Islamabad's Ronchi inflicts yet another defeat on Lahore
PHOTO COURTESY: PSL
Asked to bat first, Lahore misread the script once again after Fakhar Zaman and Anton Devcich gave them a blistering start.
With nearly 100 runs on board inside the first 10 overs, they played the next seven overs without scoring any boundary.
Captain Brendon McCullum's quick runs however helped them set a 164-run target, which seemed defendable at that time.
But, for Islamabad and against Lahore, Luke Ronchi found the form of his life and hit six maximums and five boundaries to score 77 off just 41 balls.
His fifty came off just 22 balls — the joint fastest in the PSL.
In the end, it was a walk in the park for Islamabad as they chased the target with six wickets and 14 balls to spare.
IU 164-4 (17.4 overs)
Easy peasy lemon squeezy victory for Islamabad United courtesy Luke Ronchi's blistering knock.
Imran Khan.
IU 160-4 (17 overs)
Four needed off 18 now.
FOUR! Misbah pushes Islu closer to the target.
Sohail Khan.
IU 151-4 (16 overs)
BIG WICKET! Ronchi departs with Islu needing only 13 off 25 balls and with six wickets in hand.
Narine.
IU 149-3 (15 overs)
Three runs only.
Yasir again. Ronchi and Misbah on the crease for Islu.
IU 146-3 (14 overs)
LBW! Asif tries again but misjudges the length. Umpire raises his finger without a second wasted.
SIX! Asif Ali clears midwicket.
Narine.
IU 126-2 (13 overs)
Only four off the over.
Yasir Shah.
IU 135-2 (12 overs)
OUT! Shadab Khan scores 32 off 24 and is caught by Fakhar at midwicket.
SIX! Shadab with his third biggie.
Imran Khan.
IU 126-1 (11 overs)
FOURx2 to end the over. Ronchi making Lahore bowlers look like kids. Lahore need a miracle for their first PSL3 victory now.
Sohail Khan.
IU 115-1 (10 overs)
SIX! Shadab clears the fence. Takes the aerial route. The leggie is transforming into a power hitter.
SIX! Ronchi slays the newcomer on the very first delivery. Over long off.
Salman Irshad.
IU 97-1 (9 overs)
Sixteen off the over.
SIX! Ronchi gets to joint-fastest PSL fifty off 22 balls.
Aamer Yamin.
IU 81-1 (8 overs)
SIX! Shadab joins the party. One leggie off the other. What a contest!
FOUR! Ronchi, Ronchi, Ronchi. He is everywhere. Islu sailing comfortably towards the target.
Yasir Shah.
IU 70-1 (7 overs)
SIX! Ronchi dealing in maximums ATM.
Narine again.
IU 59-1 (6 overs)
SIX! Ronchi keeping Islamabad in the chase.
Imran Khan bowls. Shadab Khan is the one down batsman for Islamabad. Too many unusual things happening in this match.
IU 48-1 (5 overs)
OUT! Duminy caught at first slip.
SIX! Ronchi welcomes Narine.
Narine now.
IU 40-0 (4 overs)
FOUR! Duminy again, over covers.
FOUR! Duminy over extra cover.
Starts with three dots to Duminy.
Yasir Shah brought on by McCullum.
IU 32-0 (3 overs)
SIX! Duminy now. McCullum's decision backfiring.
FOUR and a SIX! Ronchi treats the part-timer well.
Fakhar again.
IU 14-0 (2 overs)
FOUR! Ronchi contributes with one too.
FOUR! Duminy gets the first boundary for Islamabad.
Pace from the other end. Sohail Khan has the ball.
IU 3-0 (1 over)
Fakhar Zaman opens with left-arm spin. JP Duminy and Luke Ronchi open for Islamabad.
Innings break
LQ 163-8 (20 overs)
RUN OUTx2 on the last two balls as Baz tries desperately to add a few runs to the Lahore total.
FOUR! Sahibzada Farhan misfields and McCullum gets a boundary.
SIX! Baz you beauty. Scoops it over fine leg.
Yamin takes a single and hands it over to Baz. Four balls now!
BOWLED! Sohail Khan cleaned up.
Sami to bowl the last over.
LQ 150-5 (19 overs)
Single and OUT! Narine receives a yorker and the bails light up.
Single and a SIX by Baz. One step forward and into the stands.
Narine welcomes Faheem with a FOUR.
LQ 137-4 (18 overs)
Fourteen runs off the over. Just what the doctor ordered for Lahore.
DOT, FOUR AND A SIX! McCullum for you ladies and gentlemen.
BAZ and Narine have 18 balls now. What can they do? Sami bowls.
LQ 123-4 (17 overs)
Islamabad have clawed back into the match.
OUT! Devcich (62 off 42) departs. Lahore doing it again!
OUT! Ramdin falls. Good for Lahore since he wasn't contributing anything. BAZ walks in.
Faheem in for his third over.
LQ 120-2 (16 overs)
Four runs from Shadab's over.
LQ 116-2 (15 overs)
Only four from the over.
Faheem Ashraf bowls.
LQ 111-2 (14 overs)
Only two from it. Lahore's run rate has fallen after Agha Akbar's dismissal. Where is Baz?
Shadab Khan.
LQ 109-2 (13 overs)
Six runs off the over.
Finn again.
LQ 103-2 (12 overs)
OUT! Slog sweep from Agha Salman and he is caught at deep midwicket. Dinesh Ramdin joins Devcich.
Shadab Khan.
LQ 101-1 (11 overs)
Seven off the over.
Finn now.
LQ 94-1 (10 overs)
FIFTY up for Devcich with a single.
FOUR! Devich's reverse sweep flies over short third man.
LQ 86-1 (9 overs)
FOUR, SIX, FOUR! Devcich is on fire for Lahore today.
Duminy in for his last over.
LQ 67-1 (8 overs)
SIX! Devcich continues from where Fakhar left.
Faheem Ashraf introduced into the attack.0
LQ 56-1 (7 overs)
OUT! Fakhar departs. Lahore will be looking to fall like a deck of cards this time around. Can they carry on with the same momentum? Agha Salman walks in.
SIX! Devcich joins the party. Goes over long off.
JP Duminy in after the powerplay is over.
LQ 49-0 (6 overs)
Sami again. Just two off the over. Some silence after the Fakhar storm.
LQ 47-0 (5 overs)
Two boundaries and a SIX off the over by Fakhar Zaman.
Steven Finn has the ball now. Fakhar faces.
LQ 29-0 (4 overs)
Seven runs off Muhammad Sami's over courtesy a FOUR by Fakhar Zaman.
LQ 22-0 (3 overs)
Nine runs off JP Duminy's over.
LQ 13-0 (2 overs)
SIX! Fakhar Zaman goes aerial.
Samit Patel now. Misbah opting to start with spin.
LQ 3-0 (1 over)
JP Duminy bowls the first over. Goes for three. Fakhar Zaman and Anton Devcich opening for the Qalandars.
Toss
Islamabad have won the toss and opted to bowl first against Lahore.