DUBAI - Liam Dawson smashed a last ball boundary off pacer Mohammad Sami to clinch a thrilling four wicket win for Peshawar Zalmi over Islamabad United in the top of the table clash Friday.
The victory helped Zalmi keep their top position on the table and also guaranteed a place in the eliminators.
Needing 14 off the last over Zalmi skipper Darren Sammy -- limping with a leg injury -- smashed the fourth ball over the long-off boundary for a six but was run out in attempt to take a sharp single as he missed the ball off the fifth. But Dawson, who smashed 35-ball 52 not out with three sixes and as many boundaries, kept his cool to give Peshawar their fifth win in seven games and the first team to get ten points.
Sammy was equally heroic with 29-ball 40 with two sixes and as many boundaries. He helped Dawson clinch the game with a partnership of 89 in 8.2 overs.
Peshawar were off to a brisk start with Kamran Akmal (12-ball 19 with two sixes and a boundary) and Andre Fletcher (21-ball 21 with two sixes and a boundary) smashing three sixes in Rumman Raees’s third over. Kamran, when on 11, became the first batsman to complete 1,000 runs in PSL. His feat came in 41st match.
But after a brisk start of 37 and then reach 58-1, Peshawar lost four wickets in the space of just 26 runs. Left arm spinner Zafar Gohar had Kamran and dangerman Kieron Pollard (one) while Shadab Khan had Fletcher and Imam-ul-Haq (15) to leave Peshawar in a spot of bother with the board reading 84-5.
Dawson smashed two sixes and a boundary to collect 27 in Faheem Ashraf’s 13th and that lifted the tempo. Sammy matched his partner shot for shot by hitting a four and a six off Rumman as the target was reduced to 22 off two overs. Peshawar were lucky in the penultimate over when Sammy was caught off a Faheem no-ball.
Earlier, Islamabad United were all out for 176 off the final over with Cameroon Delport hitting a solid 55-ball 71 with eight boundaries and a six after they were put into bat. Asif Ali smashed two sixes and a boundary in his 13-ball 23 but Islamabad lost their last seven wickets for 29 runs including that of Delport in the 17th over. That slide included two run outs. Leg-spinner Ibtisam Sheikh (2-30), Hasan Ali (2-24), Wahab Riaz (2-20) were all effective in Peshawar’s bowling. With the two wickets Wahab have also completed 250 wickets in all Twenty20 cricket.
Points Table
TEAM M W L T P NRR
PZ 7 5 2 0 10 0.852
IU 8 4 4 0 8 0.12
QG 6 4 2 0 8 0.021
LQ 7 3 4 0 6 -0.341
KK 7 3 4 0 6 -0.58
MS 7 2 5 0 4 -0.07
Scorecard
ISLAMABAD UNITED:
L Ronchi c Amin b Ibtisam Sheikh 9
CS Delport c Dawson b Hasan Ali 71
PD Salt c Fletcher b Ibtisam Sheikh 28
CAK Walton b Wahab Riaz 22
Asif Ali c Wahab b Umaid Asif 23
Nasir Nawaz run out 3
Faheem Ashraf b Hasan Ali 9
Shadab Khan b Wahab Riaz 0
Zafar Gohar run out 2
Mohammad Sami run out 1
Rumman Raeesnot out 0
EXTRAS: (lb 5, w 3) 8
TOTAL: (all out, 20 overs) 176
FOW: 1-9, 2-55, 3-128, 4-147, 5-161, 6-171, 7-171, 8-171, 9-175, 10-176.
BOWLING: Hasan Ali 4-0-24-2, Ibtisam Sheikh 3-0-30-2, Umaid Asif 4-0-40-1, LA Dawson 2-0-25-0, Wahab Riaz 4-0-20-2, KA Pollard 3-0-32-0.
PESHAWAR ZALMI:
Kamran Akmal c Shadab b Zafar Gohar 19
ADS Fletcher c Ronchi b Shadab Khan 21
Imam-ul-Haq lbw b Shadab Khan 15
Umar Amin c sub b Faheem Ashraf 6
LA Dawson not out 52
KA Pollard st Ronchi b Zafar Gohar 1
DJG Sammy run out 40
Wahab Riaz not out 0
EXTRAS: (b 5, lb 7, nb 2, w 9) 23
TOTAL: (6 wkts, 20 overs) 177
FOW: 1-37, 2-58, 3-69, 4-71, 5-84, 6-173.
BOWLING: Rumman Raees 4-0-41-0, Mohammad Sami 4-0-33-0, Zafar Gohar 4-0-30-2, Shadab Khan 4-0-21-2, Faheem Ashraf 4-0-40-1.
TOSS: Peshawar Zalmi
UMPIRES: Ranmore Martinesz, Shozab Raza
TV UMPIRES: Asif Yaqoob
RESERVE UMPIRE: Tariq Rasheed
MATCH REFEREE: Mohammed Anees