PSL 9: Gladiators emerge victorious in thriller against Peshawar Zalmi

LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators emerged victorious in a humdinger of a game against Peshawar Zalmi at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, as the Babar Azam-led side fell short of 16 runs to reach the massive, 207-run target.

Thanks to the stellar 157-runs stand between Saud Shakeel and Jason Roy, Gladiators had good runs on the board and despite losing wickets, the side did manage to get past the 200-run mark.

Though the Zalmi started off with a bang but failed to chase the target as Quetta bowlers put in a remarkable effort in the death overs.

Azam top scored for his side by scoring 68 runs on 42 balls courtesy of eight boundaries but his efforts went in vain as his side fell 17 runs short of the total target set by the Gladiators.

Zalmi had a thrilling start, Saim Ayub and Azam were well set on the crease as they were heading towards 100 for no loss. However, in the ninth over, a misunderstanding between the two batters cost them a big blow.

Saim lost his wicket after scoring 42 runs after getting run out leaving his side 91-1 in 8.4 overs. Mohammad Haris came in after the left-handed batter’s departure but he too walked back to the pavilion shortly after scoring just 7 runs.

Azam stayed on the crease as he continued to score for his side, but the Zalmi skipper mistimed his shot on mystery spinner’s Abrar Ahmed ball and was caught by Mohammad Wasim Jr.

The wickets kept falling and the outstanding effort by the Gladiators’ bowlers restricted Zalmi to 190 for six wickets, winning the match by 16 runs.

Earlier in the first innings, Jason Roy and Saud Shakeel wreaked havoc as they thrashed Zalmi’s bowler all over the ground and built a 157-run partnership.

Shakeel departed after scoring a brilliant 74 off 47, laced with ten boundaries, which included four sixes as well.

Gladiators’ skipper Rilee Rossouw joined the party and hit the six off the first ball, followed by a boundary two balls later, but Mohammad Zeeshan castled him in the next over to end his brief stay.

Roy was departed by Salman Irshad in the 18th over with 185 runs on the board after playing a clinical knock of 75 runs from 48 balls, featuring nine boundaries and two sixes.

Sherfane Rutherford played a 20-run cameo off 13 balls before getting out in the last over, followed by Mohammad Wasim who scored a boundary and departed on the next ball.

Khawaja Nafay (6) hit the last ball for four to lift the team’s total to 206 in their allocated 20 overs.

Irshad led the bowling charts for the Peshawar Zalmi with figures of 3-38, while Wood and Zeeshan contributed with one wicket each.