Rain spoils Peshawar-Quetta encounter in HBL PSL

SHARJAH: In what was only the second time in more than three decades, a match had to be abandoned because of rain at the Sharjah cricket stadium forcing HBL Pakistan Super League table-toppers — Peshawar Zalmi and Quetta Gladiators — to share points here on Friday.

Continuous showers during the match meant that only 16 overs were bowled before it was decided that the game had to be called off.

Quetta Gladiators won the toss and, as has been the theme of the tournament, put Peshawar Zalmi in to bat. There were no less than three weather interruptions in Peshawar’s innings, which saw Tamim Iqbal bat through, finishing unbeaten on 62 off 46 balls.

Sarfraz Ahmed appeared to have read the surface right, and left-arm spinners Zulfiqar Babar and Mohammad Nawaz were asked to open the bowling. Peshawar made a bright start, before Hafeez holed out attempting to clear cow corner in the sixth over off Mahmudullah - one of three Bangladesh players arriving after the one-off Test in India. Kamran Akmal fell without scoring, before Rossouw snared Morgan as Peshawar lost three wickets for one run, and threatened to come unstuck.

But Sohaib Maqsood ably partnered Tamim thereafter, and the pair battled turning deliveries and dark skies to take their side to what looked to be a daunting 117 in their allotted 16 overs. With the rain coming down again, Quetta’s target was revised twice, but no cricket was possible. Quetta and Peshawar both gained a point from the abandonment, and now have five each — one more than third-placed Islamabad United. Peshawar are ahead with a superior net run rate.