Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 3 wickets

Sports Desk: Islamabad United dominated with the bat and ball as they defeated defending champions Peshawar Zalmi by three wickets on Sunday to lift the trophy of the third edition of the Pakistan Super League.

The highlight of the match was United opener Luke Ronchi's rapid 52 of 26 deliveries, making Zalmi's fighting total off 148 runs look relatively easy.

"I've just batted with a clear mind, amazing how things work out if you do that," Ronchi said in the post-match ceremony.

"The order is to just go out and bat the way I bat. If it comes off, brilliant. Otherwise, we've got a brilliant batting order. The quality of the local players, particularly the fast bowlers, has been phenomenal in the PSL.

"They've got a good depth of talent coming through, they should be happy with where they are at the moment. This is my first win for a franchise, a great end to a great tournament," he said.



Peshawar pacers appeared to have brought their team back into the game in the late over as Islamabad wickets fell in quick succession, but some late hitting by Asif Ali helped United make it over the finishing line for the second time in the three-year history of the tournament.

The match marked the first time a PSL final was played in Karachi, as thousands of fans flocked to the sold-out National Stadium under tight security. It was also the city's biggest cricket match in nine years, after terrorist attacks resulted in the suspension of international cricket in Pakistan.

Agencies


risingbd/Dhaka/March 26, 2018/Nasim