Daily Times

SHARJAH: Sam Billings played a dazzling knock of 78 as Islamabad United defeated Quetta Gladiators by five wickets in their Pakistan Super League match at Sharjah Stadium here on Wednesday night. Billings’ innings was ably supported by Shane Watson, who scored 36, and assured United of their victory. In the first game of this season’s PSL at the Sharjah Stadium, Billings, the 25-year-old England batsman, combined clean timing with explosive power-hitting to keep his side on course throughout the chase. United crossed the 100 run mark in the 14th over while chasing a target of 149.

Watson’s out of the park sixer brought up the 100 for United, with Billings reaching his half-century soon after. United kept the pressure on Gladiators, but had lost three wickets by the end of the 11th over for a score of 72. Skipper Misbahul Haq was caught leg before on a ball by Hasan Khan when he tried to sweep the ball.

Billings was going strong at 40 and was joined by Watson on the crease after the skipper’s departure. The duo remained steady in their innings and kept hitting periodic boundaries.

Earlier, Gladiators made 148 after United bowlers displayed a fine spell and managed to restrict them under the 150 run mark. United won the toss and decided to field first. United’s bowling centred around 18-year old legspinner Shadab Khan, who was extremely difficult to read as he spun the ball sharply both ways.

Each of the bowlers bowled according to their strengths; Mohammad Sami consistently found the inswinging yorker – one of which accounted for Kevin Pietersen’s second successive golden duck – and Watson’s short deliveries and pace variations were just as hard to dispatch as they have been all tournament.

Gladiators’ innings never really took off as wickets fell regularly and the scoring rate stayed below seven for much of the first 15 overs, before a late partnership between Mahmudullah and Thisara Perera took them near 150. It was to be competitive, but not match-winning. This result means both Quetta and Islamabad now have two wins from three games. They occupy second and third position respectively on four points each, with Quetta ahead on net run rate.