DUBAI: J.P. Duminy, Samit Patel and Zafar Gohar gave sterling performances to help Islamabad United take another big step toward Pakistan Super League playoffs as defending champions Peshawar Zalmi crashed to a 26-run defeat at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Friday night.

Chasing Islamabad’s record PSL total of 182-5, Peshawar’s response turned out to be a big disappointment, leaving them at the last position but one in the points table and staring at the prospect of being knocked out at the preliminary stage. Friday night’s loss was their fourth in seven fixtures.

The holders slumped to 92-8 after Patel rocked them with 4-34 while fellow slow left-armer Zafar marked his first T20 game in 18 months with three for 27. It was left to Umaid Asif (25) and Wahab Riaz’s highest T20 score (33 off 25 balls, five boundaries) to lend a semblance of respectability to the total. Peshawar’s innings ended at 156-9.

Islamabad’s third outright win on the trot shot them to the top of the table with 10 points. Multan have nine points while Quetta Gladiators are at third place with eight.

The outcome was a virtual replica of previous night’s game when Quetta Gladiators posted 180-4 before reducing Karachi Kings to 113-8 — the biggest win in PSL history in terms of runs (67).

Duminy, the 33-year-old South African left-hander, anchored Islamabad United’s innings with a well-paced knock to cross the half-century mark for the 40th time in 233 T20 appearances.

Duminy hit 73 from 54 balls with the aid of six fours and four sixes. Asif Ali provided the impetus with a swashbuckling 45 off 24 balls, laced with four sixes and two fours, as they forged a defining partnership of 71 in only 34 deliveries for the fourth wicket.

Wahab grabbed all three wickets falling to a bowler, with Shadab Khan (0) and Fahim Ashraf (1) both being run out.

Scores in brief:

ISLAMABAD UNITED 182-5 in 20 overs (J.P. Duminy 73 not out, Asif Ali 45, Hussain Talat 29, L. Ronchi 27; Wahab Riaz 3-30);

PESHAWAR ZALMI 156-9 in 20 overs (Wahab Riaz 33 not out, Umaid Asif 25, Kamran Akmal 22; S.R. Patel 4-34, Zafar Gohar 3-27).

Published in Dawn, March 10th, 2018