Late onslaught from David Wiese and half-centuries from Fakhar Zaman and Ben Dunk guided last year’s runners-up Lahore Qalandars to an emphatic six-wicket win over defending champions Karachi Kings in the 11th fixture of the Pakistan Super League at Karachi’s National Stadium yesterday evening.
Chasing 187 to win, Qalandars found themselves in a spot of bother losing two wickets for no run in the first over. Mohamed Hafeez (15 off nine, one four, one six) was the next batsman to go as Qalandars were reeling at 33 for three in the fifth over.
Left-handed Zaman was joined by another left-hander Dunk. Both contributed a 119-run partnership for the fourth wicket. Zaman top-scored with a 54-ball 83. He smoked eight fours and four sixes.
Requiring 30 runs from two overs, the right handed Wiese got two fours off Mohamed Amir before he smashed a six in the penultimate over, as Qalandars collected 20 runs and brought down the equation to 10 required off the final over.
Wiese hit two consecutive sixes off Daniel Christian first two balls to help Qalandars over the line with four balls spare.
Dunk (57 not out off 43, five fours, two sixes) and Wiese (31 not out off nine, three fours, three sixes) contributed an unbeaten 47-run partnership for the fifth wicket.  
Earlier, half-centuries from Sharjeel Khan and Mohamed Nabi helped Kings post 186 for nine. After being put into bat, Kings had a wobbly start, as they lost their premier batsman Babar Azam – the top run-getter in PSL – for five, to a scorching in-swinging delivery from Shaheen Afridi. Joe Clarke (four off six, one four) and Colin Ingram (0 off one) were next to follow Babar with scoreboard reading at 37 for three at the end of fifth over.
Sharjeel struck five fours and six towering sixes in his innings of 64. He was equally supported by Afghanistan’s Nabi, who scored 57 off 35 balls. Both batsmen knitted 76 runs for the fourth wicket partnership.
For Qalandars, Afridi was the most successful bowler, taking three wickets for 27. (PSL)


Brief Scores: Karachi Kings 186-9 in 20 overs (Sharjeel Khan 64, Mohamed Nabi 57; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-27) lost to Lahore Qalandars 189-4 in 19.2 overs (Fakhar Zaman 83, Ben Dunk 57 not out) by six wickets.