Another Fizz effort in vain

Bangladesh pacer Mustafizur Rahman's stingy run in the Pakistan Super League continued in their game against Karachi Kings last night, but it was not enough to avert a third successive defeat for Lahore Qalandars as they succumbed to a 27-run defeat.

Mustafizur picked up one wicket for 22 in four overs, one of them a wicket-maiden, maintaining a record of conceding less than six an over in his third straight match this season. It helped keep Karachi to 159 for seven, but Shahid Afridi's three for 19 ensured that Qalandars could only reach 132 before being bundled out in 18.1 overs.

Electing to bat, Karachi lost wickets in quick succession early on with England's Joe Denly being the first casualty in the third over. Mustafiz then picked up his solitary but valuable wicket of the day when he trapped Babar Azam leg before in the fourth over for nought.

In reply, Lahore lost Sunil Narine for a golden duck in the first over, but rode back into the game through a 30-ball 44 from skipper Brendon McCullum. He added 50 for the second wicket with Fakhar Zaman, who was Shahid Afridi's first wicket in the seventh over with the score on 70. McCullum departed two runs later, trapped leg-before by Karachi skipper Imad Wasim. Afridi then picked up two more crucial wickets of Umar Akmal and Sohail Tanvir, and Usman Khan choked the life out of the chase with three for 26 off his four.