KARACHI: Rovman Powell and James Neesham sparkled with bat as Peshawar Zalmi outplayed Quetta Gladiators by four wickets in the eighth edition of the Pakistan Super League at National Bank cricket Arena here on Monday evening. Chasing a modest victory target of 155, Peshawar raced home for the loss of six wickets in 18.3 overs. A breezy opening partnership between Mohammad Haris and Babar Azam and solid contributions in the middle order from Rovman Powell and Jimmy Neesham made it seem like a cakewalk in the end as Quetta faced their second defeat in three matches. Twenty-one-year-old Haris set the run chase on fire in the second over by spanking Mohammad Nawaz for consecutive fours on the first three balls, and Babar stroked him for another four on the fifth ball as Peshawar gathered 17 runs, and had 29 runs on board by the end of the over. Mohammad Hasnain – who was splendid with his lengths and finished with remarkable figures for three for 13 in four – turned the tables with back-to-back dismissals of Haris and Saim Ayub. The right-arm fast struck again in the next with the wicket of Tom Kohler-Cadmore as Peshawar slipped to 47 for three.
After a two-over-long lull, Babar was plumb off Nawaz, and as Quetta started to believe, Jimmy Neesham turned the tide with a four and a six off his first two balls. He added 46 with Powell (36 off 23) that weathered the storm before Naseem Shah bowled the West Indian in the 13th over. Neesham took on the attack and clubbed Qais Ahmed for a six and two fours in the 15th to reduce the number of runs required than the balls remaining. Though he was out in that over, Neeshan, who was named the player of the match later, had done enough for Wahab Riaz and Dasun Shanaka to take Peshawar over the line. Naseem, who after giving away eight in the first over finished with one for 19 in four, and Hasnain bowled beautifully in the next two overs. Naseem allowed only two
in the 16th – one of them being a leg-bye – and Hasnain delivered the 17th a maiden.
When Shanaka dispatched Smith for a boundary in the 18th that pretty much settled the game. Peshawar needed seven off the last two overs, and Wahab finished the game by hitting Nawaz, who had a forgettable outing and returned 48 for one from 3.3 overs, for consecutive fours through covers.
Earlier, it was a fighting 50 not out off 34 – comprising four sixes and two fours – by Iftikhar Ahmed that took Quetta to a respectable score of 154 for four after a poor start from the openers. It took 11 balls for Quetta to get their first score and they could muster only 28 runs in the Powerplay, which concluded with the wicket of Martin Guptill (12 off 16). It took only six more legal deliveries before Peshawar had another scalp – this time of the second opener, Jason Roy (14 off 23). Usman Qadir, playing his first match of the PSL 8, bowled beautifully and deceived the right-hander with a googly,
after setting him up
with consecutive leg-break deliveries, to rattle his stumps. The leg-spinner struck again in his next over, this time trapping Mohammad Nawaz right in front, to leave the batting side struggling at 37 for three at 8.3 overs mark.
Peshawar had to wait, and wait for a long time, for their next wicket as Iftikhar and Sarfaraz Ahmed staged a brilliant recovery with a 74-run stand. Sarfaraz, who made 39 off 30, displayed why he is so good against the spin bowling as he smoked Usman for two fours – albeit after a reprieve – in the 15th. He had dispatched Dasun Shanaka for two consecutive fours at the start of the last over, that ended with Iftikhar clubbing him for a big six. Sarfaraz was bowled off an Arshad Iqbal yorker in the 17th after Iftikhar hit him for a four and a six earlier in the over. The dismissal brought Odean Smith in the middle and that played in the batting side’s favour. The West Indian all-rounder scored a brisk 25 not out off 12 – hitting four fours, three of which were off Jimmy Neeshan in the 18th, and a six, as Quetta gathered 66 in last five.
Brief scores:
Quetta Gladiators 154-4, 20 overs (Iftikhar Ahmed 50 not out, Sarfaraz Ahmed 39, Odean Smith 25 not out; Usman Qadir 2-26) vs Peshawar Zalmi 157-6, 18.3 overs (Jimmy Neesham 38, Rovman Powell 36; Mohammad Hasnain 3-13)
Player of the match – Jimmy Neesham (Peshawar Zalmi).