Kieron Pollard’s scintillating 33-ball 58 and Mir Hamza (2-31) helped Karachi Kings hand Lahore Qalandars their fourth consecutive defeat in the 10th match of the ninth edition of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday.
KARACHI KINGS' INNINGS
Chasing a target of 175-6, the visitors completed the equation in the final delivery, when Mir Hamza plundered a run off Ahsan Hafeez.
After facing an early hiccup, the Kings lost four wickets to 44. But it was all about the vast experience of the duo, Pollard and Shoaib Malik, that paved the way for the Kings to stage a comeback in the match. The duo had racked up a 95-run partnership off just 59 balls, which clearly added impetus to the Kings’ innings.
Irfan Khan (12 off 10) and Mir Hamza (1 off) remained unbeaten to ensure that the Kings swept past the Qalandars.
Other batters, Shan Masood (10), Muhammad Akhlaq (7), James Vince (8), Mohammad Nawaz (15), Daniel Sams (7), and Hasan Ali (9), failed to show any significant resistance with the bat.
For the Qalandars, Zaman Khan (2-25), Ahsan Hafeez (2-19) picked up two wickets apiece.
Haris Rauf (1-22) and Shaheen Shah Afridi (1-34) took a scalp each.
George Linde (0-25) remained wicketless.
LAHORE QALANDARS' INNINGS
After put into bat first, the home team were off to a shaky side. However, Sahibzada Farhan’s blistering and unbeaten 45-ball 72 powered Lahore Qalandars to the formidable 175-6.
Earlier, the wicket of linchpin, Fakhar Zaman (6 off 9) started the slide and it went downhill quickly thereafter. But it was the lone ranger, Farhan, who played a fearless knock to ensure the home crowd gets enough entertainment by powering his team to the imposing total.
Mir Hamza continued the form he gained against Peshawar Zalmi and went on to perplex Zaman.
Rassie van der Dussen showed some resistance, scoring 23-ball 29, lacing with three boundaries before he was trapped by Tabraiz Shamsi.
Ahsan Hafeez, who was playing his first game of the season could merely score run-a-ball 8, hitting one boundary before he was removed by Hasan Ali.
Jahandad Khan (12 off 9) was removed by Mir Hamza.
Shai Hope, who freshly landed Lahore to join the Qalandars as the regular wicketkeeper was looking good for 13-ball 21, smashing two boundaries and one four.
Sikandar Raza looked made his way back to the pavilion without troubling the scorecard on first-ball.
Farhan had found an able ally in George Linde, with whom he had stitched a 54-run partnership off 26 deliveries to ensure the Qalandars put a reasonable total on the scorecard.
For the Kings, Hasan Ali spearheaded the bowling attack and scooped up two wickets by merely conceding 29 runs in his four overs.
Mir Hamza (2-31) and Tabraiz Shamsi (2-42) had also bagged two wickets apiece.
Other bowlers, Shoaib Malik (0-4), Mohammad Nawaz (0-16), Daniel Sams (0-52) were remained wicketless.
TOSS
Shan Masood-inspired Karachi Kings have opted to field first against Lahore Qalandars in the domestic premium tournament.
Karachi Kings: Shan Masood (c), Mohammad Akhlaq (wk), James Vince, Shoaib Malik, Kieron Pollard, Mohammad Nawaz, Irfan Khan Niazi, Daniel Sams, Hasan Ali, Mir Hamza, and Tabraiz Shamsi
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Sahibzada Farhan, Rassie van der Dussen, Shai Hope (wk), Sikandar Raza, George Linde, Ahsan Hafeez Bhatti, Jahandad Khan, Shaheen Afridi (c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
