Quetta outplays Islamabad

LAHORE: Top-ranked Quetta Gladiators outplayed defending champions Islamabad United in all departments of the game in the 26th match of the PSL-4 at Abu Dhabi’s Zayed Cricket Stadium Tuesday. Gladiators after having scored 180 runs for the loss of nine wickets contained Islamabad at 137 for nine, thus winning by 43 runs. Islamabad’s opener Luke Ronchi was the only successful batsman making 64 that came in 43 balls, studded with seven fours and three sixes. Gladiators’ leggie Fawad Ahmed put United’s top order in the spin with the wickets of Ronchi, Chris Delport and PD Salt. Ronchi and Delport for their opening stand gave a solid footing to the United but once they were gone, other batsmen followed suit. After Fawad’s magic spell, and Mohammad Nawaz’s one scalp, Mohammad Hasnain claimed Patel and Faheem Ashraf wickets. Other than Ronchi’s solid innings, Delport’s 25 and Patel’s 14 were the only players to reach double figures. Sohail Tanvir got two wickets while DJ Bravo also had one wicket. Earlier, Gladiators’ opener Ahmad Shehzad’s half-century cemented a formidable total for his team despite four wickets taken by United’s Faheem Ashraf.

The opener scored 73 runs off 46 balls with nine boundaries and a six, while middle-order batsman Umar Akmal assisted him with 27 off 17. Faheem Ashraf picked four wickets, Ammad Butt picked three, Samit Patel and Zafar Gauhar bagged one each. Umar Akmal added 27 runs to the scoreboard while RR Rossouw made 23 runs. Samit Patel got his first breakthrough when Shane Watson was caught by Faheem Ashraf at 15. Azam Khan was caught at 12 by wicketkeeper Luke Ronchi off Faheem Ashraf’s delivery.