By Alam Zeb Safi
LAHORE: A calculated counter-attack led by Usman Khan and Kusal Perera saw Hyderabad Kingsmen recover from a mid-innings collapse to post a decent total of 186-5 against Islamabad United in the Eliminator 2 of the HBL PSL 11 on Friday.
After being put in to bat Kingsmen overcame the early loss of Maaz Sadaqat (0) to finish their 20 overs with a momentum-shifting unbeaten fifth-wicket partnership of 101 between Usman and Kusal Perera.
Usman was the architect of the recovery, smashing 61 not out from just 30 deliveries, his third fifty of the season. His exploits also contain a hundred. His whirlwind knock included ten boundaries. He reached his half-century in just 24 balls, anchoring the back end of the innings with clinical precision.
Supporting him was the experienced Kusal Perera, whose 37 not out off 21 balls provided the necessary aggression from the other end. Perera cleared the ropes twice and added four boundaries, ensuring Kingsmen capitalized on the death overs. The pair took the score from a precarious 85-4 in the 12th over to a position of significant strength, reaching their 100-run stand in just 49 deliveries.
Earlier, Kingsmen innings was a tale of two halves. Captain Marnus Labuschagne (39) and Saim Ayub (38) had steadied the ship following the first-over dismissal of Sadaqat. The duo put on a 70-run stand for the second wicket, with Saim particularly fluent, hitting seven boundaries before falling to Chris Green held by Mark Chapman in the deep mid-on.
However, a sudden double-strike by veteran spinner Imad Wasim in the 12th over threatened to derail the innings. Wasim removed Labuschagne and then dismissed the dangerous Glenn Maxwell for just 3 in the space of three deliveries, leaving Kingsmen reeling at 85-4.
Imad finished as the pick of the bowlers for Islamabad with figures of 2-16 from his two overs. While Chris Green (1-19) remained economical, the rest of the United attack suffered under the late-innings onslaught, with Faheem Ashraf and Richard Gleeson conceding 43 and 40 runs respectively.
Islamabad United now face a daunting chase of 187 to secure a spot in the PSL final.
