(Karachi Kings 126 all out in 19.4 overs)
(Islamabad United 82 all out in 15.2 overs)
SHARJAH March 1: While the first HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) Play-Off was full of big hits and batting finesse the second play-off was a total contrast as Karachi Kings sent defending champions Islamabad United packing from the tournament with a 44 run win as they comfortably defended what looked like a below par 126 run first innings score.
Spin twins Imad Wasim, Usama Mir and pacer Mohammad Amir were the stars for Kings as United were rolled over for 82 runs on a sluggish Sharjah track where stroke making was tougher than the Peshawar Zalmi-Quetta Gladiators play-off that produced 399 runs.
United got off to a poor start in their chase as Amir removed Dwayne Smith and Brad Haddin in a fiery opening spell, Imad and Usama than ripped apart the batting line-up as the last eight wickets fell for 35 runs.
The collapse was triggered with the dismissal of Misbahul Haq who was bowled by Man-of-the-match Imad who also accounted for Shane Watson and Nicholas Pooran who was playing his first game of the season after joining the United squad as replacement for Ben Duckett
Rumman Raees was the last man to be dismissed as Kieron Pollard took a fine running catch off Amir signaling the end of United’s reign as HBL PSL champions.
Earlier Kings stuttered to their 126 run total largely due to wily bowling by Raees who took four wickets for 25 runs in his four over spell. Kings top and middle-comprising of Babar Azam, Chris Gayle, Kumar Sangakkara, Shoaib Malik and Ravi Bopara all got off to starts but failed to get any momentum in the innings.
Babar and Malik top-scored with 25 each and in the end it was the measured approach by the Kings middle-order that helped them accumulate a total which was eventually well out of United’s reach.
Kings now take on Zalmi in the third and final play-off; the winner will take on Quetta Gladiators in the grand final of the HBL PSL set to be played at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday.
Highlights
