Islamabad United (170/5) beat Peshawar Zalmi (169/5) by 5 wickets to win Eliminator 1

[Mean&Green]

Chucker gets another wicket

 

[Saj]

Game-changing bowling by Irshad.

Absolutely brilliant yorkers.

 

[Saj]

Chucker gets another wicket

Nothing wrong with his action.

 

[YousafTheBeast]

Chucker gets another wicket

How’s Salman Irshad chucking? His arm doesn’t bend. A side arm action isn’t chucking.

 

[Anis Shivani]

Asif Ali should not play for Pakistan.

 

[Omer2002]

Asif Ali should not play for Pakistan.

I am sorry but he hit three sixes against mighty azmat khan in world cup which guarantees him 3 years atleast in pak team!!

 

[boomboomcheema]

Azam Khan playing for Peshawar.

 

[Justcrazy]

United need 32 runs in 18 balls.

They need a 10 plus over here

 

[Justcrazy]

IU need to get runs this over , they cannot leave too much for last over

 

[Anis Shivani]

I am sorry but he hit three sixes against mighty azmat khan in world cup which guarantees him 3 years atleast in pak team!!

Yes that was unfortunate. That he did well in the World Cup, guaranteeing his continuation.

 

[Justcrazy]

Just what doctor order

 

[Justcrazy]

22 of 12 balls !

 

[JibranAnsari]

Zalmi still favourites

 

[Justcrazy]

This over will decide the game

 

[Saj]

Big over here from Wahab, He's been very poor so far.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Azam will get out

 

[Saj]

What on earth is Wahab bowling.

Wide after wide from an experienced bowler.

 

[boomboomcheema]

Wahab undoing all the good work with wides.

 

[JibranAnsari]

Big man proves me wrong ,big hit

 

[world cup captain]

Wahab should have dropped himself for Arshad. He's been awful except for the super over.

 

[Saj]

Is Wahab not allowed to bowl Yorkers.

So poor from him this.

 

[Villager6964]

Wahab has been very poor.He is done with cricket.He should call it a day now.

 

[JibranAnsari]

What on earth is Wahab bowling.

Wide after wide from an experienced bowler.

Story of his career , not doing the right thing.

 

[world cup captain]

Talat for the last over is a game-losing decision. Very poor captaincy today from Wahab.

 

[Justcrazy]

There we go , 10 required of 6 balls.

Match down the wire

 

[daytrader]

Azam Khan the giant slayer! First he demolished Afridi and now Wahab

 

[Saj]

Last minute change of mind by PZ. Looked like they were giving the ball to Talat but now it's Howell.

 

[Justcrazy]

Dot ball

Pressure building , it can go either way

 

[as-95]

Without Wahabs wides, this game wouldve been in Peshawars favour!

Needs to be removed from captaincy. Horrible player. Has he had a hair transplant btw?

 

[boomboomcheema]

Oh Lord, game over in one ball after the wicket with a Six.

 

[Justcrazy]

IU are through

Zalmi would be disappointed.

 

[Villager6964]

Peshawar lost with those poor drops and poor fielding.

 

[Villager6964]

Lahore is gonna demolish Islamabad tomorrow.

 

[TeamPak95]

Without Wahabs wides, this game wouldve been in Peshawars favour!

Needs to be removed from captaincy. Horrible player. Has he had a hair transplant btw?

There are some things a man can't control Bowling wides isn't one of them tho.

 

[Major]

Imagine Hales coming back just for 1 game lol, mauja hi mauja.

looks like hes stayinggggggggggg

 

[Villager6964]

LOL Wahab crying now.It's your poor bowling which lost the game.

 

[Saj]

4 overs 0 for 52

If anyone has to take responsibility for that defeat then it's the skipper.

 

[Mean&Green]

Alhumdulliah

 

[CricVet]

It is NOT ONE MAN responsible for this loss. Haris missed easy stumping and then Khalid dropped a simple chance of Hales; 2 lives granted to Hales which is criminal in a T20 game. Peshawar's fielding has been bad throughout the tournament.

