Zalmi continue unbeaten run, Kingsmen secure first PSL win

After trouncing the Karachi Kings in their previous fixture, Peshawar Zalmi extended their unbeaten run by clinching another commanding 76-run win over Lahore Qalandars on Saturday. Consequently, they sit at the top of the points table with 9 points and a healthy NRR of +3.103.

Asked to bat first again, Zalmi's batting effort was led by Kusal Mendis (74) and Babar Azam (43) once more. The duo united at the fall of Mohammad Haris' wicket in the third over and went on to share a 109-run stand. They stumbled at the death with wickets tumbling in a heap but Michael Bracewell's 10-ball 21 ensured they finished with 173/7.

This was followed up by another complete bowling performance with the spinners ruling the roost. Qalandars were reduced to 56/5 inside the first half of their innings before being bowled out for 97 in 17 overs. Michael Bracewell and Sufiyan Muqeem picked up three wickets each while Nahid Rana scalped two.

Brief Scores: Peshawar Zalmi 173/7 in 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 74, Babar Azam 43; Shaheen Afridi 3-22) beat Lahore Qalandars 97 all-out in 17 overs (Abdullah Shafique 21, Fakhar Zaman 21; Michael Bracewell 3-18, Sufiyan Muqeem 3-21) by 76 runs.

An epic 24-ball 50-run stand between Irfan Khan and Hassan Khan secured the Hyderabad Kingsmen's first win in the PSL. Chasing 189, the Kingsmen started well with Marnus Labuschagne (26), who opened the innings, Maaz Sadaqat (37) and Usman Khan (27) contributing. However, they found themselves in trouble after slipping from 96/1 to 112/5. The situation worsened with Kusal Perera falling at the start of the 16th over with the side still needing 50 to win. Irfan and Hassan then combined, striking four fours and three sixes between them, to steer the team home.

Earlier, Saad Baig's fifty laid the platform for the Kings before Moeen Ali's 16-ball 44-run blitz threatened to take them well past 200. Two excellent overs at the death from Hunain Shah, who was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-19, helped the Kings regain control as only 22 runs were conceded off the last three overs.

Brief Scores: Karachi Kings 188/8 in 20 overs (Saad Baig 53, Moeen Ali 44; Hunain Shah 3-19, Mohammad Ali 2-35) lost to Hyderabad Kingsmen 189/6 in 19.1 overs (Hassan Khan 33*, Irfan Khan 29*; Abbas Afridi 2-30) by four wickets.