Pollard shines but unable to prevent Kings’ defeat
Kieron Pollard kept his form but it was of little help as Karachi Kings suffered their fifth defeat in eight games with a five-wicket defeat to Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
The former West Indies white-ball captain top-scored with 39 from 28 balls to help Kings raise their total to 150 for 7 recently.
But Captain Shadab Khan with 34 and Agha Salman with 33 produced important knocks to inspire Islamabad to their target with eight balls to spare.
Sent in to bat, Kings slumped to 49 for 4 in the ninth over after seamer Faheem Ashraf struck twice with 2-19 but Pollard rescued his side, blasting three fours and three sixes in a 58-run, fifth wicket partnership with James Vince with 29.
Left-arm speedster Tymal Mills wrecked the end of the innings to finish with 3 for 34 from four overs.
In reply, Islamabad were reduced to 39 for 2 in the fifth over of a double-strike by left-arm seamer Mir Hanza with 3-41 but Shadab and Agha revived the chase in a 58-run, third wicket stand.
When three wickets tumbled for 18 runs in the space of 19 deliveries, Kings were given hope but Haider Ali struck an unbeaten 26 off 16 deliveries in a 36-run, unbroken sixth wicket partnership with Faheem Ashraf who was on 12 not out, to propel Islamabad over the line.
The defeat left Karachi Kings on fifth spot of the six-team league on six points while the victory took Islamabad to second leveling on nine points with third placed Quetta Gladiators and fourth placed Peshawar Zalmi.
