Narine cameo hands Qalanders easy win

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, CMC – Sunil Narine continued to impress as an all-rounder as he produced with the bat to help Lahore Qalandars beat Dwayne Smith’s Islamabad United by six wickets in the Pakistan Super League here Saturday.
Set 159 to win at the Dubai International Stadium, Qalanders reached their target in the penultimate over with England opener Jason Roy stroking an unbeaten 60 and Pakistan’s Umar Akmal hitting 35.
The pair put on 71 for the third wicket to pull Qalanders around from 43 for two in the fourth over.
When Akmal and New Zealander Grant Elliott perished in successive overs to leave Qalanders on 126 for four in the 16^th, Narine arrived to lash a cameo 12-ball unbeaten 26 to see his side to victory.
The left-hander, used as an opener by Melbourne Renegades for a couple games in the recent Australia Big Bash, belted three fours and two sixes in posting 34 with Roy in an unbroken fifth wicket stand.
Narine had earlier taken one for 39 with his off-spin as Islamabad raised a competitive 158 for seven off their 20 overs, after being sent in.
Smith, the former Barbados and West Indies opener, struck 31 from 29 balls with four fours as he put on 73 for the first wicket with England Sam Billings who made 37 from 28 balls.
However, it was the reliable captain Misbah-ul-Haq, with an unbeaten 61 from 36 deliveries, who really gave the innings energy.
In the other game of the doubleheader, West Indies stars Chris Gayle and Kieron Pollard both failed to spark as their Karachi Kings slumped to a seven-wicket loss to Quetta Gladiators.
The left-handed Gayle managed just 10 and Pollard 14, leaving Babar Azam to carry Kings to 159 for eight off their 20 overs, with his 50 off 42 balls.
In reply, Gladiators were tottering on 30 for three in the fifth over before South African Rilee Roussouw slammed 76 not out and captain Sarfraz Ahmed, 56 not out, to lead their side to victory in an unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 130.