Image Credit- PSL
In the Pakistan
Super League on Thursday, fast bowlers Tymal Mills and Faheem Ashraf upset the
top-order of Karachi Kings to give Islamabad United a crucial five-wicket
victory.
With nine points and a higher net-run percentage than Quetta Gladiators and
Peshawar Zalmi—both of whom are vying for a playoff spot—United advanced to No.
2 in the standings.
Kings need to win their next two games to get six points, and they also need
other teams to lose.
Playing in his first
Rawalpindi-leg match of the season, Mills took three wickets for thirty-four,
and Ashraf, with his skilful bowling, removed opening batsmen Shan Masood (10)
and Tim Seifert (26) to limit Karachi to one hundred and fifty-seven.
United won their fourth game by chasing the goal in 18.4.
A ray of hope was provided by Karachi by left-arm fast bowler Mir Hamza (3-41)
who removed power hitters Alex Hales (18) and Colin Munro (9) during the
powerplay.
However, after a
cautious 56-run partnership between captain Shadab Khan (34) and Agha Salman
(33) restored the run-chase, United lost three wickets in the next eighteen
runs.
In Blessing Muzarabani’s comeback spell, Salman skied a catch to wicketkeeper
Seifert, and leg-spinner Zahid Mahmood received a standard return catch from
Azam Khan (9). Then, with a crisp bounce that fooled Shadab, Hamza got the
outside edge of the bat. Haider Ali (26*) and Ashraf (12*) then completed the
victory for United.
Earlier, Imad Wasim made a fantastic running catch over his shoulder at short
third, capping off Masood’s unsatisfactory maiden season as Kings captain.
Masood attempted to flick Ashraf. With no half-century in eight innings, Masood
has only managed to score 134 runs.
Seifert was unable
to match the pace and spin before Munro made another outstanding grab. Veteran
players Mohammad Nawaz (5) and Shoaib Malik (1) were also removed when
attempting large shots.
Kieron Pollard, the leading scorer, and James Vince, also 29, put up a 58-run
partnership until Mills struck when he caught Vince off guard with a ball that
skimmed past the Englishman.
In the 18th over, Pollard, who smashed three sixes and three fours, also gave
Ashraf a skier at deep third as United continued to pick up wickets to limit
Kings in the final overs.