Pollard blitz powers Karachi Kings to seven-wicket win over Peshawar Zalmi

Kieron Pollard onslaught guided the Karachi Kings to a comfortable win against Peshawar Zalmi in the sixth match of Pakistan Super League season 9 at Qaddafi Stadium Lahore on Wednesday, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Karachi Kings successfully chased the 155-run target with 19 balls to spare, with Pollard and James Vince going unbeaten.

Peshawar Zalmi started the defence of the paltry total on a good note as Luke Wood removed captain Shan Masood with 20 runs on the board.

Mohammad Akhlaq played a quick cameo of 24 from 13 balls that featured three boundaries and two sixes before Wood struck again to send him back.

With the scoreboard reading 40-2, Shoaib Malik and James Vince constructed an anchoring 51-run stand from 46 balls to put the Kings back on track.

Malik scored run-a-ball 29 before he came down the track to attempt an ambitious loft to Waqar Salamkheil, only to get stumped.

Pollard joined Vince and made sure to get the Zalmi out of the game with a blistering cameo of 49 runs from 21 balls, including 27 runs in one over of Salamkheil.

Pollard smashed eight boundaries, including four sixes to guide his team to victory, while Vince scored 38 off 30 with the help of three boundaries and one six.

Earlier in the first innings, the Kings’ bowlers caused all kinds of troubles to Zalmi’s batters.

Zalmi were 40-3 in just 5.1 overs but skipper Babar Azam stayed on the crease and took control of his side’s batting. The 29-year-old formed a 68-run partnership with Rovman Powell but the latter departed after contributing 39 runs.

After Powell’s wicket, hard-hitter Asif Ali came to bat and scored 23 off 16 but his quick knock couldn’t take Zalmi to a competitive total as they were all out for 154 runs in 19.5 overs.

Mir Hamza and Hasan Ali bagged three wickets each for the winning side while Daniel Sams got two. Mohammad Nawaz and Shoaib Malik picked one each.