Wahab Riaz leads Zalmi to six-wicket win over United

Karachi (92 News) – 27 February 2021: A four-wicket haul from Wahab Riaz led Peshawar Zalmi to a comfortable six-wicket win over Islamabad United in the 10th fixture of the HBL PSL 6 at Karachi’s National Stadium on Saturday. This was Zalmi third successive win in the HBL PSL 6.

Zalmi’s captain, Wahab, took full advantage of putting Shadab Khan’s men into bat as he dismissed Paul Stirling (one off two) in the first over. Phil Salt (nine off 11, one four) and Faheem Ashraf (two off four) were next to join Stirling in the pavilion with scorecard reading at 41 for three in the sixth over.

Alex Hales, was the only batsman to put up resistance, with the top-score of 41 off 27. The top-order batsman from England smashed five fours and a six.

The United batsmen failed to counter pace bowling spells from Wahab – who returned a brilliant four for 17, his best figures in HBL PSL history – and Saqib Mahmood, who took three wickets for 12, as they were bowled out for 118 in 17.1 overs.

Zalmi were off to a wobbly start as both openers Imam-ul-Haq (0 off three) and Kamran Akmal (three off four) were back in the hut by the end of the second over for six runs on the board.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore and Shoaib Malik knitted a 60-run partnership for the third-wicket. The former top-scored with run-a-ball 46. He smashed four fours and two sixes.

Haider Ali blazed 36 at a strike rate of 200 and smoked three sixes and as many fours, which helped Zalmi chase down the total with 17 balls spare.

He contributed a 47-run stand for the fourth wicket with Shoaib (29 not out off 30, one four, one six).

For United, Hasan Ali took two wickets for 14 in four overs.

Scores in brief

Islamabad United 118 all out, 17.1 overs (Alex Hales 41, Hussain Talat 22; Wahab Riaz 4-17, Saqib Mahmood 3-12)

Peshawar Zalmi 122-4, 17.1 overs (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 46, Haider Ali 36, Shoaib Malik 29 not out; Hasan Ali 2-14)

Player-of-the-match – Wahab Riaz (Peshawar Zalmi)