Quetta Gladiators beat Lahore Qalandars in high scoring match

SHARJAH: Kevin Pietersen along with his captain Safraz Ahmed smashed 101 runs off just 45 balls for a fifth wicket stand to guide Quetta Gladiators to record a five-wicket win against Lahore Qalandars in a record high-scoring Twenty20 match in the second edition of the Pakistan Super League here on Saturday.

After Lahore Qalandars set a huge target of 201, the biggest in this tournament and also the toughest, Quetta Gladiators made a successful chase to complete their victory with seven balls to spare.

The architects of the win were Pietersen and Sarfraz who made the target easy and when Sarfraz left the crease, Quetta Gladiators needed 11 runs in ten balls but the new-comer Anwar Ali got them in just three balls with a six and a four.

Pietersen remained not out on 88, which he made off just 42 balls. He struck eight sixes and three fours.

Sarfraz made 45 off 25 balls with three sixes and as many fours.

Other notable scorer was Rilee Rossouw, who scored 33 off 18 balls with three fours and two sixes.

Earlier, Lahore Qalandars became the first team to reach 200-run mark in the second PSL.

Sent into bat by Quetta Gladiators, Lahore Qalandars made exact 200 runs for the loss of three wickets in the allotted 20 overs.

Opener Jason Roy completed the only half-century of the innings, hitting 51 off 27 balls with six fours and three sixes while his partner Fakhar Zaman scored 47 off 31 balls with six fours and a six.

Both provided a fine start of 77 runs before Mohammad Rizwan and Cameron Delport added the same total for an unbeaten fourth wicket partnership. In between, Umar Akmal could make 17.

Rizwan remained not out on 46, scored off 28 balls with four sixes and a four while Delport was not out on 35, made off 21 balls with three sixes and a four.