Islamabad whip Quetta by 43 runs

KARACHI: Colin Munro, Azam Khan and Paul Stirling smacked rapid fifties while Shadab Khan captured five wickets to enable Islamabad United whip Quetta Gladiators by 43 runs in their fixture of the HBL PSL 2022 here at the National Stadium on Thursday night.

This was the second win from United in three games and they joined Lahore Qalandars on points. Munro (72*), Azam (65) and Stirling (58) enabled United to post 229-4. Shadab then finished with his career-best figures of 5-28 in four overs to dismiss Quetta Gladiators for 186 in 19.3 overs thanks to Mohammad Nawaz’s 47.

Chasing a stiff target, both Ahsan Ali and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai provided a brisk start to Quetta Gladiators as both shared 54 runs for the opening partnership off 35 deliveries. Hasan Ali gave a much-needed breakthrough to United when he removed Bangalzai, who top-edged a short-pitched delivery with keeper Azam Khan taking a comfortable catch while moving a few yards behind. Bangalzai struck 13-ball 14 with one six. In the next over, left-armer Waqas Maqsood got rid of James Vince (0), caught at mid-off by Shadab Khan.

Leg-spinner Shadab Khan, in the next over, removed Ahsan Ali (50) soon after he completed his fifty, held in the deep by Alex Hales. Ahsan, whose fifty came off 26 balls, struck eight fours and one six from 27 balls. This was his third fifty in this event. Quetta were reeling at 71-3 in the eighth over.

Shadab, in his next over, bowled Ben Duckett (11) before getting rid of Iftikhar Ahmed (6) and Sarfaraz Ahmed (11) in one over to leave Quetta gasping at 97-6. Shadab then had Shahid Afridi (4), for his fifth wicket in the innings.

A firework from Mohammad Nawaz (47) and James Faulkner (30*) entertained the fans, sharing 76 runs for the eighth wicket stand. Nawaz, removed by Hasan Ali, smacked five sixes and two fours from just 22 balls. Mohammad Wasim Junior then got rid of Sohail Tanvir (0) and Naseem Shah (0) off his two successive balls to end Quetta’s innings. Faulkner hit two sixes and three fours in his rapid 14-ball unbeaten knock. Hasan Ali (2-50) and Wasim (2-27) ably backed five-star Shadab. Colin Munro was adjudged as man of the match for his super knock.

After being invited to bat, New Zealand’s Colin Munro and Azam Khan shared 93 runs off 53 balls for the fourth wicket stand to enable Islamabad United post 229-4 in the allotted 20 overs. This is the highest total of the event so far and fourth highest of the PSL.

Munro, whose fifty came off 24 balls, smacked five sixes, three of them came off Shahid Afridi, and three fours in his 39-ball unfinished knock.

Munro smacked Afridi for two successive huge sixes in the seventh over which produced 18 runs. Azam Khan, who was bowled by Afridi in the final over, smashed six sixes, five of them came off Afridi, and two fours in his 35-ball terrific feat. Azam’s fifty came in 31 balls. Azam smacked Afridi for two sixes and one four in the 14th over which yielded 19 runs.

Earlier, Paul Stirling (58) smacked his second fifty of the event to provide a fiery start to United. The Irish heavyweight, whose fifty came off 23 balls, smacked three sixes and seven fours in his 28-ball super effort before being removed by Mohammad Nawaz, with Sohail Tanvir holding an easy catch at backward point. Stirling smacked Naseem Shah for a six and two fours in the third over of the innings which fetched 16 runs. He provided a brisk 45-run opening stand off 24 balls with Alex Hales who fell for a nine-ball 22, clobbering five hits across the fence.

Mohammad Nawaz, who also got the prized scalp of dangerous Shadab Khan (9), was the pick of the bowlers with 2-32 in his quota of four overs. James Faulkner got 1-45 in four overs. It was a bad day for veteran leggie Shahid Afridi as the former Pakistan captain finished with 1-67 in his quota of four overs. Afridi’s bowling figures are the most expensive in the PSL history. In the powerplay, United scored 81, the highest score in the first six overs so far in the event. United’s 100 came in 44 balls, 150 in 78 balls and 200 in 109 balls. In the last five overs 51 runs came, which did not match the kind of momentum which United had caught in the 15 overs.

Richard Illingworth and Imtiaz Iqbal supervised the match while Ranjan Madugalle was the match referee.

Earlier, Quetta Gladiators made three changes by bringing in James Vince, Shahid Afridi and Abdul Wahid Bangalzai in place of Will Smeed, Ashir Qureshi and Mohammad Hasnain. Islamabad United made two changes, replacing Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Marchant de Lange with Colin Munro and Waqas Maqsood.