Sahibzada, Hales, Shadab confirm second spot for United

Islamabad United produced a vintage performance to barnstorm into the top two, relegating Karachi Kings to the Eliminator in the process. Needing to beat Kings by about 49 runs to guarantee two bites at qualification for the final, they managed it with consummate ease as Sahibzada Farhan and Alex Hales combined for a 153-run opening stand in 69 balls to post 251 for 5. Kings' response was restricted to a flash in the pan for the top two before United's spinners triggered a collapse, Kings slumping from 80 for 1 to 114 for 8 as United sealed a 79-run win.

United were put in to bat, and made their intentions plain from the outset. Farhan struck three fours in the opening over, with Hales going one better with two fours and a six off Khushdil Shah in the second. The two were in competition with each other more than they were with Kings' bowlers, taking turns to flay them around the Pindi ground. The pair signed off the powerplay with 17 off Abbas Afridi to surge to 76, and if two quiet overs post powerplay gave Kings hope they were dragging the game back, the following three disabused them of that notion severely.

Hales hoicked Hasan Ali over long-off for six before Farhan - having reached a 28-ball fifty - smeared him over square leg. The tenth over saw Aamer Jamal cop even worse punishment from Hales, who battered him for three sixes and a four in an over which fetched 24. United had reached 130 at the halfway mark, well on their way to the imposing total they required for a top two finish.

There would be no respite as Khushdil's third over went for a further 20 before a miscued lap from Farhan ballooned to short fine leg off Mir Hamza. He departed for 73 off 41, but Hales would motor along; by the time he ran down the stumps and yorked himself, he had blitzed his way to 88 off 35. United had enough wickets in the tank to keep slogging away, and benefitted from Kings' largesse as they put down at least six chances amid one of the more egregious fielding displays of a tournament which has seen its fair share. Shadab Khan played the most active role in maximising United's target towards the end, three fours and as many sixes decorating a 19-ball 42.

Karachi needed 204 to secure a second place finish, and that's what they seemed to be shaping up for at the outset. David Warner and Tim Seifert took an over to settle before they starting finding their shots, picking up a pair of boundaries each over to keep them on track. A whip off Tymal Mills at the end of the fifth over brought up the fifty stand, and though Salman Irshad yorked Seifert just before the end of the powerplay, James Vince and Warner tried to continue with the controlled aggression that marked their innings until then.

But Imad Wasim, who had bowled a tight first over, dangled a carrot by dropping a quick long hop in front of Vince, who didn't quite get the power on the heave to long-on. Salman Agha made no mistake, and thereafter the fall of wickets was a procession as Kings' charge melted away in a wisp of smoke.

A wild swing from Saad Baig brought United the third wicket before all realistic Kings hopes ended when Warner was cleaned up by Imad, who was growing into another superb spell. Shadab, meanwhile, would end up becoming the pick, taking two wickets each in two consecutive overs as he sliced through Kings' middle order; Khushdil Shah, Mohammad Nabi, Irfan Khan and Hasan Ali all neutralised within ten balls from the United captain.

The victory could have been even more emphatic but United let their guard down, Shadab having his figures sullied as Abbas Afridi plundered an astonishing 24 off his final over. When Ben Dwarshuis was launched for another 15, there were brief fears United might throw away the top two finish, but they had built enough of a cushion. Irshad arrowed one into Jamal's toes, bringing him to his knees as the umpire raised the finger. As a metaphor for how the night had gone, it was a fitting way to finish.