This content has been archived. It may no longer be relevant
Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi won their clash against Karachi Kings at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, March 17. Zalmi emerged victorious by 24 runs after posting a mammoth total in the first innings which handed them a massive advantage.
Upon winning the toss, Imad Wasim decided to field first, a decision that momentarily handed them a huge boost. Veteran ace pacer Mohammad Amir drew first blood as he got the wicket of Mohammad Haris off the very first ball of the contest and followed it with Babar Azam’s wicket in the very same over.
With both getting dismissed for a duck, the onus was on the middle-order batters to put on a show in order to get back in the contest. Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who came down the middle order got the vital runs as he stitched up an important partnership with Haseebullah Khan. The duo got 82 runs between them before Haseebullah departed for 50 runs. Rovman Powell joined Cadmore and scored a quick 64 runs from just 34 balls to help the side to get to a competitive total of 197 runs.
In response to the total, Karachi started off rather decently getting 40 runs for the first wicket. However, soon after Adam Rossington’s dismissal, the rest of the unit collapsed. Wade’s gritty half-century and Imad Wasim’s quick 30-ball 57 were not enough for the side to stay on course to earn two points. Azmatullah Omarzai and Aamer Jamal took a three-wicket haul each whereas Mujeeb Ur Rahman got two to his name to wrap up the contest.
Top Performers from the match:
Tom Kohler-Cadmore
After the early blows in the side, it was Cadmore who revived the batting innings for Peshawar. Not only did he stitch the 82 runs with Haseebullah Khan, but he also followed it with an 85-run partnership with Powell which further helped the side extend its dominance. He got 56 runs from 45 balls which included five boundaries and three maximums.
Mohammad Amir
Denting the rival team’s batting unit right from the beginning was the work of Amir. Getting the vital scalps of opener duo Mohammad Haris and Babar Azam momentarily gave his side a great head start. Despite the loss, undoubtedly, Amir’s performance is a praiseworthy one as he returned magnificent figures of 4/26 in his four overs.
What’s next for both teams?
Peshawar will play defending champions Lahore Qalandars on March 7 and will be gunning for redemption. On the other hand, Karachi will lock horns with Islamabad United on March 2 and they will be aiming to bounce back from their recent loss.
