Karachi Kings keep Islamabad United to 136-6

Karachi Kings bowlers put an emphatic display with the ball to keep Islamabad United to 136-6 in a key match of the Pakistan Super League Saturday at National Stadium, Karachi.

Karachi Kings captain Imad Wasim won the toss and invited the Shadab-Khan led United to bat first. It seems that with matches being played in front of empty stadium, the PCB and its curators have left the pitches on their own as the batsmen continued to struggle to time the ball and play their hits in the last leg of matches in Karachi.

The Islamabad United batsmen could hit only one six and 12 boundaries in their innings in a Twenty20 match that showed how difficult it was to play their shots and also how well Karachi bowlers bowled in the match.

Openers Rizwan Hussain and Phil Salt added 35 runs in 4.5 overs before Rizwan was caught behind by wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton when he tried to pull and Umaid Asif’s delivery that hit the bootoom edge of his bat and Walton took a beautiful catch while diving forward. He scored 17 runs off 14 deliveries and hit two boundaries.

United ended the power play at 47-1 and reached 50 runs in 6.4 overs. IN very next over Slat was laos back to the pavilion when he used his feet and hit Imad very high over his head and Chris Jordan took a well-judged catch. Salt hit a six and three fours in his 19-ball 25. Captain Shadab, who has so far sown good form with the bat this season, could not play a big inngs for his team as Iftikhar Ahmad took his catch at mid-wicket when he hit Arshad Iqbal high in the air. Shadab scored 12 runs with the helf of one four on 14 balls.

Hussain Talat showen some resistance and added useful 37 runs off 30 balls hitting four boundaries when Iftikhar ended his innings. Hussain tried to hit Iftikhar out of the park but the ball went high and ended up in Cameron Delport’s hands at extra cover.

Asif Ali’s miserable season continued as he failed again with the bat when Usma Mir took his catch at midwicket off Chris Jordan’s bowling. He could score just 2 runs off 5 balls as Islamabad reached 100 runs mark in 14.4 overs.

Collin Ingram was run out when Faheem Ashraf send the ball to third man and came back for second. Keeper Walton collected the ball and threw it to Jordan at bowling end where he caught Ingram well short of crease. Ingram could score 14 off 15 balls hitting one four. Faheem remained unbeaten on 12 off 14 balls and Zafar Gohar on 13 off 10 balls.

Imad used seven bowlers to complete 20 overs with five taking one wicket each.