DUBAI: Sarfraz Ahmed stood out with a splendid innings while spurring Quetta Gladiators to the top of the HBL Pakistan Super League as they subjugated defending champions Peshawar Zalmi to a six-wicket defeat at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium here on Saturday night.

The result also sealed Lahore Qalandars’ fate and put them out of the playoff race despite having to play three more fixtures, including the one against Karachi Kings on Sunday night.

Lahore, who finally won their first match on Friday against Multan Sultans, cannot get into the top-four category even if they were to the remaining matches.

As it stands, Quetta surged to the top on superior net run-rate while leveling on 10 points with Islamabad United.

On the other hand, Peshawar now can’t afford to lose both games they are left to play with as Quetta made light work of the 158-run chase in 19.2 overs.

Sarfraz led from the front with an excellent 45 from 31 balls as the Pakistan captain shifted gears in the unbroken partnership of 74 in 46 deliveries with Rilee Rossouw (30 off 27 balls) after Shane Watson contributed a 21-ball 37 (six fours and one six) to cap a fine all-round effort since the former Australian all-rounder had earlier dismissed the dangerous Dwayne Smith and Liam Dawson.

“It was important not to lose more wickets and if we kept composure, I knew Quetta would win the match. Rilee batted with great commonsense to support me and realized the important of keeping his wicket intact,” Sarfraz told reporters in the post-match media briefing.

“Personally the onus was on me to make impact by taking the responsibility after we lost our top-four for 84. The pitch played well throughout and we adapted to the conditions better than Peshawar tonight.”

Sarfraz’s predictable mindset to field first whenever he had won the toss saw Peshawar kept in check for the best part of the innings.

The fireworks eventually came from the Darren Sammy as the captain blasted four fours and two sixes in making 36 from 19 balls, while sharing an unbroken partnership of 56 with Rikki Wessels (31) after champions were left wobbling at 101-5 midway through the 15th over.

Smith set the early pace by striking five sixes and one four in a breezy 33-ball contribution of 49.

But Peshawar needed more than 175 to stop Quetta in their tracks but were themselves foiled as Wahab Riaz told the media conference.

“We should have got close to 180 to put Quetta under pressure but having said that credit to Sarfraz and Rossouw for batting beautiful without taking undue risks,” the Pakistan fast bowler, who took 1-26, said.

“The pressure is on us to win the remaining matches and being the champions we will be all out to achieve our goal.”

Scoreboard

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Mohammad Hafeez c Watson b Laughlin 31
Kamran Akmal b Nawaz 0
D.R. Smith c Pietersen b Watson 49
M.H. Wessels not out 31
Khushdil Shah c Hassaan b Rahat 4
L.A. Dawson c Nawaz b Watson 2
D.J.G. Sammy not out 36

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-1) 4

TOTAL (for five wkts, 20 overs) 157

FALL OF WKTS: 1-5, 2-61, 3-89, 4-95, 5-101.

DID NOT BAT: Wahab Riaz, Umaid Asif, Hasan Ali, Mohammad Asghar.

BOWLING: Mohammad Nawaz 4-0-38-1; Anwar Ali 2-0-6-0; Laughlin 4-0-33-1; Hassaan Khan 2-0-21-0; Rahat Ali 4-0-30-1 (1w); Watson 4-0-26-2.

QUETTA GLADIATORS:

Asad Shafiq c Hafeez b Hasan 9
S.R. Watson c Kamran b Umaid 37
K.P. Pietersen c Kamran b Dawson 21
Rameez Raja c Sammy b Wahab 9
R.R. Rossouw not out 30
Sarfraz Ahmed not out 45

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-2, W-1) 7

TOTAL (for four wkts, 19.2 overs) 158

FALL OF WKTS: 1-30, 2-54, 3-69, 4-84.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Nawaz, Anwar Ali, Hassaan Khan, B. Laughlin, Rahat Ali.

BOWLING: Dawson 4-0-38-1; Umaid Asif 4-0-26-1 (1w); Hasan Ali 4-0-25-1; Wahab Riaz 4-0-26-1; Mohammad Asghar 3-0-32-0; Smith 0.2-0-5-0.

RESULT: Quetta Gladiators won by six wickets.

UMPIRES: R.T. Robinson (England) and Ahmed Shahab (Pakistan).

TV UMPIRE: Rashid Riaz (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: R.S. Mahanama (Sri Lanka).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sarfraz Ahmed.

Standings

(Tabulated under played, won, loss, no result, points, net run-rate):

Quetta Gladiators 8 5 3 0 10 +0.587

Islamabad United 7 5 2 0 10 +0.244

Karachi Kings 7 4 2 1 9 +0.217

Multan Sultans 9 4 4 1 9 -0.004

Peshawar Zalmi 8 3 5 0 6 +0.166

Lahore Qalandars 7 1 6 0 2 -1.278

*standings updated before start of Karachi Kings vs Lahore Qalandars match on Sunday night.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2018