Gladiators who was landed in the PSL6 with joints of Power Cricket Andre Russel and Faf Du plessis, when played without them against Peshawar Zalmi on Saturday. Miller, Kamran Akmal and Powell send Gladiator’s packing from HBL PSL6, who is on bottom of PSL6 points table with suffer of six matches out of seven they played.
Gladiator’s captain Sarfraz Ahmad who won the toss and decided to bowl first got early two wickets on 10 runs total, Haider Ali on the first ball of the match in the hands of Usman khan on the ball of Muhammad Nawaz (0/1), while Shoeb Malik in innings 3rd and Muhammad Nawaz’s 2nd over in tha hands of Zahir Khan (10/2), but after 25-run third wicket partnership off 73 balls between Kamran Akmal and David Miller set up a 61-run victory for Peshawar Zalmi over Quetta Gladiators that sent the 2019 champions packing from the HBL Pakistan Super League 6 at the Sheikh Zayed Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.
The 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi finished at 197 for five with Miller clobbering six fours and four sixes in a 46-ball 73 and Kamran contributing a well-constructed 37-ball 59 with six fours and two sixes.
Quetta Gladiators, who were without Andre Russell, suffered a devastating blow when Faf du Plessis suffered a concussion in a freak fielding accident after colliding with Mohammad Hasnain. Without two star batters, the 198-run target was always a herculean task for the Gladiators, who hobbled to 136 for nine after being 62 for no loss in the eighth over.
The match result meant Peshawar Zalmi joined Islamabad United on eight points from seven matches, while the defeat proved to be the end of the road for Quetta Gladiators who suffered their sixth loss in seven matches.
Lahore Qalandars sit on top of the points table with 10 points from six matches, while Karachi Kings are on six points and Multan Sultans on four points from six matches apiece.
Gladiators who made an impressive start in the must-win match by winning the toss and then restricting Zalmi to 10 for two, then 22-2 after six overs and 30 for two after seven overs.
But Miller changed gears in the eighth over and unleashed a brutal attack on Gladiators’ spinners Zahid Mahmood, Zahir Khan and Mohammad Nawaz with boundaries on regular intervals.
Kamran Akmal, followed Miller as the two switched Zalmi’s fourth highest partnership of 125 from 73 balls. With the highest score in the Abu Dhabi-leg of matches, Rovman Powell made sure that Zalmi reached 197 for five in 20 overs by slapping five sixes and a four in an electrifying 19-ball 43 not out. Zalmi, who were 67-2 after 10 overs and 141 for three after 15 overs, scored 39 runs in the last three overs, including 21 off the final over by Zahid Mahmood who finished with figures of 3-0-53-0.
As Andre Russell and du Plessis not available, Gladiators proved to be an easy job to done for the Zalmi, fast bowlers Mohammad Irfan and Umaid Asif, who bowled impressively on a good batting surface to restrict Gladiators to 136 for nine after being 62 for no loss.
Irfan returned figures of 4-0-27-3 in PSL6 and Umaid Asif finished with 3-0-17-2. Captain Wahab Riaz was the other wicket-taker with two for 20.
For the Gladiators, captain Sarfaraz Ahmed was the top scorer with 36 not out, while Saim Ayub, who was a concussion replacement for du Plessis, scored 35.
Previous Results
Islamabad United v Quetta Gladiators ( United won by 10 wickets)
Lahore Qalandars v Peshawar Zalmi (Lahore Qalandars won by 10 runs)
Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars (Lahore Qalandars won by 5 Wickets)
Karachi Kings v Multan Sultans (Multan Sultans won by 12 runs)
Today, 13 June – Islamabad United v Lahore Qalandars;
Multan Sultans v Peshawar Zalmi.
Monday, 14 June – Islamabad United v Karachi Kings.
