KARACHI, Pakistan, CMC – West Indian international Chadwick Walton played a supporting role to top Pakistan batsman Babar Azam to lead Karachi Kings to their first Pakistan Super League Twenty20 title with a five-wicket win over arch-rivals Lahore Qalandars in the final yesterday.
Walton made 22 from 27 balls and fellow West Indian Sherfane Rutherford was dismissed for a first-ball duck, but Azam cracked an unbeaten 63 – his sixth successive half-century – from 49 balls to anchor the Kings’ successful chase of 135 for victory in the final on home soil at the National Stadium.
Kings were 49 for two in the seventh over, when Walton came to the crease and shared 61 for the third wicket with Azam to put the Kings firmly on course for victory in their fifth attempt at winning the title.
Walton, a Jamaican wicketkeeper/batsman struck only one four before he was lbw to Dilbar Hussain with 25 needed from 29 balls, and Rutherford, an ambidextrous Guyanese all-rounder, was caught at mid-on from a mistimed drive at a slower ball from Haris Rauf with 11 needed from 16 balls.
But Azam spanked seven boundaries in his innings and he remained to finish the job with eight balls remaining to make him a shoo-in for the Player-of-the-Match award. He was also named Player-of-the-Series.
Hussain and Harris Rauf took two wickets apiece to be the most successful bowlers for Lahore.
Earlier, Walton was not kept too busy behind the stumps and Rutherford did not bowl, but held a catch, when Lahore batted.
The Qalandars, choosing to bat, reached 134 for seven from their allocation of 20 overs with Bangladesh international Tamim Iqbal leading the way with 35 and Pakistan international Fakhar Zaman added 27. No other batsman reached 20.
Waqas Maqsood and Umaid Asif were the pick of the Karachi bowlers, returning the flattering figures of two for 28 from their allotted four overs.
Islamabad United has twice won the title, Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators have each won it once.
For Qalandars, they had finished at the bottom of the standing in each of the previous four seasons and being runners-up was an achievement for them.
