KARACHI: Even with arguably a bigger crowd to back them here at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi Kings were a picture of disappointment on Sunday night. Islamabad United, in contrast, embodied consistency.
The title holders were clinical as they thrashed the hosts by six wickets with 17 balls to spare — their fourth win in as many games of this HBL Pakistan Super League season.
The Kings, meanwhile, are proving to be mercurial this year, continuing their pattern of winning a game before losing one.
On what seemed to be a difficult batting wicket, Kings posted a paltry 128-7 before United skipper Shadab Khan and Azam Khan, hardly feeling challenged, got together for a match-winning partnership.
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The Kings, earlier, had looked clueless.
Put into bat first, they struggled their way to 41-2 in the powerplay, which saw them lose skipper David Warner and in-form batter James Vince to unplayable deliveries by pacers Naseem Shah and Jason Holder, respectively, both of whom hit top of the off-stump.
Eight of the meagre powerplay score came off two boundaries from number-four batter Saad Baig — playing his first match this season. Meanwhile, Tim Seifert, who survived the dangerous opening spell by the United bowlers added just one boundary.
Saad (20 off 17, four fours) looked promising, carving Mohammad Shahzad’s pace past point and fine-leg for two more boundaries, but miscued United captain Shadab to Shahzad at backward point in the 10th over, as the scoreboard read 63-3 at halfway stage.
Siefert (30 off 37) who had been unsuccessfully trying ...
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