LAHORE: A composed late flourish from Moeen Ali and a match-defining four-wicket haul by Hasan Ali guided Karachi Kings to a hard-fought 14-run victory over Quetta Gladiators in their HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 clash at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday.
Defending a competitive total of 181, Karachi Kings held their nerve in the closing stages to restrict Quetta Gladiators to 167-7, sealing an important win in a closely-contested encounter.
Quetta got off to a flying start in pursuit of the target, as opener Shamyl Hussain and captain Saud Shakeel stitched together a rapid 79-run partnership inside seven overs. Hussain led the charge with an aggressive 52 off 24 deliveries, putting the Kings under early pressure.
However, Karachi Kings bounced back strongly through timely breakthroughs. Salman Ali Agha and Adam Zampa struck in quick succession to remove Hussain, Khawaja Nafay (3) and Shakeel, who scored 33 off 25 balls, shifting the momentum back in Karachi’s favour.
Although Rilee Rossouw and Hasan Nawaz attempted to rebuild with a brief 29-run stand, the Kings kept chipping away at crucial moments.
The decisive blow came in the penultimate over, when Hasan Ali produced a match-winning spell, dismissing Hasan Nawaz before removing Tom Curran and Ahmed Daniyal in quick succession to derail Quetta’s chase.
Despite an unbeaten cameo from Ben McDermott (25*), Quetta fell short as Karachi Kings closed out the game with discipline under pressure.
Hasan Ali was the standout performer with the ball, finishing with figures of 4-27, while Adam Zampa, Moeen Ali and Salman Ali Agha chipped in with a wicket each.
Earlier, Karachi Kings posted 181-7 after being put in to bat, with Moeen Ali providing the finishing touch with a crucial unbeaten knock.
The Kings suffered an early setback when Muhammad Waseem was dismissed in the opening over, but Salman Ali Agha and captain David Warner steadied the innings with a 41-run partnership. Agha scored a brisk 22 off 10 balls before being dismissed lbw.
Warner then combined with Saad Baig to add 43 runs for the third wicket. Baig contributed 30 off 23 deliveries, while Warner played a composed innings of 35 off 22 balls, including four boundaries and a six, as Karachi reached the halfway stage at 100-4.
The middle order faced some resistance from Quetta’s bowlers, but Moeen Ali ensured a strong finish. He built a vital 39-run stand with Khushdil Shah (12) before accelerating in the death overs.
Moeen remained unbeaten on 48 off 29 balls, striking four fours and three sixes, helping Karachi Kings post a competitive total.
For Quetta Gladiators, Ahmed Daniyal was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3-36, while Alzarri Joseph took two wickets. Usman Tariq and Abrar Ahmed claimed one wicket each.