Wasim’s last-ball six pushes Gladiators into playoffs

KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators sealed the spot in this year’s HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) playoffs as Mohammad Wasim clubbed a six when four runs were needed off the last ball against Lahore Qalandars here at the National Bank Stadium on Sunday night.

Batting first, Qalandars scored 166-4. Gladiators managed to chase the target owing mainly to Saud Shakeel who scored 88 off 65 balls with four sixes and five fours.

On a tricky pitch where Qalandars’ bowlers exploited the conditions well till the 15th over, Saud continued to battle for Quetta. He not only rotated the strike regularly but launched big hits too under pressure.

Saud smacked a six on the last ball of the 19th over after Laurie Evans (7) laced a four. Gladiators needed 14 in the last over, bowled by Shaheen Shah Afridi.

Qalandars’ captain removed Evans on the first ball, but two picturesque boundaries from Saud kept the chase on. On the fifth ball, Suad took a single. With four needed, Wasim kept his cool and smashed a six to pump up the entire Quetta dug-out.

In the last five overs, 54 runs were needed as both Saud and Khawaja Nafay (26) failed to launch boundaries consistently.

Qalandars failed to bowl well at the death, as both Jahandad Khan and Shaheen, despite looking good in the first two overs, couldn’t bowl accurately.

Quetta got off to a blazing start as opener Jason Roy smacked Shaheen to three successive fours in the first over.

But in the next five overs of the power play, the runs dried up as Quetta’s openers managed 6-8 runs before medium-pacer Jahandad Khan removed Roy for 18 in the sixth over, giving away only four runs.

For Qalandars, the talented Jahandad took 2-30. Spinners George Linde and Sikandar Raza went wicket-less for 30 and 32, respectively. Shaheen took two but conceded 41 runs in four overs.

Qalandars, after electing to bat first, lost Mirza Baig and Shai Hope cheaply before Abdullah Shafique (59) and skipper Shaheen (55) scored fifties to manage a respectable 166 for their team.

Gladiators bowlers did well except West Indian spinner Akeal Hosein who went for 50 runs in four overs. Spinner Abrar Ahmed took two for 31, while Mohammad Amir and Mohammad Wasim took a wicket each for 30 and 28 runs, respectively.

The Karachi pitch, which has assisted the bowlers during this year’s event, created difficulties for Qalandars’ batters as they managed just 39 runs in the power play, with Abrar removing Sahibzada Farhan (25) and Baig in the sixth over.

However, Abdullah made his presence felt as he not only held the innings but also pounced on any loose delivery. In the seventh over, he laced two fours before getting a reprieve when Roy dropped his catch at long-on in the ninth over.

After Hope’s dismissal in the 10th over to Wasim, Qalandars stood at 70. Abdullah and Shaheen launched a 91-run partnership.

In the 15th over, bowled by Hosein, Abdullah launched a six, while Shaheen, who promoted himself up the order, smoked maximums on the fifth and sixth deliveries.

In the 17th over off Abrar, Shaheen smacked two more sixes before getting removed by Amir in the last over, having scored 55 off 34 balls with four sixes and two fours.

In the last two overs, Gladiators’ pacers did well as Wasim and Amir conceded six runs each. Abdullah ended not out on 59 off 39 with three fours and two sixes.