LAHORE: Captain Babar Azam’s half-century and a clinical bowling performance by their pacers helped Peshawar Zalmi beat Lahore Qalandars by seven wickets in the 14th game of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Peshawar Zalmi chased down the modest target of 130 in the 17th over, with Babar Azam scoring his 36th fifty in PSL career.
Peshawar Zalmi got off to disastrous start and were reeling at 7-2 as opener Saim Ayub and Tom Kohler-Cadmore were removed by Shaheen Shah Afrid and Haris Rauf respectively in first two overs.
Mohammad Haris led the charge after an early hiccup with Babar as they posted 40 at the end of the fourth over.
Shaheen Afridi dismissed Haris on the last ball of the fourth over as he scored a spirited 20 runs off 16 balls, including two sixes in that same over.
The match was neck and neck at 40-3 in the fifth over, but Babar Azam and Hussain Talat turned the tide in Qalandars’ favor with a crucial 93-run partnership.
The pair displayed calm and composed batting, surpassing the 100-run mark in the 14th over. They remained unbeaten, guiding their team to victory. Babar Azam notched up 56* off 42 balls, hitting seven fours and a six, while Hussain Talat contributed 51* off 37 balls, smashing five fours and a six.
Earlier after being asked to bat first, Lahore Qalandars were bundled out for 129 in the 20th over as no other batter except Sikandar Raza really got going.
The new opening pair did not work for the home team as Asif Ali and Fakhar Zaman were removed inside the first two overs.
Fakhar Zaman was the first to go after scoring 10 off 8 balls, followed by Asif Ali who was trapped in front of Luke Wood’s bowling after scoring 4 off 6 balls.
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Abdullah Shafique also failed to open his account, while Daryl Mitchell could only manage to score 2 off three deliveries.
Qalandars were reeling at 67-7 in 10.5 overs. However, it was Sikandar Raza’s determined innings that took them to a fighting total.
Sikandar forged a vital partnership with Haris Rauf to lift the home team out of trouble, taking the score above the 100-run mark in the 15th over. Rauf was dismissed after scoring 10 off 14 balls with the help of one four.
Sikandar Raza continued to score runs and was eventually dismissed on the first ball of the penultimate over. His brisk 52 runs off 37 deliveries included three sixes and five fours.
For Peshawar Zalmi, Alzarri Joseph starred with the ball with a three-wicket haul. Luke Wood and Hussain Talat supported him well with two wickets each. Ali Raza and Arif Yaqoob also picked up a wicket each.
Playing XIs
Peshawar Zalmi: Saim Ayub, Babar Azam (c), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Mohammad Haris (wk), Hussain Talat, Mitchell Owen, Abdul Samad, Alzarri Joseph, Luke Wood, Arif Yaqoob, and Ali Raza.
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Daryl Mitchell, Sam Billings (wk), Asif Ali, Sikandar Raza, Rishad Hossain, Haris Rauf, Asif Afridi, Mohammad Azab, and Shaheen Shah Afridi (c).
The 10th edition of the PSL 10 kicked off on April 11 and will run till May 18.
The six-team tournament will consist of 34 matches with Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium hosting 13 matches, including the two Eliminators and the final.
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium will host 11 PSL 10 matches, including the first Qualifier on May 13, while Multan Cricket Stadium will host five matches.
Karachi’s National Bank Stadium has hosted five games of the ongoing edition.
