The Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi secured a two-run victory over the Karachi Kings in what was another last-over thriller in the Pakistan Super League on Tuesday (February 15). New Karachi skipper Imad Wasim almost turned the tide with an unbeaten 80 off 47 balls which also included a last-ball six to carry his team to 197-5 on Tuesday.
Babar was traded to Peshawar from Karachi ahead of this season. He scored 68 runs, but the onus of their high total goes to English batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who scored a brilliant 92 off 52 to take Peshawar to 199-5.
New Zealand's James Neesham (2-26) picked up two early wickets as Karachi were struggling at 46-4 within the first seven overs. But the match was brought back to their favour after Wasim and veteran batter Shoaib Malik (52 off 34) set up a 131-run partnership to raise the home team's hopes.
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Wahab Riaz dropped a regulation catch of Malik when he was on 38 as the match went to the wire. The left-armer (2-34) made amends for his fielding lapse when he had Malik caught behind in the penultimate over, leaving 16 runs to defend in the final one.
Earlier, Kohler-Cadmore and Babar steadied the ship after Peshawar lost two wickets in the second over. Pakistan international Mir Hamza had Mohammad Haris lbw off a sharp inswinger, and Saim Ayub was run out after Babar's hard drive flicked the fingers of Hamza's hand and went on to hit the stumps at the non-striker's end.
Kohler-Cadmore showed a lot of aggression against both spin and pace and smashed three consecutive sixes against Wasim (0-42) in one over during the batting powerplay. Karachi's Mohammad Amir (0-42) also couldn't get a wicket as Kohler-Cadmore and Babar kept on piling the pressure.
Babar finally holed out at long-on while going for a big hit against Imran Tahir (1-40) while Kohler-Cadmore was caught at deep backward square leg with three balls left in the innings as he looked for the first century in this season's PSL.
(With PTI Inputs)
