With a thumping win over Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United has risen to the top position in the points table in PSL 2018. Banking on JP Duminy’s sterling 73 runs and Asif Ali’s quick-fire 45 runs off 24 balls, Islamabad ransacked 182 runs in their 20 overs and then Samit Patel grabbed four wickets to limit Peshawar to 156 runs.
After posting 39 runs off 29 balls for the first wicket with Luke Ronchi (27 runs off 17 balls), Duminy added 61 runs for the second wicket with Hussain Talat who scored 29 runs off 24 balls.
Shabad Khan’s run out in the 14th over disrupted the momentum for Islamabad but Duminy along with Asif Ali took the attack to the opposition by smashing 71 runs off just 34 balls for the fourth wicket. Wahab Riaz knocked out Ali in the 19th over and ended his aggressive innings.
Riaz finished the innings with three wickets for 30 runs. Apart from him, no other bowler from Peshawar made any impact.
While chasing 183 runs, Peshawar never looked settled and lost wickets in quick succession. Samit Patel got rid of the top order and sent back Fletcher and Dwayne Smith on successive deliveries.
Zafar Gohar continued with the onslaught and picked wickets in the middle overs. From three for to 75 runs, Peshawar crashed down to eight wickets for 92 runs thanks to Gohar’s three wickets.
Tailenders Wahab Riaz and Umaid Asif added 55 runs for the ninth wicket but this effort was too late and too little. Faheem Ashraf got rid of Umaid Asif (25 runs off 17 balls) in the 20th over and brought curtains on the chase. Raiz stood not out on 33 runs off 25 balls but he couldn’t prevent Islamabad from winning the game.
Shadab Khan supported Samit Patel and Zafar Gohar by sending only 21 runs in his four overs and also picked up a wicket.
