LAHORE: Mir Hamza bagged four crucial wickets to help Karachi Kings defend 150 runs against Lahore Qalandars and win their first match in Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 7 here at Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
The left-arm pacer picked up in-form Qalandars’ openers Abdullah Shafique and Fakhar Zaman in no time. The chasing side suffered under pressure after losing their openers and later on fell 23 runs short to the target.
Earlier, Rashid Khan and Zaman Khan bowled brilliantly to help Qalandars bowl out Kings for 149 in the 26th match of PSL 7.
The two Khans bagged four wickets each to top the bowling chart in the contest for their team.
Deciding to bat first, Kings made a change in the opening pair by sending Joe Clarke alongside Babar Azam. But, the change didn’t work for Kings who were looking for their maiden win in PSL 7.
Clarke scored just four runs before Zaman Khan struck for Qalandars. Skipper Babar once again stood firm and kept the scoreboard ticking. His innings of 39 included five boundaries.
Qasim Akram contributed 26 with a six and three boundaries but he didn’t get enough support. Lewis Gregory also resisted a bit by scoring 28.
Rashid cleaned up Imad Wasim and Chris Jordan in a row lately to dent Kings. Zaman was the other performer with the bowl as he once again proved his strength. Mohammad Hafeez and Shaheen Shah Afridi also took a wicket each for Qalandars.
In reply, Qalandars were off to a shaky start with Hamza taking quick wickets. Experienced batter Mohammad Hafeez scored 33 runs with four boundaries to bring Qalandars back in the game.
But, Kings’ bowlers were on song as they controlled the flow of runs throughout. David Wiese scored some quick 33 runs laced with two boundaries and a six to make Kings nervous in the end. But, Hamza bowled second last over brilliantly to hand his team their first win in nine matches they played in this year’s PSL.
Chris Jordan bagged two wickets while Imad Wasim managed to take a wicket.
TOSS
Karachi Kings won the toss and decided to bat first against Lahore Qalandars
SQUADS
Karachi Kings: Babar Azam, Joe Clarke, Sharjeel Khan, Qasim Akram, Rohail Nazir, Imad Wasim, Mohammad Nabi, Lewis Gregory, Chris Jordan, Usman Shinwari, Mir Hamza
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafiq, Kamran Ghulam, Mohammad Hafeez, Phil Salt, Harry Brook, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
