Hunain Shah's last over heroics sends Kingsmen into finals

The juggernaut rolls on. Hyderabad Kingsmen broke into their maiden PSL final with a sensational two-run triumph over Islamabad United, making it their seventh win in eight games.

The second Eliminator in Lahore served up a thriller, with the equation boiling down to a very gettable six off six for United, who did the hard work of looting 22 runs from the penultimate over. But Hunain Shah kept his nerve, crucially taking out Faheem Ashraf after two dots in three balls, and preventing any boundaries to leave United agonisingly short. As soon as Chris Green failed to put the last ball away, the Kingsmen dugout went wild in celebration, spilling onto the ground.

There were tears too: captain Marnus Labuschagne couldn't keep his emotions in check, soaking in the moment which lay in stark contrast to their early troubles (four losses in four games), and the criticism that followed.

It sets up their date with Peshawar Zalmi in the final on Sunday at the same ground.

The evening began with Kingsmen put in to bat, losing Maaz Sadaqat in the first over itself. Marnus Labuschagne and Saim Ayub then steadied the ship, but at 87/4 after 12 overs, there was work to be done by the rest.

Usman Khan came out with the right intent, going after spinners with brute power, using his feet, and the crease, well to access all parts. A couple of ramps against Salman Mirza, followed by a slap past covers, helped them get 18 runs from the 17th over. He brought up his fifty in 24 balls, his third in a row, and took off his helmet in celebration. Kusal Perera was the ideal foil, as they scored 65 runs from the last five for a strong finish.

In response, United suffered an early slip when Sameer Minhas was out caught in the second over, and Mohsin Riaz fell soon after. Slightly sluggish at 30/2 after five overs, they picked up the odd boundary, but slipped to 68/4 right after the ten-over mark. The rescue effort came via Mark Chapman and Haider Ali. A flurry of boundaries kept them in the hunt, but when Chapman departed, they still needed 34 off 15.

Enter Chris Green, starting off with a couple of lucky boundaries, before hitting Mohammad Ali for a crucial six in the penultimate over, which Ashraf repeated two balls later. With six needed off six, and an over-rate penalty for Kingsmen forcing an extra fielder in, it was United's game to lose. And somehow, they did.

Brief scores: Hyderabad Kingsmen 186/5 in 20 overs (Usman Khan 61, Marnus Labuschagne 39, Imad Wasim 2-16, Chris Green 1-19) beat Islamabad United 184/7 in 20 overs (Mark Chapman 43, Haider Ali 31, Hunain Shah 2-37, Mohammad Ali 2-44) by two runs.