PHOTO COURTESY: PSL/FACEBOOK
Islamabad United beat Karachi Kings comprehensively by nine wickets in the second play-off of the inaugural Pakistan Super League (PSL) on late Saturday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
Brad Haddin (52*) and Dwayne Smith (50*) scored half-centuries to guide their team past the finishing tape after Sharjeel Khan (9 off 9) got out in the fourth over.
Earlier, Islamabad's right-arm fast-bowler Muhammad Sami was on fire against Karachi as he returned figures of 5-8 in his four overs.
Ravi Bopara, the new captain for Karachi Kings, top-scored with 37 off 36 balls and was one of the three batsmen to enter double figures. Lendl Simmons (19) and Ten Doeschate (16) were the other two contributors.
Islamabad will now face Peshawar Zalmi tomorrow in the third play-off for a place in final against Quetta Gladiators.
Post-match presentation
Smart player of the match is Andre Russell.
Most colorful innings award goes to Brad Haddin.
Coolest player of the match award goes to Dwayne Smith.
Best bowler of the match and Man of the match award goes to Muhammad Sami: "First of all I am thankful to Almighty Allah. I am trying my best to perform well. I am trying to make it simple; bowling yorkers and slow balls. I still have the passion for the game. It was a comprehensive win. We will love to take this momentum into the next match against Peshawar."
Ravi Bopara: "We haven't got enough runs on the board. If you don't give enough runs to the bowlers to defend, they can't deliver. We had a strong team but we didn't put the performances together. You need to play with a straight bat on these pitches. I have had a fantastic time. I big thank you to PCB and the fans and the Karachi players."
Misbahul Haq: "Bowlers did a fantastic job. The way Sami and Irfan bowled, it was perfect. Haddin and Smith did very well with the bat. You need to attack the opposition on these pitches. Everything is going for us right now. We are in a good shape. We need to play like we have done today [against Peshawar]. We need to do our basic right. Hopefully, it will be a good match."
ISL 115-1 (14.2 overs)
FOUR! Short and smashed by Dwayne Smith to bring up his FIFTY and the win for Islamabad.
Sohail Khan.
ISL 110-1 (14 overs)
FOUR! Misfield and Dwayne Smith's powered pull finds the square leg fence.
FIFTY up for the Australian wicketkeeper-batsman, Brad Haddin. A well-crafted innings.
Mir Hamza runs in for Karachi.
ISL 103-1 (13 overs)
Smith receives one with the helmet instead of the bat. Sohail apologises with a smile, Smith replies with a thumps up!
Alan Wilkins telling everyone what do to when the match is one-sided. Meanwhile, Sohail Khan steams in.
ISL 99-1 (12 overs)
Just five off the over but it won't help Karachi much. Only 13 needed of eight overs.
Mir Hamza with left-arm medium pace now.
ISL 94-1 (11 overs)
SIX! Over midwicket by Haddin.
FOUR! Easily done by Haddin. Over the in-field towards extra cover.
Usama Mir back with some leg spin.
ISL 81-1 (10 overs)
FOUR! Smith does a Haddin, sweetly times the ball past short third man.
FOUR! Cracking cover drive by Dwayne Smith.
FOUR! Caressed past short third man by Haddin.
Ravi Bopara takes the task/ball into his own hands.
ISL 67-1 (9 overs)
SIX! Haddin repeats. Two steps forward, over the bowler's head. Easily done.
SIX! Haddin showing experience. Comes out, cancels the spin and goes straight.
Imad Wasim comes for his third over.
ISL 49-1 (8 overs)
FOUR! Haddin comes out, Mir bowls a flighted full-toss and its cracked through covers.
Right-arm leggie Usama Mir brought in to find a wicket.
ISL 42-1 (7 overs)
Four runs from the first five balls. Haddin faces the last ball... He comes out of the crease with a slip in place, defends it back to the bowler.
Imad Wasim in for his second over.
ISL 38-1 (6 overs)
FOUR! Fuller this time from Amir and Dwayne Smith executes a classy cover drive. A confidence booster after being playing dots on the last three balls.
Muhammad Amir is back. Karachi need wickets and a lot of them. Can Amir produce another hat-trick today?
