Fizz misfires in thriller
Andre Russell hit a last-ball six off Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman to clinch a thriller for Islamabad United in the Pakistan Super League match against Lahore Qalandars in Sharjah last night.
Three runs were needed off the last ball of the Super Over and Russell plonked a slower delivery from the left-armer straight over long on. The regular match had ended in a tie as United fast bowler Mohammad Sami took two wickets in the last over of Lahore's chase of 121 for nine to finish off Lahore on the same score. Lahore lost their last eight wickets for 44 runs.
Umar Akmal, skipper Brendon McCullum and Fakhar Zaman then hammered 15 runs in the Super Over from Shami for the loss of the skipper. Mustafizur, bowling to Russell and Asif Ali, nearly had the latter in the second ball of Lahore's Super Over defence, but McCullum parried a dropped chance for six at long on.
There was a wide and an edged four from Russell that brought the equation down to three off one before the last-ball six ended an exciting match in dramatic fashion and delivered Lahore's fourth defeat in as many matches this season.
Earlier, it was a rare bad outing from Mustafizur in regular play as he conceded 39 from his four overs after Lahore chose to field first. Three of Mustafizur's overs were bowled in the last five overs of United's innings and it was Andre Russel and Hussain Talat's attack on him and Sohail Khan that lifted them from six for 70 to their eventual score. Mustafizur did manage to take a wicket -- that of number 10 batsman Shadab Khan caught at long on off the penultimate ball of the innings. He could have had another off the last ball, but a top-edged pull by Talat was dropped at deep midwicket by Yasir Shah.
SCORES IN BRIEF
ISLAMABAD: 121 for 9 (Duminy 34, Talat 33; Yasir 3-30, Sohail 2-23)
LAHORE: 121 all out in 19.4 overs (Agha 48, McCullum 34; Sami 3-21, Russell 1-22)
Result: Match tied (Islamabad won in the Super Over)
