Munro's 47-ball 82 helps Islamabad United ace 166 chase
On a slow pitch, Karachi Kings' batting never got going, ending up on 165 for 5
Associated Press
29-Feb-2024
Alex Hales and Colin Munro shared a 108-run opening stand • PSL
Islamabad United 169 for 3 (Munro 82, Hales 47) beat Karachi Kings 165 for 5 (Pollard 48, Wasim 1-20) by seven wickets
Opening batters Colin Munro and Alex Hales shared a century partnership as Islamabad United snapped their three-match losing streak with a seven-wicket win over Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League on Wednesday.
Munro made a blistering 82 off 47 balls and Hales scored 47 in anchoring United to 169 for 3 in 18.3 overs for their second victory.
Kings' top order struggled in their first home game of the season on a slow pitch before Kieron Pollard made an unbeaten 48 and spurred the total to 165 for 5. They have four points after two wins and two losses.
Hales missed United's last game because of a family commitment, but his return bolstered the two-time champions' batting might. Munro scored his second straight half-century and dominated both pace and spin as he shared a match-winning 108-run stand off 69 balls with Hales.
Munro, who hit eight fours and four sixes, didn't allow Tabraiz Shamsi to settle down and hit the wristspinner for three successive sixes in his first over, including an extravagant reverse sweep that just flew off the bat.
Mohammad Nawaz (1-23) trapped Munro lbw as the left-hander tried to cut the left-arm spinner but missed the line of the delivery and was caught on the backfoot before Agha Salman (25 not out) finished off the chase in style with two big sixes off Hasan Ali.
Earlier, Tim Siefert (8) of New Zealand got stumped in his first game of the season and Leus du Plooy (24) showed some aggression before he was bowled by offspinner Salman as United tied down Kings through spinner Imad Wasim (1-20) and Naseem Shah (1-29).
Pollard and Irfan Khan (27 not out) counterattacked against the pace bowlers in the last five overs with Rumman Raees (0-45) conceding 30 off his last two overs and Hunain Shah, brother of Naseem, going for 20 off the final over.
United had lost to Multan Sultans, Quetta Gladiators and Peshawar Zalmi after its season-opening win against Lahore Qalandars. They are in fourth place on the table with four points.