HBL Pakistan Super League Aamer, Salman pace show helps Zalmi eliminate United.

LAHORE -- Data may have helped Islamabad United to predict and be prepared for numerous possibilities ahead of their HBL Pakistan Super League Eliminator against Peshawar Zalmi, but for them to foresee that Aamer Jamal and Salman Irshad would go on to bowl an array of perfect yorkers in the death overs would have been just too big of an ask.

Here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Thursday night, United were cruising in their pursuit of a formidable 184-run target with Alex Hales and Sohaib Maqsood set on their crease having reached their respective half-centuries.

The start of the 15th over, however, saw the tide turn against the two-time champions as Aamer and Salman started hitting the bullseye. The pair shared four wickets - all seeing the stumps fly and bails flicker - to see Zalmi edge by United by 12 runs and book a date with Lahore Qalandars for the second Eliminator.

For all their data-driven approach, United saw their dream to add a third PSL trophy to their cabinet ended in the playoffs for the second season in a row. Their captain Shadab Khan, who was unable pull off a miracle despite occupying the crease till the last ball, admitted they weren't good enough.

'We qualified for the playoffs but as a team we weren't perfect and that is why we haven't made it to the final,' he said after the match. 'We could have finished on the top two spots but we didn't play smart cricket.'

United needed 56 off the last six overs, when Aamer returned to bowl. As Sohaib - who had seven fours and two sixes to reach 60 off 48 balls - exposed his stumps to go for another big hit, Aamer managed to go through the gates to castle him and break right-hander's 77-ball 115-run partnership with Hales.

It was then Salman's turn to destroy the timber and he chose the incoming Azam Khan to prey on with his slingy action as the batter failed to dig out a perfect, in-swinging yorker. Aamer steamed into shatter Hales' (57 off 37) stumps as the ball reversed before landing near the Englishman's toes before doing the damage.

The Mianwali-born all-rounder successfully targeted the stumps again in the 17th over to run-out Faheem Ashraf with the left-hander getting involved in a mix-up with Colin Munro at the other end and Salman effectively finished United off when Munro played a short ball by him onto his stumps.

Munro's was the last United wicket to fall and the Zalmi players already looked excited with nine more balls to go. With their coach Darren Sammy and captain Babar...