- Islamabad United chase 151 comfortably with 24 balls remaining.
- Minhas, Conway add 93-run opening stand, set dominant tone.
- Gleeson, Shadab’s disciplined bowling effort restricted Kings to 150.
Half-centuries from Sameer Minhas and Devon Conway, backed by a disciplined bowling effort, powered Islamabad United to a convincing eight-wicket victory over Karachi Kings in the 25th match of PSL 11 at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Thursday.
Set to chase a modest 151-run target, the three-time champions comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of just two wickets and 24 balls to spare.
The United made a flamboyant start to the pursuit as their opening pair of Minhas and Conway yielded 93 runs in 10 overs.
Minhas dominated the opening stand with a blistering 58 off 36 deliveries, studded with 10 fours, until getting stumped off Kings’ stand-in captain Moeen Ali on the final delivery of the 10th over.
The United then suffered another jolt 14 deliveries as their in-form top-order batter Mohammad Faiq could muster five before falling victim to Hasan Ali in the 13th over.
Conway was then joined by skipper Shadab Khan in the middle, and the duo ensured retaining United’s momentum with an unbeaten 43-run partnership, which eventually steered the visitors to glory in 16 overs.
The left-handed opener contributed with an unbeaten 53 off 36 deliveries, laced with six fours and a six, while Shadab struck two sixes and a four on his way to a 16-ball 31 not out.
For the Kings, only Moeen and Hasan could pick up a wicket apiece.
Minhas claimed the Player of the Match award after guiding United with 58 off 36.
United captain Shadab Khan’s decision to field first proved beneficial as the home side could accumulate 150/6 in their 20 overs despite Hendricks’s gutsy knock.
The Kings got off to a dismal start to their innings as emerging batter Saad Baig, who was promoted to the opening position, could score a five-ball six before falling victim to Richard Gleeson in the second over with just seven runs on the board.
Following the early stutter, returning Jason Roy was joined by Reeza Hendricks in the middle, and the duo stabilised the Kings’ innings by putting together 62 runs for the second off 39 deliveries until United captain Shadab got rid of the latter in the ninth over.
Roy scored a brisk 39 off 27 deliveries with the help of three fours and two sixes on his PSL return after a more than one-year hiatus.
Shadab struck again in his next over, dismissing Salman Ali Agha, who could muster four off six, as the Kings slipped further to 77/3.
Hendricks was then involved in another crucial partnership for the Kings as he knitted a 54-run stand for the fourth wicket with Azam Khan until the former was dismissed by Gleeson in the 18th over and walked back after scoring a handy 34 off 29 deliveries, comprising three fours and a six.
Kings suffered another setback to their batting expedition in the penultimate over as Faheem Ashraf sent Khushdil Shah back for two, but mainstay Hendricks and stand-in captain Moeen Ali (eight) added valuable runs at the backend to take the home side’s total past the 150-run mark.
Hendricks carried his bat all the way through and returned after top-scoring with an unbeaten 51 off 44 deliveries, laced with four boundaries.
Gleeson and skipper Shadab jointly led United’s bowling charge with two wickets each, while Faheem and Mohammad Hasnain chipped in with one scalp apiece.
