Rilee Rossouw’s anchoring half-century, supported by a disciplined bowling display, powered Quetta Gladiators to a commanding 61-run win over Rawalpindi in the 18th match of the Pakistan Super League at the National Bank Stadium on Friday.
Set to chase a daunting 184-run target, Pindiz’s batting unit faltered and could yield 121 before getting booked in 17.3 overs.
Emerging all-rounder Saad Masood waged a lone battle for the Pindiz and remained their top-scorer with a brisk 19-ball 31, followed by experienced middle-order batter Daryl Mitchell, who made a cautious 30 off 32 deliveries.
Besides them, only Yasir Khan and Abdullah Fazal could amass double figures, making 22 and 20, respectively.
Usman Tariq, Jahandad Khan and captain Saud Shakeel jointly led the Gladiators’ bowling charge with two wickets each, while Kashif Bhatti and Abrar Ahmed chipped in with one scalp apiece.
Put into bat first, the previous edition’s runners-up accumulated 182/6 in their 20 overs, setting a daunting target for the debutants to taste their maiden victory in the ongoing eight-team tournament.
The Gladiators, however, got off to a shaky start to their innings as they lost debutant opener Sam Harper (eight) on the first delivery of the fourth over with just 22 runs on the board.
Following the early setback, Rossouw joined captain Saud Shakeel in the middle, and the duo batted sensibly to stabilise the innings with an anchoring 87-run partnership for the second wicket.
Mubasir Khan, who was slotted into the Pindiz’s lineup as a partial replacement of pacer Naseem Shah, broke the crucial partnership in the 15th over by dismissing Rossouw, who remained their top-scorer with a 42-ball 53, studded with six fours and a six.
Saud followed suit in the next over, falling victim to Ben Sears, and walked back after scoring an important 42 off 39 deliveries, comprising three fours.
Experienced Mohammad Amir inflicted two more blows to the Gladiators’ batting expedition by dismissing Khawaja Nafay and Bevon Jacobs in his successive overs and thus brought the total down to 156/6 in 16.2 overs.
But middle-order batter Hasan Nawaz added valuable runs to the Gladiators’ total at the backend with a blazing 39 off just 16 deliveries, studded with five sixes, until eventually falling victim to Ben Sears in the final over.
Nawaz was supported by Jahandad Khan at the backend as the all-rounder contributed with an unbeaten 21 off just six deliveries, hitting two sixes and as many fours.
Sears was the pick of the bowlers for the Pindiz, taking three wickets for 41 runs in his four overs, followed by experienced Amir, who bagged two, while Mubasir could claim one.