Both teams played their fourth game of the tournament and before Quetta’s win both teams were with four points each from the three matches they have played so far but now Quetta is on the top of the point table. Jason Roy and Cutting powered Quetta Gladiators to win the match and beat Islamabad at their home ground.
The Defending champions Quetta Gladiators beats two-time champions Islamabad United in the ninth match of PSL at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.
In the previous 4 editions, Quetta was two times runner-up and now a defending champion. Out of 4, they were in final 3 times, on the other hand, Islamabad won the title two times but they have a losing record against Gladiators. In their 11 clashes, Islamabad lost 7 matches and won only 4.
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Match Summary
Quetta won the toss and opted to field first.
Luke Ronchi starts the inning with the bang and hits a 4 and 6 in first over of Sohail Khan but in second over the teenage sensation Naseem shattered the stumps and picked up two early wickets of Islamabad United. He bowled the dangerous luke Ronchi at 11 off 4 balls.
David Mallan was next who was bowled the same way as Ronchi this time he hits the middle stumps from a good length.
The other young pacer Muhammad Husnain sent back the set player Munro to pavilion, who already hits 3 six and 2 fours he was departed at 31 off 21 balls.
Powerplay end with 57/3 on board. Shadab and Ingram 76 runs partnership brings Islamabad back to the match but then skipper gone 39 runs by Muhammad Nawaz and Ingram completed his half-century but his 63 runs didn’t help Islamabad.
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Husnain could have had his 2nd wicket but Azam Khan dropped the easy catch and Islamabad was on 129/3 in 13th over.
Because of Naseem and Mills’s bowling after 15 over Islamabad lost the momentum and finished their innings at 187/7 in 20 overs and turned to be a too little score on this batting pitch.
A slow start by Quetta in 1st two overs then Roy hits a six and four and smashed 13 runs in an over to Roman Raees. At 41 Quetta lost his 1st wicket of Watson by Faheem Ashraf. Ahmad Shehzad came and hit 2 sixes before stumped by United skipper.
It was a breathless battle so far. By the end of 12 over Quetta was in trouble as they lost Roy’s wicket but Skipper Sarfraz brings back the momentum by hitting back to back boundaries and match goes down to the wire to a dramatic end.
Faheem Strikes again and took skippers wicket. 18th over changed the game. The required run-rate goes down at that time. Raees gets Cutting out but it’s a no-ball. Needing 11 runs off the last over and Ben Cutting hit two successive sixes to seal the victory with two balls to spare
Brief Score
Islamabad United 187/7, Ingram 63, Naseem 2-23
Quetta Gladiators190/5, Roy 50, Cutting 42*, Sarfaraz 33, Abdullah 2-17
Player of the Match
Ben Cutting declared as player of the match for his smashing innings.He pulls the defending champions on top of the table with three victories from four games and was unbeaten 42 off just 17 balls.
