Lahore qalandar unexpectedly defeated the defending champion Quetta Gladiators in the 16th match of HBL PSL-V and claim their first victory of the season. Though they are still bottom of the point table with securing 2 points while Quetta slips from second to third with six points.
ALSO SEE: Live Broadcast – Watch PSL 5 online and on TV
Match summary
Batting first Qalandars set the target of 210 through the start of Qalandar’s was disastrous as they lost their openers wickets in early overs. Things look bleak for Lahore as Chris Lynn and Fakhar Zaman departed so early even the professor Hafeez faced a single ball and got caught at first slip by Watson.
Lahore in 10th over with a score of 63/3 then Duke and Samit Patel carried the innings through to the final over.
The match was in Quetta’s hand but suddenly in 14th over of the inning Duke broke the records of most sixes in an inning. In front of Duke and Patel Quetta’s bowling seems powerless as they hit almost on every ball and all of the sudden things changed for the defending champions.
155 runs partnership between Duke and Patel stunned everyone along with Quetta from 94/3 to 209/4 in seven over. Duke and Patel didn’t spare any bowler of Quetta and hit boundaries to each and every bowler.
Duke broke the record of most sixes in an innings of PSL and score 93 off 43 balls on the other Sumit Patel gave him huge support at that time and scores 70 off 41.
This is the best partnership and inning by middle order in PSL so far.
Ben cutting took the important wickets of Ben Dunk and Samit Patel but the damage has already done and Lahore end their innings at 209/5 in 20 overs.
Chasing the target of 210 Quetta started well as Shane Watson hit two sixes which seems dangerous but unfortunately got caught by Dunk and score 23 off 17.
Opener Jason Roy and Shane Watson fell relatively early, Ahsan Ali didn’t even cross the double-figure then skipper Sarfraz came to bat but couldn’t help his team to chase the score of 210. Sarfraz, Ahsan Ali, Azam Khan Nawaz all lost their wicket and not even cross the digits of 25. Nawaz scored 24 off 17.
Australian all-rounder, Ben cutting who helped Quetta in the previous match to win in the match against Islamabad is the only player who had been fighting till the end all on his own. All he is trying to do is to lower the margin of defeat.
ALSO READ: PSL vs IPL – Which one is the best – Most Popular Cricket League
He can take his side over the line if he was sent earlier in this situation but the player at number nine couldn’t help him the way Patel helped Dunk as the bowler does not have the powers like batsmen.
Ben Cutting scored 53 runs off 27 balls that includes 5 sixes and 3 fours. He tried his best in this match he smashed 27 runs in two overs that too to Shaheen Afridi and Faizan but the gap between the balls and runs was huge and an impossible task.
Salman Irshad was exceptional in this match as he sent back 4 batsmen to the pavilion with 30 runs.
Quetta all out at the score of 172/10 and Lahore won their first match by 37 runs.
Brief Score
Lahore Qalandar 209/5, Dunk 93, Patel 70, Cutting 2-36
Quetta Gladiators 172, Cutting 53, Nawaz 24, Salam 4-30
Player of the Match
Ben Dunk declared as Player of the Match for his exceptional performance and big-hitting with the ball which helped Lahore to registered their first win against Quetta Gladiator.
Quetta slipped to number three in the point table with six points while Lahore is still on bottom with two points. To be in the game Lahore needs to win all his coming up matches with a good margin.
