Shakib, Simmons steer Karachi home after initial stutter

DUBAI: Bangladesh all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan and West Indies sensation Lendl Simmons scored half-centuries to help Karachi Kings achieve an easy win over traditional arch rivals Lahore Qalandars by seven wickets in the second match of inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL) here at the Dubai International Stadium on Friday.

Simmons remained unbeaten at 62 off 46 balls hitting 8 boundaries and two huge sixes while Shakib made 51 in 35 balls with three fours and as many sixes.

Captain Shoaib Malik hit two massive sixes to wrap up the game with 4.1 overs to spare after inviting Qalandars to bat first on winning the toss earlier in the evening.

Kings lost Nauman Anwar and JM Vince for only 4 in the first two overs after Mohammad Amir, who slammed a hat-trick, helped his side to restrict  Qalandars to 125 for 8 wickets.

Amir took three wickets of Dwayne Bravo, Zohaib Khan and Kevin Cooper in as many balls of his last over. He gave away 27 runs. Shoaib Malik, Shakib Al Hasan, Sohail Tanvir and Imad Wasim shared a wicket each.

Malik took the prize wicket of West Indies supremo Chris Gayle to set the course of the game in his team’s favour in the very first over.

Mohammad Rizwan remained top scorer for Qalandars making 37 runs off 31 balls. Captain Azher Ali made 18, Sohaib Maqsood 22 and CS Delport 17 to help Lahore set a mediocre target of 126 for Karachi Kings to win the encounter.

Teams

Lahore Qalandars: Chris Gayle, Azher Ali (c), CS Delport, Sohaib Maqsood, Mohammad Rizwan, DJ Bravo, Zohaib Khan, Kevin Cooper, Naved Yasin, Zafar Gohar, Zia-ul-Haq

Quetta Gladiators had registered the first victory of the tournament beating Islamabad United last night.

Read here: Wright stars in Quetta’s comfortable win over Islamabad in PSL opener