PSL9: Gladiators beat Zalmi by 16 runs in thriller match
Outstanding effort by the Gladiators’ bowlers restricted Zalmi to 190 for six wickets, winning the match by 16 runs.
Quetta Gladiators beat Peshawar Zalmi by 16 runs in the second PSL 9 match at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
While chasing a massive 207-run target, Babar Azam-led side fell short of 16 runs.
The Zalmi started with a bang but failed to chase the target owing to Quetta bowlers’ remarkable effort in the death overs.
Saim Ayub and Babar Azam performed well on the crease as they were heading towards 100 for no loss. However, in the ninth over, a misunderstanding between the two batters cost them a big blow.
Saim was back to the pavilion after scoring 42 runs after getting run out leaving his side 91-1 in 8.4 overs.
Mohammad Haris came in after the left-handed batter’s departure but he too walked back to the pavilion shortly after scoring just 7 runs.
Azam stayed on the crease as he continued to score for the Zalmi but the skipper mistimed his shot on spinner’s Abrar Ahmed ball and was caught by Mohammad Wasim Jr.
The wickets kept falling at the regular pace and the outstanding effort by the Gladiators’ bowlers restricted Zalmi batters to 190 for six wickets, winning the match by 16 runs.
While batting first, Gladiators openers Saud Shakeel and Jason Roy gave their side a stellar 157-run stand and despite losing wickets, Their batters managed to get past the 200-run mark.
Shakeel scored a brilliant 74 off 47, ladden with ten boundaries and four sixes as well.
Gladiators’ skipper Rilee Rossouw hit the six off the first ball, followed by a boundary two balls later, but Mohammad Zeeshan took his wicket making his stay at the crease a brief one.
Roy was sent back to the pavilion by Salman Irshad in the 18th over with 185 runs on the board.
Roy played a clinical knock of 75 runs from 48 balls, featuring nine boundaries and two sixes.
Sherfane Rutherford added 20 runs to the score off 13 balls before getting out in the last over, followed by Mohammad Wasim who scored a boundary and departed on the next ball.
Khawaja Nafay (6) hit the last ball for four to lift the team’s total to 206 in total 20 overs.
Irshad went with the leading bowling figures for Peshawar Zalmi with 3-38, while Wood and Zeeshan bagged one wicket each.
