Karachi Kings beat Quetta Gladiators to reach playoffs

[Mark-x]

 

The Karachi Kings qualified for the playoff stage of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2019 by clinching a nerve-wracking one-run win over the Quetta Gladiators at Karachi’s National Stadium on Sunday.

The victory means the Lahore Qalandars has been knocked out of the competition.

Karachi — being sent into bat first — had a solid start as openers Babar Azam and Colin Munro put on a 69-run stand at the first wicket before the latter departed after scoring 30 off 26. Liam Livingstone scored five runs before being sent back to the pavilion.

Colin Ingram came to the crease and struck 24 off 10 balls. Azam’s innings came to an end after he scored 56 off 46 balls with six boundaries and a maximum to his name.

Iftikhar Ahmed’s late 44-run knock took the Karachi Kings to a competitive total of 190-5 in 20 overs.

The Gladiators started their run-chase in a similar fashion as openers Shane Watson and Ahmed Shehzad scored a 68-run partnership on the first wicket. Shane Watson was the first to be dismissed as he got out on spinner Umer Khan’s bowling after scoring 20 off 15 deliveries.

The youngster then went on to take the wicket of Rilee Rossouw.

Umer Akmal and Ahmed Shehzad put made 45 runs on the third wicket before the former was dismissed on 27 while Dwayne Bravo contributed just nine runs to the scoreboard.

With the Gladiators needing five runs to win the game in the last over, Usman Shinwari bagged three wickets and gave just three runs, propelling Karachi to a one-run win.