LAHORE: The Quetta Gladiators upset the heavily favored Peshawar Zalmi, winning by 16 runs in Sunday’s HBL Pakistan Super League encounter at the Gaddafi Stadium.
A thrilling exhibition of batting skill was seen during the match, mostly spearheaded by Jason Roy and Saud Shakeel, who was playing in his first PSL encounter.
The explosive hitting of Roy (75) and Saud (74), who put up an outstanding opening combination of 157 runs, helped Quetta set a lofty target of 207 runs.
At first glance, Peshawar’s pursuit appeared bright, as captain Babar Azam (68) alongside Saim Ayub (42) established a strong basis by scoring 91 runs in just 8.4 overs.
Zalmi’s momentum was, however, destroyed by a critical run-out and a following decline in run-rate, limiting them to 190 for six in their allocated 20 overs.
Mohammad Wasim Jr., a Quetta speedster, challenged Asif Ali and Dan Mousley in the decisive final over, with Zalmi requiring 25 runs to win. Big successes were expected, but Asif could only muster a single when Mousley was discovered by Akeal Hosein. Asif was left frustrated at the crease as Aamer Jamal’s boundary attempt failed to reach the goal, however Zalmi did manage to make a small contribution.
After the game, Babar told reporters, “Our bowling strategy was appropriate for the circumstances but unfortunately we were unable to wrap up the match effectively. The recognition goes to Jason Roy as well as Saud Shakeel for their excellent knocks.”
The earlier game saw the reigning champion Lahore Qalandars lose to Islamabad United by eight wickets, underscoring the power of batting in the opening stages of the competition.
With Saim striking the first six of the Peshawar chase in the second over, Saim and Babar gave Zalmi a great start. The combination of Saim’s strong hitting and Babar’s graceful stroke play presented a serious threat to the Gladiators’ bowlers. Nevertheless, the alliance was short-lived as Zalmi’s momentum was impeded by a string of swift dismissals after Saim left for 42 runs.
Saud and Roy got Quetta off to a brilliant start with their beautiful stroke play. They had a great connection and in just 10 overs, they scored 100 runs. Gladiators finished at 206-5 in their allowed 20 overs, having scored more than 200 runs despite loosing Saud and Roy earlier in the innings.
Salman Irshad, a pacer, was Peshawar’s most effective bowler, taking three vital wickets; Luke Wood and Mohammad Zeeshan added a wicket apiece.
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
