KARACHI: Islamabad United’s opener Alex Hales and Paul Stirling hit half-centuries on Sunday as they sailed their team to a nine-wicket victory against Peshawar Zalmi in the fifth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at National Stadium, Karachi.
Hales and Stirling started an aggressive inning and smashed 50 in partnership in just three overs, making it one of the fastest fifty in the history of the PSL. Both the openers continued to punish the bowlers and make the clash one-sided.
Stirling hit 50 off just 18 balls with seven fours and three sixes. It was the second-fastest 50 of the PSL. They shared 100 in partnership with an average of 11.8 runs per over. Hales remained unbeaten at 82 off 54 balls with 13 fours and one six.
Stirling returned to the pavilion after scoring 57 runs off 25 balls when suffered a run-out by Zalmi’s skipper Wahab Riaz on the Hussain Talat’s delivery.
Peshawar Zalmi’s innings
Earlier, United’ skipper Shadab Khan won the toss and elected to bowl first against Peshawar Zalmi. Peshawar set a 169-run target for United in the match. United’s bowlers destroyed the top-order batting line of Peshawar Zalmi as they lost the fourth wicket at just 35 runs in the clash.
United’s pacer Hasan Ali drew the first blood for his team after taking the wicket of Tom Kohler Cadmore in the opening over. In the third over, Faheem Ashraf sent Yasir Khan back to the pavilion. Ashraf bagged his second wicket in the fifth over.
Meanwhile, Shadab Khan bowled Haider Ali in the sixth over when the team’s total score was just 35. However, the team’s middle-order batters steered the team to a 168-run total.
Experienced Shoaib Malik made 25 runs off 22 balls with two fours and one six. He shared over a 73-run partnership with Sherfane Rutherford. Sherfane Rutherford made unbeaten 70 precocious runs off 46 balls with seven fours and three sixes. Ben Cutting, however, added 26 runs to his team’s total.
Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf took two wickets each, while Mohammad Wasim Jr and Shadab Khan bagged one wicket each in the match. Zalmi made 168 for the loss of six wickets.
Playing XI:
Peshawar Zalmi XI: Peshawar Zalmi XI: Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Yasir Khan, Haider Ali, Shoaib Malik, Hussain Talat, Sherfane Rutherford, Ben Cutting, Wahab Riaz (C), Sohail Khan, Pat Brown, Usman Qadir
Islamabad United XI: Shadab Khan (c), PR Stirling, AD Hales, Mubashir Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azam Khan (wk), Asif Ali, , Faheem Ashraf, Mohammad Wasim Jr., Hasan Ali, Marchant de Lange
