Cricket News By TODAYLIVESCORE.INFO - Malik, Zazai consign Karachi Kings to fourth defeat in four games. Malik hit 5 fours and 2 sixes providing the late push.
Malik hit 5 fours and 2 sixes providing the late push.
Karachi Kings succumbed to their fourth loss in four games this season, going down this time to Peshawar Zalmi by 9 runs. Making the difference this time was the old horse Shoaib Malik, who hit an excellent 52 not out off 28 balls under pressure to take Peshawar to 173/4 on a good pitch for batting – a total that proved enough for his team to bounce back after consecutive losses.
While Malik, who hit 5 fours and 2 sixes, provided the late push, it was Hazratullah Zazai's belligerent shots that got Peshawar off to a flier. The team, put in to bat, scored as many as 53 runs in the powerplay, losing Zazai only off the last ball off the mandatory six overs.
Zazai fell to Umaid Asif, who was the pick of the bowlers for Karachi – bowling into the pitch – and finished with 3 for 36 which included a six in the last over and four overthrows. His other two wickets came at crucial junctures: Kamran Akmal in the 10th over and Ben Cutting off the first ball of the 20th over.
While chasing a par score, captain Babar Azam scored a steady fifty but with regular wickets falling at the other end, it was not enough in quantity or tempo for Karachi. Babar eventually finished with 90 not out off 63 balls but the acceleration came when the game seemed well beyond his side.
Malik made a difference with the ball too, getting Sharjeel Khan for a first-ball duck in the opening over to put Karachi on the backfoot right away. Mohammad Umar got Sahibzada Farhan out in the next over, reducing Karachi to 3 for 2 before Ian Cockbain and Babar added 74 runs for the third wicket. Usman Qadir's legbreak then had Cockbain caught at cover – Malik in the act again with his catching – putting the pressure back on Karachi.
With 63 runs needed off the last five overs, Karachi still had hope in Babar who was well past his fifty by the time, but Salman Irshad's tight 17th over led to a double-wicket 18th over, bowled by Mohammad Umar. With Aamer Yamin and Imad Wasim falling within a space of three balls, it was too tall a task for Karachi from thereon despite some late hits from Babar.
Brief Scores: Peshawar Zalmi173/4 in 20 overs (Malik 52*, Zazai 41; Asif 3-36) beat Karachi Kings 164/6 in 20 overs (Babar 90*; Mohammad Umar 3-22) by 9 runs.
