LAHORE: A blazing half-century by Azam Khan helped Karachi Kings to complete a hat-trick of victories in the Pakistan Super League when they defeated Rawalpindiz by five wickets on Thursday. For Rawalpindiz, it was their second successive defeat, and they now languish in seventh place with fellow-debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen in eighth.

Azam belted six fours and six sixes in a 34-ball 74 as Karachi Kings achieved the 198-run target with four balls to spare. Like their previous match, Abbas Afridi finished off the chase with a towering six after Karachi required five runs off the last over and lost Moeen Ali on the first delivery.

Azam had walked out to bat when Karachi were in a spot of bother at 70 for two, and added 76 runs for the third wicket off 42 balls with captain David Warner to put his side back on track.

After Warner departed for a 36-ball 50 with six fours and a six, Azam took control and accelerated with clean hitting. After reaching his fifty off 28 balls with four fours and four sixes, he scored his next 24 runs off 10 balls with two fours and two sixes.

Azam fully benefited from Rawalpindiz’s generosity when Rishad Hossain dropped him twice and Mohammad Amir once.

While Rawalpindiz’s fielding cracked under pressure, Mohammad Rizwan’s tactics were also questionable. After Cole McConchie conceded just three runs in his first over, Rizwan did not introduce him again until the 17th over — and that too only after Naseem Shah walked off with a side strain after bowling two balls. Azam welcomed him by hitting two fours and a six.

Earlier, a 120-run fourth-wicket partnership off 70 balls between Daryl Mitchell and Sam Billings lifted Rawalpindiz from a precarious 55 for three in 6.1 overs to 197 for six. Mitchell top-scored with 65 off 41 balls with five fours and three sixes, while Billings scored 58 off 35 balls with eight fours and a six. Other notable scorers were Mohammad Rizwan (21, 13b, 4×4) and Abdullah Fazal (18*, 7b, 1×4, 2×6).

For Karachi Kings, Hasan Ali collected three for 24, while Khushdil Shah picked up two for 37. Rawalpindiz scored 55 runs in the PowerPlay and 57 in the final five overs.

SAMEER IMPRESSES, SHADAB SHINE

Teenager Sameer Minhas paired beautifully with the experienced Shadab Khan as the two put on 128 for an unbroken third wicket off 69 balls to steer Islamabad United to a comfortable eight-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators with 10 balls to spare.

Sameer showcased his talent by clobbering eight fours and three sixes in a 48-ball 82 not out, reaching his maiden PSL half-century in his second appearance off 32 balls with six fours and a six. Shadab was cool and calculated as ever, scoring 69 not out off 39 balls with five fours and four sixes.

Shadab had earlier picked up three for 23 to restrict Quetta Gladiators to 183 for five, after an unfinished sixth-wicket partnership between Hasan Nawaz and Tom Curran yielded 90 off 49 balls. The pair had come together after Quetta slipped from 71 for one in eight overs to 93 for five in 11.5 overs.

Hasan Nawaz scored 66 not out off 36 balls with six fours and three sixes, while Curran scored a 22-ball 29 with two fours and a six. Other notable Quetta batters were openers Saud Shakeel and Shamyl Hussain, who scored 42 (26b, 3×4, 3×6) and 21 (15b, 1×4, 2×6) respectively, putting on 50 for the first wicket in five overs. Khawaja Nafay scored 18 off 14 balls.

Scores in brief

Match 9 – Islamabad United beat Quetta Gladiators by eight wickets

QUETTA GLADIATORS 183-5, 20 overs (Hasan Nawaz 66 not out, Saud Shakeel 42, Tom Curran 29 not out, Shamyl Hussain 21, Khawaja Nafay 18; Shadab Khan 3-23)

ISLAMABAD UNITED 189-2, 18.2 overs (Sameer Minhas 82 not out, Shadab Khan 69 not out, Devon Conway 18)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Shadab Khan (Islamabad United)

Match 10 – Karachi Kings beat Rawalpindiz by five wickets

RAWALPINDIZ 197-6, 20 overs (Daryl Mitchell 65, Sam Billings 58, Mohammad Rizwan 21, Abdullah Fazal 18 not out; Hasan Ali 3-24, Khushdil Shah 2-37)

KARACHI KINGS 199-5, 19.2 overs (Azam Khan 74, David Warner 50, Salman Ali Agha 29, Muhammad Waseem 23; Daryl Mitchell 3-32)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Azam Khan (Rawalpindiz)

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