Khushdil, Warner help Kings seal last-over thriller

Karachi Kings sealed a thrilling final-over two-wicket victory over Peshawar Zalmi in the last game at their home venue this tournament. A half-century from David Warner held the innings together through a chase of 149, but a stumble towards the end threatened to see them fall at the final hurdle. However,Khushdil Shah and Hasan Ali held their nerve at the death as a pair of boundaries in the final over sealed a morale-boosting win over Babar Azam's side.

Zalmi's best bowler Luke Wood set the tone in defence of the target when he cleaned Tim Seifert up first ball, following it up with the removal of James Vince in his second over. Teenage quick Ali Raza picked up the baton, knocking back fellow emerging player Saad Baig's leg stump when he tried to scoop him over fine leg. But untidiness from the bowling and a gritty innings from Warner kept Kings' asking rate on track in the powerplay.

The following five overs saw Zalmi apply the brakes; only 24 came between the seventh and 11th overs, but Kings struggled free of their shackles over the next three overs as Warner and Mohammad Nabi cut loose. Warner went after Saim Ayub and Raza, picking up four boundaries in those two overs while Nabi slapped Ayub for six over extra cover and Ariq Yaqoob for another boundary before his cameo came to an end.

The equation, though, had shifted dramatically in Kings' favour. With 44 required off six, they could afford more conservatism, at least while Warner, now unbeaten past a half-century, was still around. But when a slower delivery from Wood castled him for 60 off 47, Zalmi's hopes were freshly renewed. Abbas Afridi and Aamer Jamal fell within three balls of each other, and the final over saw Karachi requiring an awkward nine to get with just two wickets in hand.

However, Zalmi had bowled out all their specialists by now; they were reluctant to hand Ayub the final over. The part-time medium pace of Hussain Talat was trusted, but then easily dispatched by a boundary each from Khushdil and Hasan as Kings scratched out a victory that should have come much easier to them.

Kings were well on top in the first innings. A stingy start brought about Ayub's dismissal at Mir Hamza's hands for four off eight, and Babar was in all sorts of trouble. He had been reprieved twice, once when an lbw was overturned off the second delivery, and also after Hamza put down a straightforward chance off his own bowling.

Khushdil enjoyed a fruitful day with the ball, the tone set when he came back from a Tom Kohler-Cadmore six off to draw a miscue off the next ball. Babar and Mohammad Haris produced a gritty partnership that stopped the rot but didn't especially pick up the run rate, and off the final ball of the tenth over, Khushdil struck to end Babar's workmanlike innings. This time the review didn't reprieve him after he was struck in front; he had faced 41 off the first 60 balls, and scored 46 of Zalmi's 67.

Haris picked up the rate but couldn't quite produce his explosive best, and fell at a crucial time just as Zalmi were gearing up for the death. His 21-ball 28 had pushed the run rate past seven, and though a cameo from Alzarri Joseph got their side close to 150, Kings ensured they did just enough in each innings to come away with the two points they deserved.