Sarfraz sees Quetta home with last-ball six in HBL PSL

By Agencies

February 24, 2019

SHARJAH: Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfraz Ahmed led his side to a sensational final ball win against Lahore Qalandars in their HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) match at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Saturday.

Quetta benefitted from Lahore’s inability to hit the stumps with six missed run-out chances as Sarfraz showed his catlike survival skills and kept his side undefeated in the league with a thrilling three-wicket win.

Despite having only 143 to defend, Lahore created plenty of opportunities to tie down Quetta, but failed to take the majority of them. Six clear run-out chances were missed, three of them on Sarfraz alone.

With 27 needed off the last three overs, Sarfraz struck David Wiese for two boundaries — one over extra cover and the other pulled behind square — as part of a 13-run over to bring Gladiators closer to victory.

And despite two late wickets, including Wiese yorking Anwar Ali to start the 20th with seven needed to win, Sarfraz saw Gladiators over the line clubbing the last ball over the deep midwicket rope, also bringing up his half-century in the process.

Sarfraz was given out lbw to a yorker first ball after coming to the crease following the wicket of Umar Akmal at 53-3 in the 8th over of the chase. The decision was overturned on review as replays showed it to be missing leg. He then survived run-out chances on 5, 7, 16.

Earlier, Ghulam Mudassar’s sensational bowling rattled Lahore. He had Salman Butt flicking to deep backward square leg inside the Powerplay before bouncing out the dangerous looking Sohail Akhtar for 29 next ball. A pinpoint yorker trapped Gauhar Ali in the 18th before he conceded just seven runs off the 20th, which turned out to be crucial in the end.

He finished with 3-21 in his four overs.

Lahore skipper AB de Villiers struggled to find the boundary. He only hit two fours in his 40-ball 45, then curiously opted to take a single midway through the final over with Sandeep Lamichhane at the other end, consequently making it the only ball he faced in the 20th.

The loss for Lahore was compounded by an injury to de Villiers, who tweaked his lower back diving to make his ground late in the first innings on a dicey call by Yasir Shah, who was attempting to get off the mark and get de Villiers back on strike for a late surge. The severity of his injury became clearer when he failed to take the field for the Quetta chase.

Score Board

Quetta Gladiators won toss

Lahore Qalandars

Fakhar Zaman c Umar b Nawaz 3

Sohail Akhtar c Sarfraz b Ghulam 29

Salman Butt c Ahsan b Ghulam 5

*AB de Villiers not out 45

C J Anderson c Nawaz b Anwar 19

D Wiese c Smith b Sohail 20

†Gauhar Ali lbw b Ghulam 5

Yasir Shah c Ahsan b Sohail 1

S Lamichhane not out 5