 

[MenInG]

Faheem Ashraf "I told Liam Dawson when he came out to bat, let's take this to the end and we can do it. He just came in ignored my advice and hit his first ball for 6 and made things easy"

 

[MenInG]

Twice former champions Islamabad United won the Eliminator 1 in a dramatic and thrilling fashion to keep alive their hopes of a third HBL Pakistan Super League title as 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi were knocked out in another action-packed night (Thursday) of cricket at the headquarters of Pakistan cricket Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.

Zalmi paid a heavy price for a missed stumping and a dropped chance against Alex Hales inside the first three overs delivered by Zalmi’s new recruit Ali Majid in United’s 170-run chase.

Hales who had returned to represent United for the playoffs made full use of the opportunities provided to him by Zalmi with a brilliant 62 off 49 (six fours, three sixes).

The English batter was finally undone by a sensational yorker by Salman Irshad who also removed Asif Ali (7) with a beautifully disguised slow yorker.

Asif was dismissed with the score at 119 in the 16th over. His departure left United needing 51 off the last 28 balls.

Azam Khan (28 off 22, one four, two sixes) and (player of the match) Faheem Ashraf (19 not out, two fours, one six, one for 15 in three overs with the ball) brought United to the brink of victory with some big hits which left United needing 10 off the final six balls bowled by Benny Howell.

Azam was dismissed off the first ball of the final over in what was another twist in the tale of the thriller, however Liam Dawson settled the game in United’s favour with a massive six over mid-wicket and a lap sweep off the following delivery for four as United chased the score down with three balls to spare.

Salman finished with three wickets for 31 but Zalmi skipper Wahab Riaz had a forgettable night with figures of 4-0-52-0.

United will now take on Lahore Qalandars tomorrow night in the HBL PSL 7 Eliminator 2, the winner will proceed to play the tournament final against Multan Sultans on Sunday.

Other performers

Batting first Zalmi’s seasoned batting pair of Kamran Akmal and Shoaib Malik hit 50s to help their side muster 169 for five. After the early loss of the big-hitters Mohammad Haris (12) and Yasir Khan (8), Kamran took over the run scoring.

The wicketkeeper-batter scored 58 off 39 balls (seven fours, two sixes). This was the first fifty of the season for the Zalmi veteran who has been one of the most prolific run-getters in HBL PSL history.

Kamran was dismissed by Shadab after a 40-run alliance with Malik. Kamran was replaced by Hussain Talat who joined Malik in a quickfire 56-run partnership off only 26 balls.

Hussain contributed 28 off 15 (five fours). Malik cut loose after the loss of Kamran and after a series of big shots reached his third half-century of the season. The Zalmi batting linchpin was dismissed for 55 (43 balls, four fours, two sixes) on the penultimate ball of the innings.

During his innings Malik reached the 400-run mark in the ongoing season, his tally at the end of the innings read 401 runs at 44.55, strike-rate 137.32. Hasan Ali who made a return to the United side after an injury lay-off took three wickets for 30.

Player of the match Faheem Ashraf: “My plan is to hit the hard length always and I try and stick to that as this is the plan I have with captain and coach. My plan while batting was to not lose a wicket and to take the game till the very end as that would make things easy for us and we are happy that it worked out for us, even tomorrow you will see the United of old play.”

Scores in brief:

Peshawar Zalmi 169 for 5, 20 overs (Kamran Akmal 58, Shoaib Malik 55, Hussain Talat 28; )

Islamabad United 170 for 5, 19.3 overs (Alex Hales 62, Azam Khan 28, Shadab Khan 22; Salman Irshad 3-31)

 

[MenInG]

Highlights:

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[DHONI183]

I thought that Hales´ innings was a little too slow. You can´t be making 62 off 49 in a chase of 170. Luckily for him, the power hitters in the lower-order saw the team through.