LHQ vs PSZ 15th Match, PSL 2023

The English batter Tom Kohler-Cadmore, then joined forces with the young Ayub and the duo provided immediate acceleration to the innings. The right-left combination of Kohler-Cadmore and Ayub found boundaries at regular intervals and cruised the Zalmi scorecard to 63 after the powerplay. Rashid Khan was introduced to the attack after the field restrictions but Kohler-Cadmore encountered him with a couple of ferocious shots. 

The southpaw Ayub also took on spinners after the powerplay and both Rashid and Sikandar Raza were put under the pump by the duo. Kohler-Cadmore brought his half-century before being dismissed by Haris Rauf for 55(23), with 3 fours and 5 maximums to his credit. That was soon followed by the wicket of well-set Ayub, who departed for 51(34). The  91-run partnership did lay the foundation for the middle order but a couple of huge wickets of Bhanuka Rajapaksa 24(14) and Rovman Powell 20(15) handed complete momentum to Lahore. 

Eventually, the target proved too much for the visitors and Lahore Qalandars won their third game of the season quite comfortably. Skipper Shaheen Afridi kept taking wickets at regular intervals and bagged his five-wicket haul (5/40). Zaman Khan also chipped in with a couple of crucial wickets and Rashid Khan also clinched a wicket but the experienced spinner leaked 49 runs in his four-over stint. 

Earlier in the day, after winning the flip and electing to bat first, the Zalmi bowlers cashed in on the extra bounce available at the Gaddafi Stadium and distraught the batters with a hard length. Wahab Riaz drew first blood for the visitors by outwitting Mirza Tahir Baig 5(7) with some inward movement. Abdullah Shafique then got together with left-handed Fakhar Zaman but the ball kept lurking past the edge on a swift surface. Despite many stumbles, the left-right duo stitched 36 off the powerplay before Shafique stepped on the gas. 

Shafique used his feet exceptionally and went after the spinners after the conclusion of the powerplay while Fakhar was still biding his time at the crease. The duo cruised Lahore to 81/1 at the halfway stage and fairly leveled the contest after a rocky start. Shafique brought up his half-century thereafter and Fakhar too joined the onslaught. The 120-run partnership was ceased by Wahab Riaz by dismissing Shafique for 75(41), including 5 fours and 5 maximums. 

Zalmi probably anticipated a turnaround after the wicket of Shafique, however, Fakhar Zaman had other arrangements. The opening batter then joined forces with Sam Billings and went all guns blazing leaving no respite for the bowlers. The duo kept swatting the ball into the bleachers before Zaman 96(45), including 3 fours and a whopping 10 maximums, departed just at the stroke of his century. The gloveman Billings orchestrated a quick 47*(23) and took the Qalandars scorecard to a humongous total of 241/3. Stick around for the post-match presentation!