LAHORE: Quetta Gladiators defeated Islamabad United in the 18th match of the HBL PSL-7 here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Quetta Gladiators won the toss and opted to field. Quetta Gladiators scored 199 for the loss of 8 wickets in 20 overs. Hales and Rehmanullah Gurbaz provided a 48 runs opening stand. Gurbaz was clean bowled by Naseem Shah, but Hales continued to carve out runs.

Hales also launched a 52-run second-wicket stand with United skipper Shadab Khan who could only manage to score 12 runs. Hales scored 62 runs off 38 balls with four sixes and four fours. Other batters Asif Ali, Azam Khan, Mohammad Akhlaq and Liam Dawson failed to shine but it was Faheem Ashraf who came to the rescue as he played a brilliant inning of 55 runs off 28 balls with the help of four sixes and five fours.

In the end, Mohammad Wasim launched two successive sixes to take the total of Islamabad United to 199. In the run chase, Gladiators skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed played a captain knock and remained not out. Umar Akmal also hit sixes.

The Gladiators scored 203 runs for the loss of five wickets while chasing 200 and beat United by 5 wickets whith two balls of the final over to spare. For Gladiators’ all the bowlers went to the cleaners except Shahid Afridi and Noor Ahmed by registering a brilliant economy rate of 6.75. Afridi took two wickets for 27 runs in four overs, while Noor took one by giving away 27 runs in the four-over spell. Afridi (41); however, seems in difficulty while in action.

On the other hand, Islamabad United skipper Shadab Khan becomes the highest wicket taker of the event. He showed outstanding performance as bowler, fielder and skipper but lost today’s match.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022