Peshawar Zalmi defeated the Quetta Gladiators quite convincingly on Friday night at Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi, becoming the second team to qualify for the PSL 9 playoffs. Quetta were dismissed for just 120 in 17.5 overs as Peshawar Zalmi easily defended their 196 total with their bowling attack. Peshawar Zalmi also made history by becoming the only team to make it to the playoffs in each of the PSL’s nine seasons.
Toss update and pitch report
The surface of Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium is ideal for batting since the ball falls onto the bat with ease. In the past, stroke players have performed admirably here.
On this surface, spinners have had greater success because of the turn and bounce that is present, but fast bowlers must mix their line well to succeed. The Quetta Gladiators won the toss and elected to field first.
Peshawar Zalmi set the stage for a big total
Quetta Gladiators put Peshawar Zalmi to bat first, and they got off to an amazing start. Following the bowling of Mohammad Amir for just one run in the opening over, Babar Azam and Saim Ayub went on the rampage, scoring 46 off 22 for the first wicket stand.
Saim hit two straight sixes and a four to take on Sohail Khan in the fourth over. After Saim edged one to Abrar Ahmed at short third on the fourth delivery, the right-arm fast bowler took revenge.
Babar and Muhammad Haris shared a second-wicket partnership that produced 47 off of 25 runs when they batted together. When Babar faced Mohammad Hasnain in the fifth over, he was struck for three boundaries. Zalmi was 70-1 at the end of the powerplay, looking formidable.
Haris was out at the end of the eighth over as Rilee Rossouw hit the perfect throw at the non-striker’s end. Shortly after, Haseebullah was dismissed by Abrar after walking back for a run-a-ball six. The following batter, Tom Kohler-Cadmore, made his presence known by hitting two straight fours against Hasnain.
Peshawar Zalmi put up a massive total despite of Akeal Hosein’s hat-trick
Abrar gave up 19 runs in the 12th over after hitting three fours and a six, while Babar reached his fourth PSL 9 half-century with a boundary on the final ball. The 36-run fourth-wicket stand came to an end when Akeal Hosein trapped Babar leg-before in the next over.
Then, in 13.4 overs, Saud Shakeel trapped Cadmore at long-on, taking Peshawar Zalmi to 147-5. As he bowled the 16th over and dismissed Aamer Jamal, Mehran Mumtaz, and Luke Wood to end Zalmi’s innings, Hosein claimed the first hattrick of the HBL PSL 9.
Rovman Powell and Naveen-ul-Haq’s undefeated stand for the ninth wicket, which produced 39 runs, contributed a great deal to aid Zalmi’s recovery from the earlier loss. In the last over, Powell faced Amir and struck three fours, leading Zalmi to 196-8 in 20 overs.
With four wickets at a cost of just 23 runs, Hosein was Quetta’s best bowler. Abrar, Hasnain, and Sohail each had one wicket.
Quetta Gladiators kept losing wickets at intervals after a good start from the openers
In the process of chasing 197, Saud Shakeel and Jason Roy also set up an opening stand early in the game that matched Zalmi’s 46 runs.
Playing in his debut PSL 9 match, Khurram Shahzad was greeted with two boundaries in his opening over. Saud took Quetta to 45 in four overs when he struck Naveen for a four and two sixes in the next over.
After Mehran was added to the attack during the powerplay, Khurram defeated Saud at short third, giving Peshawar the first edge that led to Quetta’s collapse. Roy left the field on the following over as well, and Quetta ended the powerplay at 56-2.
In the eighth over, Saim once again put Quetta in a difficult situation by bowling a double-wicket over that only managed one run, with Khawaja Nafay and Rossouw both falling without making much of an impact on the scoreboard.
Peshawar Zalmi easily clinch a win after dismissing the lower order of the Gladiators
In the eleventh over, Laurie Evans did not perform well with bat either, being caught at long-on to cause Quetta further issues.
In his first PSL 9 match, Omair bin Yousuf scored 21 runs with Hosein for a sixth-wicket stand. However, they were both bowled out in successive overs by Naveen and Wood, respectively.
With the aid of three boundaries, Amir scored 13 off eight, but Saim caught him at midwicket, giving Mehran his second wicket. The Gladiators were bowled out for just 120 runs, giving Peshawar Zalmi the victory by 76 runs, as Khurram came back to dismiss the final two batters in the the 18th over.
Two wickets were taken by Mehran, Khurram, Saim, and Wood, and one wicket was removed by Naveen and Jamal each.
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