PSL 2018, Match 27 Review: Peshawar Zalmi register an important win; Stay in contention for a playoff spot

Defending champions Peshawar Zalmi registered a much-needed win on Thursday, which keeps them in contention for a playoff spot this season. It was a clinical performance from Darren Sammy and his incredible unit, who kept the Multan Sultans’ fans on the edge of their seats. If Zalmi win their next game, they’ll knock Multan out of the tournament and romp into the playoffs.

Batting first, Mohammad Hafeez was dismissed very early in the innings. Usman Khan rattled his stumps off the 3rd ball of the innings and gave the Karachi Kings a bright start. Unfortunately for the Zalmi unit, Dwayne Smith got off to a decent start with a couple of sixes, but thew his wicket away just after the powerplay.

But Kamran Akmal maintained his composure and kept scoring runs at a decent rate. The veteran wicketkeeper-batsman was looking in great touch and turned out to be quite a force to reckon with for the Kings. The innings was paced to perfection and it was a perfect blend of caution and aggression. Akmal completed his fifty in the 11th over with a boundary off Usama Mir.

The ones who really provided Zalmi the edge in the innings were Saad Nasim and skipper Darren Sammy. After Kamran Akmal was dismissed for a well-compiled 75 off 51 balls, the Kings fell apart thanks to the exploits of Sammy and Nasim. Whilst Nasim clobbered an 18-ball 35, Sammy remained unbeaten on 36 off 15 balls, which included 4 sixes and 2 fours.

Zalmi finished their innings on a high with 181 runs in their kitty. It was a daunting target on a track where the bowlers did get some assistance. Usman Khan bowled a breathtaking spell with the new ball and registered figures of 3/11 in his 4 overs.

Azam shines but the Kings stumble

If only Babar Azam had received some support at the other end, things could’ve been different, both for the Kings and also the Multan Sultans. Azam opened the innings and struck a brilliant half-century in difficult circumstances. But the Zalmi bowlers were terrific on the night, which took the game away from Eoin Morgan’s men.

English opener Joe Denly was dismissed for a duck and Colin Ingram followed the suit, losing his stumps to Wahab Riaz without troubling the scorers. These two wickets inside the first five overs didn’t let Azam’s confidence come down and he stood tall. Wickets kept falling at regular intervals post after that and there was no big partnership.

The likes of Eoin Morgan and Ravi Bopara, who possess tons of experience in the shortest version, registered single digits. That didn’t help their cause but Azam battled hard and completed a half-century. Towards the end of the innings, Shahid Afridi towered some gigantic sixes in his short-little cameo, which wasn’t enough to have an impact on the match.

Liam Dawson registered figures of 3/17 in his 4 overs and toyed with the batsmen in the middle overs. Hasan Ali and Umaid Asif bowled very economically as well, conceding at less than 6 an over in their 4 overs. The Kings could only score 137 runs, conceding a 44-run victory to Darren Sammy and his troops.

Brief Scores

Peshawar Zalmi: 181/6 in 20 overs (Kamran Akmal 75, Saad Nasim 35, Darren Sammy 36*; Usman Khan 3/11)

Karachi Kings: 137/8 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 66; Liam Dawson 3/17, Umaid Asif 2/23, Wahab Riaz 2/26)

Player of the match: Kamran Akmal