A disciplined bowling display combined with captain Babar Azam’s unbeaten half-century powered Peshawar Zalmi to a convincing eight-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators in the 23rd Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 match at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Wednesday.
The victory marked Zalmi’s sixth in seven matches and fifth consecutive after their washout against three-time champions Islamabad United in Lahore.
Set to chase a modest 155-run target, the leaders comfortably knocked the winning runs for the loss of just two wickets and nine balls to spare.
The leaders got off to a flamboyant start to the pursuit as their opening pair of Mohammad Haris and Babar put together 75 runs inside nine overs until the former was dismissed by Gladiators captain Saud Shakeel.
Haris remained a notable run-getter for Zalmi in the pursuit with a brisk 35 off 28 deliveries, featuring five fours and a six.
Following his dismissal, Babar joined forces with in-form Kusal Mendis (21), and the duo ensured retaining Zalmi’s momentum by knitting a 49-run partnership for the second wicket, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal off Alzarri Joseph in the 16th over.
Meanwhile, Babar held his ground firmly and eventually steered Zalmi over the line in the penultimate over, courtesy of an unbeaten 32-run partnership for the third wicket with Aaron Hardie, who made 18 not out from 14 deliveries.
The captain top-scored for Zalmi with an unbeaten 71 off 51 deliveries, studded with 10 fours.
For Gladiators, Joseph and skipper Saud could pick up a wicket apiece.
Zalmi captain Babar Azam’s decision to field first paid dividends as the previous edition’s runners-up could accumulate 154 all out in their 20 overs.
The Gladiators got off to a dismal start to their innings as their new opening pair of Ahsan Ali (four) and captain Saud Shakeel could yield only four runs as the former fell victim to Iftikhar Ahmed on the third delivery of the first over.
Shakeel then attempted to launch the Gladiators’ recovery alongside experienced Rilee Rossouw by putting together 35 runs for the second wicket until getting run out in the fifth over and walking back after scoring a 13-ball 16.
Rossouw was then involved in another crucial partnership for the Gladiators – a 29-run stand for the third wicket with Hassan Nawaz until eventually falling victim to Muqeem. He made 28 off 16 deliveries with the help of four fours.
Muqeem inflicted another setback to the Gladiators’ batting expedition in the 12th over as he got rid of Shamyl Hussain, who could score 12 off 10 deliveries.
With the scoreboard reading 86/4 in 11.4 overs, Nawaz raised a cautious 26-run partnership for the fifth wicket with Khawaja Nafay before both perished in successive overs and brought the total further down to 120/6 in 15.4 overs.
Nawaz remained the top-scorer for the Gladiators with a 35-ball 37, featuring four fours, while Nafay could muster 20 off 13 deliveries.
Later, Zalmi’s bowling attack ran through the Gladiators’ lower order and picked up the remaining four wickets for 34 runs in the remaining 26 deliveries despite Tom Curran’s valiant 15 off 10 deliveries.
Muqeem and Abdul Basit jointly led Zalmi’s bowling charge with three wickets each, but the former was more economical as he gave away just 25 runs in his four overs. Iftikhar, on the other hand, chipped in with one scalp.