KARACHI: Islamabad United’s opener Alexander Daniel Hales and Paul Robert Stirling shined the brightest on Sunday as they sailed their team to a nine-wicket victory against Peshawar Zalmi in the fifth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at National Stadium in Karachi.
Hales and Stirling started an aggressive inning and smashed 50 in partnership within just three overs, making it one of the fastest fifty in the history of the PSL.
Both the openers continued to punish the bowlers and make the clash one-sided. Stirling hit 50 off just 18 balls with seven fours and three sixes. It was the second-fastest 50 of the PSL.
No bowler of Zalmi was able to hold charged Stirling and Hales from sending the balls to the boundary. They shared 100 in partnership with an average of 11.8 runs per over. Hales smashed 50 off 32 balls with eight fours and one six.
Stirling returned to the pavilion after scoring 57 runs off 25 balls when suffered a run-out by Zalmi’s skipper Wahab Riaz on the Hussain Talat’s delivery.
Islamabad United chased down the 169-run target posted by Zalmi in 15.5 overs at the cost of just one wicket.
Hales was the top-scorer of the match as he made 82 runs off 54 runs with 12 fours and one six and remained not out. Meanwhile, Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored 27 runs off 16 deliveries.
Peshawar Zalmi’s inningsÂ
Earlier, Zalmi set a 169-run target for Islamabad United in the match. United’s bowlers destroyed the top-order batting line of Peshawar Zalmi as they lost the fourth wicket at just 35 runs in the clash.
United’s pacer Hasan Ali drew the first blood for his team after taking the wicket of Tom Kohler Cadmore in the opening over. He was bowled for a duck. In the third over, Faheem Ashraf sent Yasir Khan back to the pavilion when he was playing on 14. Ashraf bagged his second wicket in the fifth over.
Meanwhile, Shadab Khan bowled Haider Ali in the sixth over when the team’s total score was just 35.
However, the team’s middle-order batters steered the team to a 168-run total. Experienced Shoaib Malik made 25 runs off 22 balls with two fours and one six. He shared over a 73-run partnership with Sherfane Rutherford.
Sherfane Rutherford made unbeaten 70 precocious runs off 46 balls with seven fours and three sixes and remained not out. Ben Cutting, however, added 26 runs to his team’s total.
Hasan Ali and Faheem Ashraf took two wickets each, while Mohammad Wasim Jr and Shadab Khan bagged one wicket each in the match.
Zalmi made 168 for the loss of six wickets. Earlier, United’ skipper Shadab Khan won the toss and elected to bowl first against Peshawar Zalmi.