ISL 31-1 (5 overs)
Slip taken for Haddin on the last ball. The Australian is beaten, the balls just missed the off-stump. Close call!
SIX! Flatter ball and Dwayne Smith goes aerial over mid-on.
Left-arm spinner Imad Wasim comes on.
ISL 24-1 (4 overs)
FOUR! Sohail is getting swing, Haddin gets an inside edge as the ball runs to the fine leg boundary.
OUT! Sohail gets the breakthrough. On Sharjeel's legs again and short midwicket was there to catch a flick. Australian veteran Brad Haddin is the new man in.
FOUR! Full and on legs, Sharjeel just swings at it to find the square leg boundary.
Sohail Khan in for his second over.
ISL 14-0 (3 overs)
FOUR! Short and cut past point. Sharjeel gets off the mark.
Muhammad Amir again.
ISL 9-0 (2 overs)
FOURx2! Wide on off and Smith lashes it towards covers. The second one runs down to fine leg after an inside edge.
Sohail Khan join Amir with the new ball.
ISL 1-0 (1 over)
Only one run off the over.
Muhammad Amir starts the defense of a paltry target. Dwayne Smith and Sharjeel Khan open the chase for Islamabad.
Australian Open doubles champion Sania Mirza, wife of Shoaib Malik, is present in the crowd.
Muhammad Sami: "Team management gave me confidence. I am happy [for taking 100 T20 wickets today]. We are trying to execute the plan made by the team."
KHI 111-9 (20 overs)
OUT! Sohail faces the last ball, launches it in the air and Khalif Latif is under it at deep midwicket. Karachi post a Nelson for Islamabad to chase in 20 overs.
In the block-hole by Russell and Sohail is beaten.
Another short ball, targeted towards Amir's stomach who edges it to Haddin who stops the ball from running to the boundary. Single taken.
Short and Amir is beaten for a dot.
FOUR! Hit through covers. Amir dispatches a full-toss.
Andre Russell bowls the last over and starts with a slow-ball dot. Muhammad Amir needs to clear the boundary at least twice in this over.
KHI 106-8 (19 overs)
FOUR! Sami goes up for an LBW appeal but the ball runs to the fine leg boundary.
Sohail Khan defends the hat-trick ball. Single taken and left-hand tail-ender Muhammad Amir is in who rotates the strike too.
OUT! Sami gets a five-for and he is on a hat-trick now. Usama Mir pulls and is caught by a running-in Russell from long-on.
OUT! Sami gets his fourth of the match and 100th of the T20 career. Imad cuts and is caught at point.
Single and 100 is up for Karachi.
Muhammad Sami in for the penultimate over.
KHI 99-6 (18 overs)
Imad faces the last ball... FOUR! Length ball which was just a tad short and pulled towards midwicket. Karachi need a lot of these in the next two overs.
Short and Sohail pulls it for two from midwicket. Short again and Sohail takes a single from long-off.
Two runs off the first three balls.
Andre Russell is back to operate.
KHI 90-6 (17 overs)
CAUGHT BEHIND! Edge and Doeschate also disappoints when Karachi needed a big innings. Sami delivering for Islamabad at a crucial time. Sohail Khan join Imad Wasim in the middle.
OUT! The big man Bopara (37 off 36) is gone. Slow and short and Bopara pulls it towards deep midwicket fielder. Dwayne Smith dives forward and takes a stunner. Left-hand batsman Imad Wasim joins Doeschate.
Short and Doeschate is beaten. Followed by a single from Misbah at covers.
Muhammad Sami with his express pace now. Doeschate faces.
KHI 87-4 (16 over)
Last ball? Is there a boundary? Short and Ravi takes two from midwicket.
Ravi gives the charge but is beaten by the slow ball, but so is Haddin. One bye. Doeschate takes a single from deep cover.
Ravi steals a single on the first ball from Misbah at covers. Doeschate steers a short ball towards short midwicket for another single. Ravi finds the point fielder for a dot.
So the last five overs start. Its make or break for Karachi and Muhammad Irfan comes back to bowl his last over.
