Match Details
So that’s that and it’s the Lahore Qalandars that have secured a win by 17 runs after restricting the Quetta Gladiators for 131/7 from 20 overs of play.
Bowling first, the Gladiators got off to a dream start as they scalped four quick wickets for just 28 runs. The momentum remained largely in favour of Quetta for the first 10 overs as they bagged seven wickets for a meager 50.
At one stage it seemed like the Quetta Gladiators will have an easy target to chase but that’s when things took a major shift as Sikandar Raza and Rashid Khan got into the attack. The dynamic duo contributed to a significant 69 run stand from the next six overs.
Rashid Khan accumulated 21 (20), whereas, Sikandar Raza played one of the knocks of the season courtesy his unbeaten 71 (34)*. Raza’s innings consisted of eight fours and three sixes while batting at a strike rate of 208.82.
The Zimbabwe international single handedly dragged the Qalandars to a fighting total of 148. For Quetta, it was Mohammad Nawaz who stood out with the ball as he bowled a spell of 2/19 from three overs. Naveen ul Haq also chipped in with two wickets, whereas, Naseem Shah, Odean Smith and Umaid Asif picked up a wicket each.
Talking about the second innings, the run chase kicked-off in a fairly positive manner as the opening duo of Yasir Khan 14 (15) and Will Smeed 32 (25) contributed to a 53-run partnership from the first six. Both sets of batters then had to walk back to the dugout as Haris Rauf and Rashid Khan picked up the wickets in quick succession. Martin Guptill 15 (23) got caught in Wiese’s spell, while Mohammad Hafeez 2 (7) was run out by Fakhar Zaman.
The skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed 27 (28)* did try to put up a fight but he was unable to shift gears which eventually led to the Lahore Qalandars earning their fourth win on the bounce.
Shaheen Afridi didn't have his best days with the ball but his bowlers did take the onus of suffocating the Quetta batters for runs. Haris Rauf was the wrecker in chief as he bowled a spell of 3/22 from the four overs. Rashid Khan being his usual self didn’t make life easy for the batsmen either courtesy his spell of 2/14 from four overs.
Considering the emphatic start Sarfaraz’s men had with the ball, this defeat will certainly hurt the Gladiators as they remain right at the bottom of the points table, whereas, the Qalandars certainly displayed as to why they're the favourites to lift the title!