PSL 2017, Match 11, Review: KP storm blows away Lahore Qalandars in run fest

The Quetta Gladiators were up against the Lahore Qalandars in the 11th match of PSL 2017. The Gladiators had to settle down with shared points yesterday as their match against Peshawar Zalmi was washed out after an innings play. The Qalandars, on the other hand, came into the match on a winning note. They had narrowly beaten the Karachi Kings in their previous encounter on Thursday. Coming into the game, the Quetta skipper Sarfraz Ahmed won the toss and had no hesitation in bowling first. This has been the trend in the PSL this year. Most teams prefer chasing.

The Gladiators did not include Tymal Mills in their lineup yet again and played with the same squad that played against Peshawar yesterday. Kevin Pietersen, Rilee Rossouw, Mahmudullah and Thisara Perera were their four overseas players. The Lahore Qalandars dropped Grant Elliott from the playing eleven and fielded Cameron Delport in his place. The other three overseas players were Brendon McCullum, Sunil Narine and Jason Roy.

Fakhar Zaman walked in to open the innings with Jason Roy for the Lahore Qalandars. Zaman continued his good run and looked in supreme touch after having scored a fifty in his previous game. Roy batted the way he is renowned to bat. The combination proved to be disastrous for the bowling line up of the Gladiators. Both batsmen freely hit their shots and piled up 75 runs in the powerplay. They raked up runs at will and added 77 runs in 40 deliveries for the first wicket.

Roy was the first man to be dismissed. But his quick 27-ball 51 studded with 6 fours and 3 fours was enough to give an ideal launchpad to the Qalandars. Umar Akmal joined Zaman at the crease but could not do much yet again. He was dismissed cheaply on 17 (14) by Hasan Khan, who had earlier dismissed Roy too. In walked another in-form batsman, Mohammad Rizwan.

Rizwan lost the support of Zaman soon but continued to bat along as Qalandars were set for a big total. Zaman’s 31-ball 47 with 6 fours and a six ended when  Zulfiqar Babar had him caught by Ahmed Shehzad in the 14th over. Cameron Delport came in at number 5. Rizwan and Delport then added an unbeaten 77 for the fourth wicket in just 41 deliveries to see the Qalandars post a sizeable 200/3 in their 20 overs.

The run chase for Quetta Gladiators began with an oddity this time. Saad Nasim opened the innings with Ahmed Shehzad. The move did not work as both openers fell cheaply on the day. Nasim was the first to go on 5 in the 3rd over after being dismissed by Sohail Tanvir. In the 5th over, Mohammad Irfan cleaned up Shehzad on 15. The early departure of the two openers saw Kevin Pietersen and Rilee Rossouw take center stage with the bat.

Rossouw provided a blitz his 18-ball 33 (3 sixes and 2 fours) but was stalled by Irfan in 10th over. Thisara Perera perished soon after and at 89/4 in 10.5 overs, nobody gave the Gladiators a chance. Sarfraz Ahmed joined KP at the crease. Amidst all this, KP steadily moved towards his fifty. The action began soon after that. At one stage, Quetta Gladiators needed 112 runs in 67 deliveries. It was right then when the Englishman started to use the long handle.

He smashed the Qalandars bowlers to all parts as the face of the scorecard turned in the favor of the Gladiators. KP was well assisted by Sarfraz’s 25-ball 45 that was embellished with 3 fours and as many sixes. Both batsmen added 101 runs in just 45 deliveries to get their side couple of shots away from the win. Anwar Ali came and smashed 12 off just 3 deliveries to seal the match for Quetta.

In the end, the real hero was KP, who remained unbeaten on a brutal 88 off mere 42 balls with 3 fours and 8 towering maximums. The Quetta Gladiators chased the target in just 18.5 overs with 5 wickets in hand.

Brief Scores:

Lahore Qalandars: 200/3 in 20 overs (Roy 51, Zaman 47; Hasan 2/28)

Quetta Gladiators: 202/5 in 18.5 overs (Pietersen 88*, Sarfraz 45; Tanvir 2/47, Irfan 2/48)