DUBAI February 26: Lahore Qalandars batting collapsed for the third successive time, throwing away a great start to surrender to a 27 run defeat in the eight match of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018 edition.

Asked to chase a stiff 160 run target, the Qalandars looked in control of the chase reaching 70 for no loss in only 6.4 overs before another inexplicable collapse cut short their hopes of registering their first win in the tournament.

The third defeat in a row has placed them in a precarious position at the bottom of the six team league while Karachi Kings have ascended to the top with three wins in as many matches.

For the Qalandars captain Brendon McCullum had blazed away to 44 off only 30 balls with the help of two sixes and five fours before he fell to his opposite number Imad Wasim.

Fakhar Zaman with 19, Agha Salman (15) and Dinesh Ramdin (11) were the only other batsmen to reach the double figures as the chase subsided rather limply.

From 70 for one the Qalandars crashed to 132 all out in the 19th over of their innings, Shahid Afridi who took three wickets to trigger the Qalandars collapse was named Man-of-the-Match for his match winning spell.

Earlier, the Kings posted a hugely competitive total of 159 courtesy a late flourish by Ravi Bopara, the former English all-rounder smashed two sixes and as many fours in his 34 ball 50 run contribution that rescued the Kings from a precarious 117 for seven to their eventual total.

Bopara added 32 for the unbroken eight wicket partnership with Mohammad Irfan Junior who hit a six and a four each in his 12 ball 16 run contribution.

Kings had got off to a flying start as Joe Denly (28) and Khurram Manzoor added 36 for the opening wicket, Qalandars roared back in the contest with a three wicket burst, Denly, Babar and Manzoor all perished one after another.

Colin Ingram (28) went about the task of repairing the damage with Bopara, the left-hander was eventually dismissed for a 29 ball 28 run innings that included one six and two fours.

Sunil Narine and Yasir Shah were the pick of the Qalandars bowling line-up claiming two wickets each in their four over bursts; Sohail Khan who was making his first appearance for Qalandars claimed two expensive wickets in his four over quota that was taken for 45 runs by the Kings batsmen.