KHI 81-4 (15 over)
Bopara relying on singles and doubles at the moment. He wants as many runs as possible if the boundaries are dried up.
Irfan dives at short fine leg, Haddin runs to him to collect the ball but he throws it away from him while falling, two taken.
Misbah gives right-arm medium-pacer Dwayne Smith the ball.
KHI 74-4 (14 over)
Strategic time out.
SIX! Bopara finally steps on the gas. Goes over covers.
Imran Khalid in for his third over.
KHI 63-4 (13 over)
Quick running from both players and they get two on the last ball.
Five runs from four balls. Two runs off the fifth ball as Doeschate sweeps towards fine leg.
Samuel Badree into his last over.
KHI 54-4 (12 over)
Five runs from the first five balls. Is there a boundary coming on the last ball? Doeschate goes for a sweep but misses; its a dot!
Imran Khalid into his second over of left-arm spin.
KHI 49-4 (11 over)
Another over without a boundary. Someone will have to go ballistic in the last five overs or this match is well over for Karachi.
Samuel Badree continues.
KHI 45-4 (10 over)
Only two runs off the over and Karachi are losing balls in hand. They haven't crossed the 50-run mark and they need to at least put up a 140 odd target to defend against Islamabad's batting.
Left-arm spinner Imran Khalid takes the ball now.
KHI 43-4 (9 over)
OUT! Iftikhar Ahmed pulls a short ball towards midwicket and Russell takes an easy running catch. Karachi falling like a deck of cards.
Samuel Badree.
KHI 39-3 (8 over)
Just four runs off the over.
Andre Russell replaces Irfan again who came back for just one over.
KHI 35-3 (7 over)
FOUR! Edge and first slip could just get a slight touch to it. The ball runs to the third man boundary as Ravi survives and gets off the mark.
Leg-spinner Samuel Badree has been brought on.
KHI 29-3 (6 over)
CAUGHT BEHIND! Malik tries to pull a shorter ball but fails to connect and edges it to Brad Haddin. And guess who replaces the former captain Malik? The new captain Ravi Bopara.
Muhammad Irfan is back after a short break.
KHI 28-2 (5 over)
OUT! Lendl Simmons is caught by Russell off a full-toss. The umpires take a look at each other and no one signals an above-waist no-ball. Shoaib Malik, the league matches captain for Karachi Kings, is the new man in.
FOUR! A tad short and pulled effectively by Iftikhar Ahmed towards midwicket.
Andre Russell replaces Muhammad Irfan.
KHI 22-1 (4 over)
Two runs and a wicket off the over.
OUT! BOWLED! Wessels misses a straight one. Sami gets his first wicket.
Mohammad Sami
KHI 20-0 (3 over)
18 runs off the over
FOUR! Once again through covers region.
SIX! Unbelievable hit from Simmons. He hits one over the long off boundary for a huge six.
FOUR! This time through midwicket.
FOUR! Simmons cuts it past through covers region for a boundary.
Mohammad Irfan
KHI 2-0 (2 over)
Just two runs off the first Sami over.
Mohammad Sami to start his first over.
KHI 0-0 (1 over)
Brilliant start from Irfan. It's a maiden.
Lendl Simmons and Riki Wessels to open for Karachi
Mohammad Irfan to start for Islamabad
Toss: Islamabad United won the toss and elected to bowl first.
Misbahul Haq: We will bowl first. You never know how the dew will impact the play, so we want to bowl first. Pressure is there, but we will try to play like a simple game of cricket. Imran Khalid, Andre Russell and Samuel Badree are playing today. Saeed Ajmal, Azhar Mahmood missed out today.
Ravi Bopara: No extra pressure. We are here to play cricket and win the game. We know Shoaib Malik is a great captain, and more importantly he is our number one player. We hope he will come good for us. Pitch looks dry and it might take some spin. Ryan Ten Doeschate, Imad Wasim and Iftikhar Ahmed and Mir Hamza will play tonight Karachi.
Good luck to @KarachiKingsARY today. Excited to captain the side for the 1st time but @realshoaibmalik will always be kk true leader🏏
— Ravi Bopara (@ravibopara) February 20, 2016
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