Zalmi edge Gladiators by one run to stay on course in HBL PSL

By Khalid Hussain

March 21, 2018

KARACHI: The HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) returned home on Tuesday with a cracker of a game that saw defending champions Peshawar Zalmi displaying nerves of steel to stay alive in the contest in front of a packed Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.

The electrifying atmosphere provided a perfect backdrop to a game that went down to the wire as Quetta Gladiators almost pulled off a miracle with Anwar Ali getting 23 from the final over bowled by spinner Liam Dawson.But the Gladiators still fell a run short, allowing Zalmi to set a date with the Karachi Kings in Wednesday’s game.

Anwar Ali, who was one of the biggest disappointments for Quetta this season, hit three sixes and a four and needed three to secure a famous victory for Quetta off the last ball. He fell short but was lucky to be dropped by Umaid Asif. But together with Mir Hamza, he was unable to get two as a run-out handed Zalmi a memorable one-run win.

Quetta were in with a big chance to make it to Eliminator 2, virtually a semi-final against Karachi Kings, after left-arm pacer Rahat Ali finished with brilliant figures of 4-16 as Zalmi were bowled out for 157 despite a brilliant 62 from Dawson.

In the run-chase, too, the momentum was on Quetta’s side especially after Sarfraz Ahmed (35 from 21) and Mohammad Nawaz (35 from 32) helped them recover from a shaky start.At one stage, they were cruising 80-2 in 9 overs, needing just 78 from the next 11. With Sarfraz and Nawaz, who had put on 63 from 45 ball in what seemed like a match-winning stand for the third wicket, going strong Quetta were on their way to a comfortable victory. But after a drinks break both of them suffered from a brain freeze as they threw their wickets to the pace of 19-year-old Sameen Gul.

They were again in with a chance when Mahmudullah (19) and Rilee Rossouw (8) were on the crease but the duo fell in the 16th over bowled by Umaid Asif.In the end, the pace of Hasan Ali and Wahab Riaz proved too good for Quetta’a tail.

Earlier, put into bat, Zalmi never really recovered from a poor start as they lost their in-form opener Kamran Akmal and Andre Fletcher a bit too early.They were expecting a lot from Kamran, who had produced back-to-back match-winning performances in Sharjah last week to carry Zalmi into the playoffs. But he failed to click when it mattered most falling to Rahat in the second over.

Bangladesh’s ace batsman Tamim Iqbal (27 from 29) looked good as he put on 44 runs with Mohammad Hafeez (25 from 14) taking Zalmi to 54 but both the senior batsmen fell in quick succession bringing Zalmi on the back foot.

It was then that 29-year-old English all-rounder Dawson put Zalmi back on track. In an innings that lacked big partnerships, he managed three precious stands of 28 (Saad Nasim), 26 (Umaid Asif) and 25 (Darren Sammy).

He didn’t get much support from the other but kept Zalmi in the hunts with a stunning 35-ball 62 that included four sixes and six fours. When he hammered Thisara Perera for 21 runs in the 17th over, a score of 180 looked with reach for Zalmi. But he fell to Rahat in the very next over and Zalmi could just manage 157 which didn’t look like a very big total of a flat Gaddafi wicket.

Quetta Gladiators won toss

Peshawar Zalmi

Tamim Iqbal c Kohler-Cadmore b Nawaz 27

†Kamran Akmal b Rahat 0

A D S Fletcher c Perera b Mir 1

M Hafeez b Mahmudullah 25

L A Dawson c Sarfraz b Rahat 62

Saad Nasim c Perera b Hasan 9

Umaid Asif c Asad b Rahat 7

*D J G Sammy c Mir b Rahat 2

Wahab Riaz b Perera 15

Hasan Ali c Kohler-Cadmore b Perera 4