LAHORE: Playing their first full match in 11 days, Peshawar Zalmi showed signs of rustiness before recovering to beat debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by four wickets at the National Bank Stadium in Karachi on Wednesday. This was Zalmi’s second win in three matches — one of which was a no-result — while Kingsmen remained at the bottom of the eight-team table with four consecutive defeats.

Veteran Iftikhar Ahmed recorded career-best figures of 4-0-21-4 and Sufiyan Muqeem returned 4-0-32-4 as Kingsmen were bundled out for 145 in 18.2 overs. Babar Azam then top-scored for Zalmi with a 37-ball 43 with six fours, while Kushal Mendis scored 27 and Michael Bracewell 25, as Zalmi, requiring 14 runs off the last over, sealed victory on the final ball.

Iftikhar followed up his bowling heroics with the bat, hitting young Hunain Shah for a four and a six in the last over to finish unbeaten on 15 off 10 balls.

Peshawar Zalmi were cruising at 116 for four after 15 overs before fast bowlers Mohammad Ali and Hunain Shah gave away just 16 runs in the next four overs — leaving the 2017 champions needing 14 off the last over. Ali finished with one for 16 in three overs, while Hunain ended with one for 32 in four.

Saim Ayub was Kingsmen’s most successful bowler with two for 19, whereas Hassan Khan and Maheesh Theekshana took one wicket each, conceding 25 and 36 runs respectively.

Having exposed their vulnerability on batting-friendly Lahore surfaces in earlier matches, Kingsmen showed similar frailty on the slow National Bank Stadium pitch, losing eight wickets to spin while scoring just 79 runs in 12 overs before being dismissed for 145 after being sent in to bat.

Kingsmen’s blushes were saved by their foreign internationals — Kusal Perera and captain Marnus Labuschagne — who put on 82 for the fifth wicket off 55 balls after the side had slipped to 35 for four in five overs. After Labuschagne departed in the 15th over with the score on 116, the remaining five batters managed just 29 runs off 25 balls before the innings ended at 145 in 18.2 overs.

Perera scored 58 off 35 balls with five fours and two sixes, while Labuschagne made a run-a-ball 27 with three fours.

Iftikhar Ahmed was the destroyer-in-chief of Kingsmen’s top order, dismissing Maaz Sadaqat (17), Saim Ayub (14), Sharjeel Khan (2) and Usman Khan (0). Sufiyan then decimated the middle-order, accounting for Marnus Labuschagne, Irfan Khan Niazi (9), Perera and Maheesh Theekshana (0).

Scores in brief:

Match 15 – Peshawar Zalmi beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by four wickets

HYDERABAD KINGSMEN 145 all-out, 18.2 overs (Kusal Perera 58, Marnus Labuschagne 27, Maaz Sadaqat 17, Saim Ayub 14; Iftikhar Ahmed 4-21, Sufiyan Muqeem 4-32)

PESHAWAR ZALMI 146-6, 20 overs (Babar Azam 43, Kusal Mendis 27, Michael Bracewell 25, Iftikhar Ahmed 15 not out, Farhan Yousaf15; Saim Ayub 2-19)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Iftikhar Ahmed (Peshawar Zalmi)

THURSDAY’S FIXTURE: Islamabad United vs Lahore Qalandars; Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi