Labuschagne steers Hyderabad

Hyderabad Kingsmen beat Islamabad United by six wickets in Karachi on April 12, chasing 154 with 11 balls left after Marnus Labuschagne finished unbeaten on 61. (espncricinfo.com) Islamabad United made 153 for 9 at National Bank Stadium after Devon Conway scored 45 from 31 balls and Mark Chapman added 42 from 30. Hyderabad chose to bowl first and closed the innings with three wickets in the last five balls. (pcb.com.pk) Asif Mehmood changed the finish of the first innings with 4 for 18 in two overs, including the wickets of Chapman, Chris Green, Imad Wasim and Mehran Mumtaz. Mohammad Ali took 2 for 26, and Glenn Maxwell removed Haider Ali. (pcb.com.pk) Hyderabad were 50 for 1 inside five overs through Maaz Sadaqat’s 30 off 16 and Saim Ayub’s 35 off 26, then slipped from 110 for 1 to 115 for 4 when Faheem Ashraf and Chris Green hit back. Labuschagne stayed in through that collapse and carried the chase into the 19th over. (espncricinfo.com) Maxwell finished unbeaten on 21 from nine balls and helped turn a tense chase into a comfortable one, with Hyderabad ending on 157 for 4 in 18.1 overs. Labuschagne’s 61 came from 53 balls with six fours. (pcb.com.pk) The win gave Hyderabad back-to-back victories in Karachi after the franchise’s first Pakistan Super League win on April 11, when they beat Karachi Kings by four wickets while chasing 189. Outlook India called that result the team’s first-ever win in the competition. (outlookindia.com) Islamabad came into the game off a nine-wicket win over Lahore Qalandars on April 9, but their middle and lower order could not build on a 100-run start reached in the 12th over. From 150 for 6 after 18.5 overs, they added only three runs and lost three more wickets. (outlookindia.com) Labuschagne was named player of the match, and Hyderabad’s second straight chase kept their revival moving after a slow start to the season. On a pitch ESPNcricinfo described as tricky, his innings was the one that held the chase together. (espncricinfo.com)