Dubai. Karachi Kings produced a peerless allround show to sink two-time runners up Quetta Gladiators by 19 runs in the second match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the Dubai International Stadium.
It was their first victory over Quetta in the history of PSL too.
Electing to bat first, Karachi could have posted a score of over 160 runs but for Shane Watson’s three wickets in the last over.
Opener Khurram Mansoor played a sedate knock of 35 off 39 balls while Colin Ingram accelerated the run flow with scoring 41 off 21 balls. Ravi Bopara too chipped in with 24 runs.
The Friday crowd expected Shahid Afridi to sparkle, but the star batsman failed to fall for just five runs.
The innings began on a fine note as openers Manzoor and Joe Denly put on 34 runs in 4.3 overs when Denly got run out while backing up too much as the non-striker.
The straight drive from Manzoor touched bowler Watson’s fingers to hit the bowler’s end stumps.
It all looked fine for the next few overs but Quetta picked the crucial wicket of Babar Azam (10) in the first ball of the 10th over.
Attempting to cut off Rahat Ali, he top edged to wicketkeeper Sarfraz Ahmad. At the half way mark, Karachi were 60 for two.
Manzoor and next man Ingram took the score to 83 in 12.2 overs when Manzoor on 35 swung at Anwar Ali. Asad Shafiq at deep midwicket judged well to end his innings.
Ingram and Bopara picked the gaps well and put on 48 runs for the fourth wicket when Jofra Archer halted Ingram’s innings.
Going for a pull the ball hit his helmet and went to short fine leg. Karachi team felt that there was no glove involved though Ultra Edge proved it otherwise.
What followed was a mad scramble to go past the 150 runs mark and wickets kept falling regularly as Karachi posted 149 for nine in 20 overs. Among those who fell quickly included captain Imad Wasim (2), Shahid Afridi (8), Mohammad Irfan (0) and Mohammad Rizwan (5).
Quetta got off to a shaky start with Watson getting run out in the second over for just one run. His partner Asad Shafiq too fell to the first ball of the third over by flicking straight to Manzoor at deep square leg for two.
Kevin Pietersen, who joined Umar Amin, lasted only four balls to score six runs. He flicked Tymal Mills to Bopara at short midwicket.
Three down for 15 in 4.1 overs, Rilee Rossouw and Amin took the score to 45 in 8.5 overs when Rossow on 18 swung Wasim to Bopara at midwicket.
When Afridi trapped skipper Sarfraz Ahmad leg before for seven, Karachi took firm grip on the match.
Afridi then went on to produce a spectacular catch on the boundary line to dismiss Amin for 31. Amin lofted Mohammad Irfan to long on and the ball was sailing for a six when Afridi held the catch with one hand. Realising he will tip over the ropes, Afridi hurled the ball back in the air and completed the catch that squashed Quetta’s hopes.
Mohammad Nawaz hit two boundaries and six off successive balls off Irfan and fought valiantly to score 30 runs before becoming the victim of Mohammad Amir.
