Peshawar Zalmi thrash Quetta Gladiators securing second spot on points table
Peshawar Zalmi managed to successfully chase the 155-run target set by Quetta Gladiators with nine balls remaining during the ninth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the National Bank Cricket Arena in Karachi.
James Neesham and Rovman Powell rescued Peshawar Zalmi after Mohammad Hasnain’s early destruction with the ball in ninth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 8.
Hasnain picked up two quick wickets in his first over to give Quetta Gladiators a perfect start which they wanted after setting Peshawar Zalmi to chase 155 runs.
Hasnain bagged Mohammad Haris and Saim Ayub in quick successions to create a hat-trick chance for himself.
Iftikhar Ahmed proved himself yet again after he scored a well-fought fifty for Gladiators against Zalmi in ninth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 8 in Karachi on Monday.
Gladiators, who were put into bat first, lost three wickets for just 37 runs inside nine overs. Their openers had a very slow start after Zalmi bowlers gripped the match in early phase.
Jason Roy (14), Martin Guptill (12) and Mohammad Nawaz (2) walked off earlier as Gladiators had to face the heat. But, skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed and Iftikhar joined hands to utilize their experience and make possibly a match-saving partnership for the team in purple jersey.
They both scored 74 runs off 50 balls together before Arshad Iqbal clean bowled Sarfaraz in 17th over.
Sarfaraz’s wicket didn’t put pressure on Iftikhar as he kept scoring for his team. He completed his fourth PSL fifty off just 34 balls. Sarfaraz, on the other hand, scored valuable 38 runs including five boundaries.
Iftikhar remained not out for 50 laced with four maximums and two boundaries. In the end, Odean Smith also played a cameo of 25 off 12 balls.
For Zalmi, Usman Qadir bagged two wickets while James Neesham and Arshad shared a wicket apiece.
Playing XIs
Peshawar: Babar Azam (c), Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Rovman Powell, Dasun Shanaka, Jimmy Neesham, Wahab Riaz, Usman Qadir, Arshad Iqbal and Sufyan Muqeem.
Quetta: Sarfaraz Ahmed (c), Mohammad Hasnain, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Nawaz, Mohammad Hafeez, Odean Smith, Iftikhar Ahmed, Martin Guptill, Wahid Bangulzai, Jason Roy and Qais Ahmed.