KARACHI: Even with arguably a bigger crowd to back them here at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi Kings were a picture of disappointment on Sunday night. Islamabad United, in contrast, embodied consistency.

The title holders were clinical as they thrashed the hosts by six wickets with 17 balls to spare their fourth win in as many games of this HBL Pakistan SuperLeague season.

The Kings, meanwhile, are proving to be mercurial this year, continuing their pattern of winning a game before losing one.

On what seemed to be a difficult batting wicket, Kings posted a paltry 128-7 before United skipper Shadab Khan and Azam Khan, hardly feeling challenged, got together for a match-winning partnership.

The Kings, earlier, had looked clueless.

Put into bat first, they struggled their way to 41-2 in the powerplay, which saw them lose skipper David Warner and in-form batter James Vince to unplayable deliveries by pacers Naseem Shah and Jason Holder, respectively, both of whom hit top of the off-stump.

Eight of the meagre powerplay score came off two boundaries from numberfour batter Saad Baig -playing his first match this season. Meanwhile, Tim Seifert, who survived the dangerous opening spell by the United bowlers addedjustoneboundary.

Saad (20 off 17, four fours) looked promising,carving Mohammad Shahzad`s pace past point and fine-leg for two more boundaries, but miscued United captain Shadab to Shahzad at backward point in the 10th over, as the scoreboard read 63-3 at halfway stage.

Siefert (30 off 37) who had been unsuccessfully trying to bring his powerhitting capabilities on a slow surface, eventually became the fourth Kings casualty, pushing an Imad Wasim (1-17) delivery back into the spinner`s hands in the 13th over.

It was then Shadab`s (2-17) turn to take a wicket, as the leg-spinner produced a beautiful googly to trap Irfan Khan in the 16th over before Naseem bounced Khushdil Shah to a caught-behind dismissal as Karachi reeled at 94-6 by the end of the 17th over.

Aamer Jamal followed suit -dismissed by Holder -after helping Kings cross the 100-run mark in the next over with a cut forfour.

The first couple of sixes of the innings came in the penultimate over, as Abbas Afridi went deep in his crease to dispatch Naseem (2-29) for two maximums straight down the ground.

Abbas (24 off nine, three sixes and a four) seemed to have ruled the pitch out of the equation, taking Holder (2-39) to the cleaners with another towering six over long-off and powerfully slapping the fast bowler for a four through midwicket to give Kings` innings a good finish.

Chasing the moderate total, United carefully posted 48-2 in the first six overs with in-form opener Farhan (30 off 18, five fours and six) giving them a decent start before departing early.

The right-hander, coming to the match at the back of a century and a fifty, creamed in-form pacer Hasan Ali for three consecutive boundaries in the second over before whack-ing Mir Hamza, Hasan`s attack partner, got another and a six in the next over.

But Hasan returned in the fifth over to get Farhan`s prize wicket, with the batter skying in an attempt to play a lofted shot again, only for Warner to take a catch running backward from mid-off.

The fast bowler struck again four balls later, bamboozling Colin Munro with a sharp in-swinger to destroy the left-hander`s stumps. United were now 38-2.

At this stage, Shadab joined Azam in the middle as the duo gradually developed a partnership which eventually became a match-winning one.

Azam launched Abbas for a huge six over midwicket and smashed the right-armer straight for a four to wrap up the first six overs.

The required run-rate was already under six by that point, with both Shadab and Azam Khanhaving all the time in the world to take United towards the finish line.

Shadab smacked pacer Aamer Jamal straight down the ground for another four as the team reached 75-2 in 10 overs.

Shadab hit his first six in the 12th, planting his front foot to loft Khushdil over the bowler`s head. The right-hander cultivated a brilliant stroke off Aamer in the next over, clearing extra-cover for six more.

Four balls later, just after United had brought up their 100, Kings allrounder Mohammad Nabi cleaned up Azam (31 off 30, three fours and a six) to mark an end to the 65-run partnership between him and Shadab, which came off 52balls.

Shadab added three more boundaries to reach 47 off 40 (five fours and two sixes) and just when the scores were tied he was clean bowled by Abbas before Nawaz took United over the line.