Pakistan batsman made a superb 66 off just 42 balls as Lahore chased down 146 with just one wicket to spare.

By Abdullah Ansari (20th February, 2017)

Islamabad United Team

Rafatullah Mohmand, Dwayne Smith, Brad Haddin, Ben Duckett, Misbah-ul-Haq*, Shane Watson, Shadab Khan, Amad Butt, Rumman Raees, Mohammad Sami, Mohammad Irfan.

Lahore Qalandars Team

Cameron Delport, Fakhar Zaman, Umar Akmal, Mohammad Rizwan, Brendon McCullum, Grant Elliott, Aamer Yamin, Sunil Narine, Sohail Tanvir, Yasir Shah, Mohammad Irfan Jr.

McCullum won the toss and opted to field with both teams making enforced changes due to injury and the departed England players. Duckett replaced Billings while Yamin and Elliott replace Bhatti and Roy. Rafatullah and Smith began aggressively but the former got a couple of lives due to dropped catches until he perished for 18 off Yamin's bowling. The pacer also removed Haddin soon via an inside edge while Smith was adjudged LBW off Yasir for 20 - there was more than a hint of an inside-edge. Misbah and Duckett formed a short partnership until the captain was given out caught behind off Yamin; however, the bat was nowhere near the ball. Duckett's struggle came to an end as he was bowled by Yasir and Watson fell soon, plumb LBW to Narine. Shadab and Amad put on a partnership, rotating strike well until the 19th over where Shadab helped to take 18 runs off Irfan Jr. as he finished on 42, dismissed on the last ball of the innings as they posted 145/7.

Lahore's chase began in an uncharacteristically slow manner as Delport and McCullum both struggled to force the pace despite their best attempts. Delport's struggle came to an end in the fifth over as he fell to Irfan while McCullum was out to Rumman in the next over. Fakhar failed as well as he was deceived by Shadab and was dismissed LBW and Rizwan didn't last long either as he was bowled by Watson. Umar Akmal kept hitting occasional boundaries to keep the required run-rate in check but his search for a partner continued as the promoted Irfan Jr. was run out for a duck. Umar found a capable partner in Elliott and looked to be in the zone as he went past fifty. There was still time for further twists as Shadab trapped him LBW but Narine came and straight away hit two sixes to put pressure back on the reigning champions. Rumman hit back with a double strike, dismissing Narine via another dubious LBW decision and then Tanvir as the equation became 6 off the last over. Yamin fell on the first ball, leaving Lahore 9 down but Elliott finished in style with a big six as a one-wicket victory was sealed.

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