Malik gives Karachi last-ball win over Lahore to keep alive playoff hopes in Pakistan Super League

KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Shoaib Malik hit a boundary off the last ball to give Karachi Kings a three-wicket victory in a must-win game against two-time champion Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League on Saturday.

The win kept alive Karachi's hopes of a place in the playoffs with eight points from nine games. Lahore was already eliminated, beating only Quetta Gladiators and losing seven games in the absence of injured spinner Rashid Khan.

With three runs needed off the last delivery, Malik (27 not out) drove fast bowler Zaman Khan’s low full toss through point to guide Karachi to a winning 179-7 in a tense finish.

Lahore had posted 177-5 on the back of half centuries from Abdullah Shafique (55) and Fakhar Zaman (54) after Karachi captain Shan Masood won the toss and chose to field.

Masood’s decision to demote himself to No. 3 after struggling as an opener in his first season as Karachi skipper paid off as the opening pair of James Vince (42) and Tim Seifert (36) provided a confident start of 59.

But Lahore came back strongly when fast bowler Tayyab Abbas (2-23) got the big wicket of Kieron Pollard (3) and Seifert was run out after a major misunderstanding with Malik.

Irfan Khan scored a brisk 35 off 16 balls with six boundaries before Lahore skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi (1-37) knocked back his middle stump in the penultimate over. Zaman conceded just five runs off his first five balls but Malik stayed calm to seal the game for host Karachi off the final delivery.

___

AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket