Rain gifts Peshawar victory over rampant Islamabad

A game that looked set to end up as a classic turned out to have a disappointing conclusion as rain washed out most of the second innings, giving Zalmi a seven-run win as per the Duckworth-Lewis-Stern (DLS) method.

Batting first, Islamabad United had scored a daunting 195/5 in their 20 overs. Some might argue that this was much less than what they should have expected to get, as Peshawar bowled exceptionally well to hold back the United onslaught. Though it would be equally fair to point out that this high score came courtesy of a shocking effort by Zalmi on the field, as they dropped five catches and were generally poor throughout.

Peshawar had picked up early wickets with Luke Ronchi and Rizwan Ahmed falling cheaply. But Colin Munro carried on his form from the previous match, belting another 50 and benefiting from the poor fielding. His efforts came in perfect tandem with his captain Shadab Khan, who had walked in at no. 4 in the lineup.

Shadab ended up with his highest ever score in a T20 in what was possibly his finest innings yet. The all-rounder has been in sparkling form this PSL, averaging 47 with the bat and notching his third 50 of the tournament. What was most spectacular about his innings was that while he attacked every ball he faced, he never looked like he was manufacturing a shot. Displaying remarkably good judgment, he almost always seemed to hit the right shot given the ball he was facing. Perhaps even more clinically, his high octane running between the wickets left the Peshawar side looking ragged. Having initially blitzed the runs with Munro, Shadab then paired up with Colin Ingram as Islamabad looked to threaten a score close to 220.

The loss of both these players put a halt to Islamabad’s procession, however. The newcomers struggled to get going, with a lot of credit going to skipper Wahab Riaz and Rahat Ali who were superb with the ball. As Islamabad walked off the pitch, there was a strong feeling that they had left quite a few runs still on it. Given all the dropped catches, this was the moment when they needed to step on the jugular.

In reply, Zalmi needed Kamran Akmal to rediscover his dangerous form. His opening partner Imam ul Haq had another disappointing outing and fell quickly. However, Akmal took a little time to settle before feasting on Islamabad’s pacers. Dale Steyn and later Faheem Ashraf were dispatched with disdain and Kami looked absolutely imperious. It meant that even when he fell to Zafar Gohar, Peshawar was well ahead of the DLS par.

Indeed, the threat of rain had meant that Zalmi needed to ensure they both started well and didn’t lose too many wickets. Kamran’s assault thus turned out to be game-changing. When the rain returned in the tenth over, Islamabad was visibly distraught. Knowing that they could have counted on scoreboard pressure later on in the game, they would have felt the match was quite evenly poised.

Instead, the showers that began then didn’t let up, even preventing the post-match ceremony from taking place. Zalmi walked away with the win as a result while United could count themselves as unlucky having had their previous game against Peshawar washed out.

The result gave Zalmi back-to-back wins, and more importantly a reassurance that they are finding both their side’s balance and form at the right moment. A full-length match here might have turned out differently, but that isn’t Zalmi’s concern. They did exactly what was needed to win, which is often a mark of champions.