Zalmi overpower Qalandars, Kings eliminated

RAWALPINDI: Saim Ayub (68) and Babar Azam’s (50) aggressive opening wicket stand propelled Peshawar Zalmi to a 35 runs win against Lahore Qalanadars amid a runs feast at the Pindi Stadium Tuesday.

The victory means curtains for Karachi Kings in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight while Quetta Gladiators' chances of making it to the Play-off now also look increasingly limited.

Zalmi with eight points have inched closer to qualifying for the play-offs.

Saim Ayub set the Pindi Stadium ablaze with some sizzling shots at the outset of Zalmi innings. His firepower helped Zalmi race to 67 in the power play. Saim was unstoppable as within the power play he raced to 43 of 24 deliveries. Captain Babar Azam who acted as a silent partner managed 21 of 25 balls. All changes introduced in the power play by Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah went fruitless. Saim hit Rashid Khan for six to reach his fifty of 26 balls. The southpaw was aggressive against all bowlers and did not even spare Rashid who was introduced at the end of the power-play. Hassan Talat dropped Saim when the total reached 85. Though a difficult chance off David Wissie, the catch could have been taken considering the time Talat had got to adjust himself.

Peshawar raced to 100 in nine overs as the keeper and Babar both missed Rashid’s wrong one to see Peshawar fetch four byes.

Babar reached his fifty with his trademark cover drive. His 41-ball fifty contained four boundaries and two sixes. Minutes later Haris Rauf accounted for him. Saim who was the first wicket to fall smashed three sixes and eight boundaries in his innings.

“He has a great future ahead of him. I watched him in the nets and yet again here. He has got all the strokes to make a future star,” Rovman Powell who talked to the media, said.

Tom Kohler-Cadmore’s brisk 16-ball 36 kept Zalmi’s aggression intact. His innings contained three sixes and two fours.

Score Board

Peshawar Zalmi won the toss

Peshawar Zalmi Innings:

Ayub c †Billings b Rashid 68

Azam (c)c Wiese b Haris 50

Haris c Sikandar b Rashid 9

Cadmore c & b Haris 36

Powell c Sikandar b Afridi 9

Haseebullah †b Afridi 12

Jamal c Wiese b Zaman 5

Omarzai c Rashid b Afridi 0

Riaz c †Billings b Afridi 0

Mujeeb not out 1

Iqbal b Zaman 1

Extras: (b 4, lb 6, nb 3, w 3) 16

Total:19.3 Ov 207

Fall of wickets: 1-107, 2-125, 3-168, 4-179, 5-183, 6-199, 7-203, 8-203, 9-203, 10-207

Bowling: Afridi 4-0-31-4, Rauf 4-0-35-2, Zaman 2.3-0-30-2, Raza 1-0-21-0, Rashid 4-0-41-2, Wiese 4-0-39-0

Lahore Qalandars Innings:

Irfan b Arshad 0

Zaman c Omarzai b Wahab 11

Shafique c Powell b Omarzai 7

Billings c Haseebullah b Wahab 0

Talat c †Haseebullah b Arshad 63

Afridi (c)c Haseebullah b Wahab 52

Raza b Azmatullah 20

Wiese c Powell b Iqbal 0

Rashid run out Haseebullah 2

Rauf not out 0

Zaman c Haseebullah b Jamal 4

Extras: (lb 6, w 7) 13

Total:19.4 Ov 172

Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-19, 3-19, 4-21, 5-135, 6-162, 7-166, 8-167, 9-168, 10-172

Bowling: Iqbal 4-0-27-3, Omarzai 4-0-40-2, Mujeeb 4-0-44-0, Riaz 4-1-17-3, Jamal 3.4-0-38-1

Match result: Zalmi won by 35 runs

Man of the match: Saim Ayub

Umpires: Alex Wharf, Asif Yaqoob