Peshawar Zalmi reach PSL 3 final to defend title

LAHORE: Defending champions Peshawar Zalmi succeeded in entering into final for the second successive time after defeating Karachi Kings by 13 runs in the second Eliminator of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) – 3 here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday night.

The winners of the second edition of the PSL will now meet Islamabad United, the winners of the first PSL in the final, to be played for the first time in Karachi on Sunday.

Chasing a difficult target of 171, Karachi Kings fought back bravely but gave up the chase in the end, reaching 157 for two.

Their fight back owed to brilliant half-centuries by Joe Denly and Babar Azam, who made the chase easy with a second wicket partnership of 117 runs, but the latter batsmen could not cash it.

Denly remained not out on 79, made off 46 balls with nine fours and four sixes while Babar scored 63 off 45 balls with six fours and two sixes.

Peshawar needed 41 runs from nine balls when Babar left the scene but Denly along with his new partner Colin Ingram could not take his team to victory.

After the match ended, Kamran Akmal was declared Man-of-the-Match for his thunderous batting due to which Peshawar Zalmi plundered 170 for seven in their innings, reduced to 16 overs due to rain, after being sent into bat.

Kamran and Andre Fletcher provided a century stand for the opening wicket hitting all over the ground. They made 107 off just 55 balls.

Kamran was far more aggressive than Fletcher, who reached his fifty, with a six off Usama Mir, from just 17 balls. This was the fastest half-century of the season.

However, both the openers were dismissed by Ravi Bopara in the same over as Zalmi reached 120 in exact ten overs.

Kamran made 77 off only 27 balls with eight sixes and five fours whereas Fletcher scored 34 off 30 balls with three fours and two sixes.

Then Karachi Kings bowlers started tightening their grip on the latter batsmen and captured five more wickets conceding 50 runs in the remaining six overs.

Bopara was the most successful bowler for the Kings, capturing three wickets for 35, while Tymal Mills claimed two for 23.

The batsmen dismissed after Kamran and Fletcher were Darren Sammy (23 off 12 balls with two sixes and a four), Liam Dawson (13), Mohammad Hafeez (13), Saad Nasim (2) and Wahab Riaz (nought).