Brilliant Afridi can't stop Peshawar falling to Karachi defeat

Barnaby Read 23:43 19/02/2017
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  • Karachi look in much better shape.

    The Karachi Kings resurgence continued in Sharjah on Sunday night with a tense win over Peshawar Zalmi.

    It is now two wins from two for Karachi despite the best efforts of Shahid Afridi and Darren Sammy who nearly instigated a remarkable turnaround.

    Chasing 175 for victory, the brittle Peshawar top-order that just a night before fell to 78-6 again failed, with just 69 on the board by the time their sixth wicket was taken on Sunday.

    At that stage, it looked as if Karachi would romp to victory but for a magnificent 70-run partnership between Afridi and Sammy from just 40 balls.

    Sammy fell in the 18th over, before Afridi took the game into its final over. Needing 18 from it, Afridi scored eight from the first three balls, including a monster six to bring up his fifty but he perished next ball for 54 from 28 balls.

    It was inspired stuff from the former Pakistan captain, when defeat looked a convincing formality by the time he reached the crease but was only felt by nine runs by the close.

    The end result leaves both sides enjoying a contrasting run of results.

    At the start of play, Peshawar knew a victory would take them back to the top of the table after an just one point from their two games over the weekend, while Karachi started the day bottom and two points adrift of Lahore Qalandars one spot above.

    Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi

    • Karachi Kings 174-4
    • Malik (51*); Iftikhar (2-8)
    • Peshawar Zalmi 165
    • Afridi (54); Sohail (3-28)

    A run of three defeats from their first three games was finally ended with Karachi’s victory over Islamabad United last time out and their star studded lineup will be keenly aware that more of the same is needed if they are to be in contention of the title.

    They certainly looked in better shape after being put into bat first, Babar Azam and new opening partner Kumar Sangakkara taking them to 72 before the Pakistan batsman departed for 46 in the ninth.

    Chris Gayle dropped to three after mustering just 19 runs from the first four matches but didn’t fare much better, out for 11.

    Both Gayle and Sangakkara fell to Iftikhar Ahmed whose part-time off-spin was the pick of the Peshawar bowling with 2-8 from his two overs.

    But, from there, last year’s captains Shoaib Malik (51* from 27 balls) and Ravi Bopara (30 from 20) salvaged the innings as Karachi posted a healthy looking 174-4.

    Malik was at his belligerent best with four boundaries and three sixes to mastermind Karachi’s highest total of the tournament so far.

    Tamim Iqbal and Kamran Akmal got their team off to a good start but Karachi were rampant, taking three wickets in eight balls either side of the fifth over to take firm control.

    First, Sohail Khan removed both openers in the space of three balls, before Imad Wasim removed Iftikhar at the start of the fifth to leave Peshawar reeling at 33-3.

    Things were only getting worse for Peshawar, Eoin Morgan managing just three from 13 balls in his last innings of the tournament as part of the exodus of England internationals as the Peshawar top-six remained brittle.

    Karachi expertly put the strangle on proceedings, Peshawar only able to free themselves once captain Sammy and Afridi came to the crease.

    And free themselves they did, but thanks to the faults of the Peshawar top-order they were left with just too much to do, even for the great Afridi.

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