hafeez caught and bowled in the 12th over for 23.
Peshawar reached the 150-run mark in the 14th over but lost Liam Dawson to Usman Khan for 13 runs. Captain Darren Sammy swelled the total with with a rapid 23 runs off 12 balls ultimately taking Peshawar to 170 for 7 in the rain-shortened 16-over contest.
Coming out to bat, Karachi lost an early wicket in Mukhtar Ahmad, who was playing his first game of the season, in the second over from Sameen Gul.
Opener Joe Denly and Babar Azam then went on to hit half centuries and put on a 117-run partnership for the second wicket. The Peshawar bowlers gave nothing away despite being unable to take wickets. Hasan Ali, Sameen Gul and Chris Jordan bowled intelligently backed by Sammy’s brilliant field placing.
It reached a stage where Karachi needed 44 off the last two overs. Denly took 16 runs off Ali in the 15th over but, the 28 runs required off the last over proved just too much. Azam fell for 63 runs, off 45 balls while Denly remained unbeaten on 79 off 46 balls. Riaz gave away only 13 runs in the final over and denied Karachi who were hoping for a final appearance before their home crowd.
A delighted Peshawar skipper Sammy said: “Credit goes to the boys. It was a good pitch and the boys defended it. The guys have shown good character. The strength of our team is that the boys stick together. Everybody has chipped in. Coming here, the support we get from the fans is exciting.”
Brief scores:
Peshawar Zalmi bt Karachi Kings by 13 runs. Peshawar Zalmi 170 for 7 in 16 overs (Kamran Akmal 77, Andre Fletcher 34, Darren Sammy 23, Ravi Bopara 3 for 35, Tymal Mills 2 for 23) Karachi Kings 157 for 2 in 16 overs (Joe Denly 79n.o, Babar Azam 63) Man of the match: Kamran Akmal.
