Russie van der Dussen’s unbeaten hundred was in vain, as Peshawar Zalmi pulled off a thriller on the final ball of the game against Lahore Qalandars in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9.
Lahore fell eight runs short while chasing a mammoth total of 212 runs, finishing off at 203/6. This was 5th straight loss for the defending champions, virtually writing them off from the race for the title this season.
Having been asked to bat first, Peshawar openers Babar Azam and Saim Ayub posted another 100-run stand, their fourth in 9 innings together.
The duo added 136 runs for the opening stand before Shaheen Afridi removed Babar Azam for his 48.
Rovman Powell, who was promoted up the order, smashed a quickfire 46 off 20 balls, along with Saim’s 55 ball 88 to help Zalmi post this season’s largest total of 211/4.
For Lahore, Shaheen Afridi was the pick of the bowlers for his 33 for 33 in 4 overs.
Lahore Qalandars did not have an ideal start to their chase, losing Fakhar Zaman for just (4 off 9) and Sahibzada Farhan (15 off 12) in the powerplay.
Russie van der Dussen and Shai Hope (29 from 23) put together 71 runs for the third wicket to bring Lahore back in the chase.
Van der Dussen (105 from 52 balls) went on to score a brilliant hundred but failed to take Lahore over the line as wickets kept tumbling at the other end.
Requiring 18 from the final over, Lahore could only manage 9, losing the game by 8 runs.
Multan end Quetta’s unbeaten run
Fast bowler Mohammad Ali starred with the ball as Islamabad United beat Quetta Gladiators by 13 runs in the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Sunday.
Chasing a sizeable total of 181 runs, Quetta were restricted to 167/9, thanks to Multan bowlers who pulled the game back in death overs at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
Batting first, Multan brought in explosive opening batter Usman Khan, who immediately made his mark with three 4s in his quick-fire 14 off 7 before getting stumped off Abrar Ahmed.
Despite losing his partner, captain Mohammad Rizwan kept scoring freely, smashing his second fifty this season. He stitched together a 79-run partnership with South African Reeza Hendricks before the West Indian Akeal Hosein got rid of Rizwan at the start of the 14th over.
Tayyab Tahir joined Hendricks on the crease and both of them played some stunning shots before Hendricks got dismissed in the last over of the innings.
Hendricks remained the top-scorer of the game and for Multan, scoring 72 off 47, hitting seven 4s, and four 6s. Rizwan scored 51 off 42, hitting two 4s and four 6s.
Meanwhile, Tahir scored 35 off 22, hitting four 4s and one 6.
Islamabad scored 68 in the last five overs to post a respectable total of 180/4 on the board.
In response to a huge total, Gladiators lost Jason Roy (12 off 15), and Saud Shakeel (24 off 13) in the powerplay.
Khawaja Nafay, the top-scorer for Quetta with 36 off 31, put up a 62-run partnership with skipper Rilee Rossouw (30 off 18) to stabilize the innings before Ibrahim sent Rossouw back to the dugout.
Rossouw’s wicket turned out to be the turning point in the game, with Quetta losing the plot completely by the time the 17th over was bowled. And despite some fireworks by Sherfane Rutherford, Willey’s double-wicket 17th over dealt a killer blow to Quetta, as they eventually lost the game by 13 runs.
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Points Table Update
With a fourth win in five games, Multan Sultans further cemented their place at the top of the table with 8 points. Quetta Gladiators perch second in the table with three wins and six points. Karachi Kings and Peshawar Zalmi are third and fourth on the points table with four and two points respectively. Islamabad United have slipped to the 5th spot, while Lahore Qalandars remain in the 5th and 6th places.
Next Fixtures
Fans will witness the much-awaited contest between Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi on Monday. The game will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore, at 7 pm.
Past PSL Winners
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PSL 2016 – Islamabad United
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PSL 2017 – Peshawar Zalmi
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PSL 2018 – Islamabad United
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PSL 2019 – Quetta Gladiators
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PSL 2020 – Karachi Kings
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PSL 2021 – Multan Sultans
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PSL 2022 - Lahore Qalandars
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PSL 2023 - Lahore Qalandars
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