NEW DELHI:
Karachi Kings
posted their third straight victory in
Pakistan Super League 2018 when they beat
Lahore Qalandars
by 27 runs on Monday at Dubai International Cricket Stadium. Karachi rode on the brilliance of their overseas batsmen to post 159/7 after opting to bat. They recovered from a Powerplay assault to bowl out Lahore for 132 in 18.3 overs and consolidate their top position in the points tally.
Denly (28) made a busy start to the innings - edging, surviving an lbw appeal and following that with some clean hitting to move to 28 before Yasir Shah, whom he greeted with two fours, sent him back. Mustafizur Rahman and
Sunil Narine then struck in their respective first overs as Karachi slumped to 36/3 after six overs.
Ravi Bopara and Colin Ingram got together to inject stability through their 50-run partnership for the fourth wicket. It took a stunning effort in the field to separate them when 17-year-old Shaheen Afridi leapt near the midwicket fence to keep the ball in the field of play after Ingram (28) launched one high into the night-sky.
Umar Amkal
was nearby and he tumbled to complete the catch. Their innings again suffered a slump and at 117/7 in 16.4 overs, the total they went on to get seemed a distance possibility.
That was made possible by Bopara and Mohammad Irfan as they plundered 31 runs in the final two overs. Bopara hit the final delivery for a six to complete a 34-ball 50.
Despite losing Sunil Narine for a duck, Brendon McCullum ensured Lahore made a blazing start as he laid into the Karachi bowlers. Tymal Mills bowled a forgetful second over, a 10-ball affair in which he leaked 14 runs including three no balls, a wide and a boundary to McCullum. His second over, last of the Powerplay, was limited to six deliveries but McCullum thrashed two fours and a six in it taking Karachi to 68/1.
Enter Shahid Afridi and he provided the breakthrough thanks to a brilliant catch from Bopara to dismiss Fakhar Zaman (19). McCullum soon joined his partner in the dugout, given lbw off Imad Wasim after scoring 44 off 30. Afridi then outfoxed Umar Akmal to have him stumped in his next over. But with the scorecard reading 91/4 at the halfway stage, the balance was still in the favour of Lahore. Afridi tipped the scale, taking a wicket in his third consecutive over with the scalp of Sohail Akhtar (9).
Lahore then lost their last five wickets for the addition of 41 runs and suffered their third defeat in as many games. They are early favourites to take the wooden spoon.
Brief Scores: Karachi Kings 159/7 (Ravi Bopara 50*; Sunil Narine 2/18, Yasir Shah 2/25) beat Lahore Qalandars 132 (Brendon McCullum 44; Shahid Afridi 3/19, Usman Khan 3/26) by 27 runs
Start a Conversation
Post comment