Lahore Qalandars Beats Quetta Gladiators – in the 18th match of the Pakistan Super League’s (PSL) 2023 edition at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
Lahore Qalandars defeated Quetta Gladiators by 17 runs in the 18th match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight on Thursday at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore.
Quetta were restricted to 131-7 in 20 overs while chasing a target of 149 runs.
Yasir Khan and Will Smeed added 53 runs for the first wicket before the former was dismissed on the final delivery of the powerplay bowled by Haris Rauf after scoring 14 runs in 15 balls.
Rashid Khan, meanwhile, returned Smeed to the hut after trapping the batter in front of the stumps. In 25 pitches, the right-hander scored 32 runs.
.@rashidkhan_19 spins his way to trap Will Smeed plumb in front ????????️#HBLPSL8 | #SabSitarayHumaray | #LQvQG pic.twitter.com/srl0eLxf3b
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 2, 2023
Mohammad Hafeez (2) was run-out after Fakhar Zaman’s direct hit hit the stumps.
Rashid also secured the crucial wicket of Iftikhar Ahmed in his final over to put pressure on Quetta. Afghanistan’s leg-spinner finished with figures of 2-14 in four overs.
Martin Guptill, who had scored 15 runs in 20 balls, sent one straight down cow corner’s throat off the bowling of David Wiese.
With the required run-rate increasing, Quetta was unable to score boundaries at the tail end of the innings and continued to lose wickets.
Sarfaraz Ahmed finished unbeaten on 27 runs, but it took him 28 balls to get there.
Earlier, Sikandar Raza starred, scoring 71 unbeaten runs in 34 balls as Lahore set Quetta a 149-run target. In his explosive knock, the Zimbabwe cricketer hit eight fours and three sixes.
Lahore were dismissed for 148 in 19.2 overs after being asked to bat first.
After falling to 50-7 against the Quetta Gladiators, Lahore were in danger of being dismissed for less than 100 runs. Rashid Khan and Sikandar Raza, on the other hand, brought their team back into the game with a crucial fifty-run partnership.
Rashid was caught in the deep after scoring 21 runs in 20 balls, but not before he and Raza added 69 runs in 39 balls.
It should be noted that the Quetta bowlers got their team off to a flying start, reducing Lahore to 29-4 in the first powerplay.
Umaid Asif’s direct hit knocked out the in-form Fakhar Zaman (4). Mirza Tahir Baig (2) was also returned to the pavilion by Asif.
Meanwhile, after scoring two runs each, Sam Billings and Hussain Talat were dismissed by pacer Naveen-ul-Haq.
After losing early wickets, Qalandars hoped Abdullah Shafique would save the day, but the right-hander was bowled out by Nawaz after scoring 15 runs in 14 balls.
Lahore captain Shaheen moved up the batting order to number six and took the field. The experiment, however, did not produce the desired results, as Shaheen was run out after scoring run-a-ball 16.
Skipper gone! ☝️
Shaheen Afridi found short of his crease ❌#HBLPSL8 | #SabSitarayHumaray | #LQvQG pic.twitter.com/IIlo1czTsk
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 2, 2023
Nawaz took his second wicket after completing a straightforward caught and bowled to dismiss David Wiese (2).
Mohammad Hasnain, the fast bowler, was rested against Lahore due to ankle pain.
Meanwhile, debutants Naveen-ul-Haq, Umaid Asif, and Yasir Khan have made their debuts.
Squads
Quetta Gladiators: Yasir Khan, Martin Guptill, Will Smeed, Mohammad Hafeez, Sarfaraz Ahmed (wk/c), Iftikhar Ahmed, Mohammad Nawaz, Odean Smith, Umaid Asif, Naseem Shah, Naveen-ul-Haq
