LAHORE: Peshawar Zalmi sent two-time league runners-up Quetta Gladiators crashing out of the third edition of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) in a nail-biting finish by one run before a lively crowd at the picturesque Gaddafi Stadium here on Tuesday night.

Fortunes fluctuated by the minute in the thrilling contest which saw Quetta all-rounder Anwar Ali nearly pulling it off for his team in the last over as he slammed three sixes off Zalmi spinner Liam Dawson but fell just one short to hand victory to Darren Sammy’s team.

Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi after being sent in to bat by Gladiators’ skipper Sarfraz Ahmad under overcast conditions and light drizzle, were off to a disastrous start as Quetta pacer Rahat Ali stunned them by clean bowling the PSL’s most successful batsman Kamran Akmal for a duck.

That was followed by cheap dismissal of Andre Fletcher, who had replaced Dwyane Smith, for just one as he was brilliantly lapped up by Thisara Perera at the boundary.

Pacer Sameen brought his side back into the match by dismissing Sarfraz and Nawaz in one over

But Peshawar recovered well through a brisk stand between Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Hafeez which took the score past 50. Hafeez, who looked aggressive from the word go, took three consecutive boundaries off Hamza and a towering six off emerging pacer Hassan Khan.

But the Quetta Gladiators again struck with two more wickets in quick succession to nullify the good work from Zalmis.

An exhilarating knock of 62 off just 35 balls by Dawson was laced with four sixes and six boundaries. Dawson and Umaid Asif crossed the 100-run mark in the 13th over but Zalmi then lost three quick wickets for just 23 runs and looked in deep trouble once again.

Dawson tried to lift the innings, plundering 21 runs in Perera’s over, hitting two sixes and as many boundaries, but Rahat had both Dawson and Sammy walking back to pavilion in quick succession to restrict Peshawar Zalmi to 157 all out.

The medium pacer was in fantastic form and returned brilliant figures of 4-16. Perera claimed two wickets for 24.

In reply, Quetta Gladiators, chasing a gettable target of 158, lost two quick wickets for just 17 as Hasan Ali fired on all cylinders to get rid of struggling Asad Shafiq and Kohler-Cadmore.

However, both Mohammad Nawaz and Sarfraz Ahmed, batting up the order, hit a flurry of boundaries all round to take the score to 80 for 2 and the Gladiators looked well on path to victory.

But it was pacer Sameen Gul’s turn to shock the rivals when in a lively burst he got rid of both Nawaz and Sarfraz in one over to severely dent Quetta victory hopes. Nawaz tried to use the long handle but fell short of clearing the boundary while skipper Sarfraz needlessly tried to pull Sameen and was easily caught by wicketkeeper Kamran.

A mini collapse then followed as Quetta lost four quick wickets and their hopes of entering the final almost vanished.

Requiring 25 runs in the last over with tailenders Anwar Ali and Mir Hamza on the crease, the Zalmi skipper Sammy handed the ball to spinner Dawson and soon had his heart in his mouth when all-rounder Anwar Ali slammed three sixes in four balls to raise hopes of thousands of Quetta fans in the stadium.

On the last ball, Quetta Gladiators needed just three to win and though Anwar again lofted Dawson for a big shot at the long-on area, it went straight to Umaid who dropped the catch but recovered in time to throw back the ball quickly to run out Hamza and restricting the Gladiators to156 for nine.

It was breathtaking end for Peshawar Zalmi who will now face Karachi Kings in the second eliminator on Wednesday here and the winner of that contest will play the final against Islamabad United in Karachi on March 25.

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Tamim Iqbal c K-Cadmore b Nawaz 27
Kamran Akmal b Rahat 0
A.D.S. Fletcher c Perera b Hamza 1
M. Hafeez b Mahmudullah 25
L.A. Dawson c Sarfraz b Rahat 62
Saad Nasim c Perera b Hassaan 9
Umaid Asif c Asad b Rahat 7
D.J.G. Sammy c Hamza b Rahat 2
Wahab Riaz b Perera 15
Hasan Ali c K-Cadmore b Perera 4
Sameen Gul not out 1

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-2, NB-1) 4
TOTAL (all out, 20 overs) 157
FALL OF WKTS: 1-9, 2-10, 3-54, 4-58, 5-86, 6-112, 7-137, 8-137, 9-156.
BOWLING: Mohammad Nawaz 4-0-21-1 (1w); Rahat Ali 4-0-16-4; Mir Hamza 3-0-34-1; Hassaan Khan 4-0-27-1; Mahmudullah 2-0-20-1 (1nb); Anwar Ali 1-0-14-0; Perera 2-0-24-2 (1w).

QUETTA GLADIATORS:

Asad Shafiq c Sammy b Hasan 0
T. Kohler-Cadmore c Kamran b Hasan 5
M. Nawaz c Umaid b Sameen 35
Sarfraz Ahmed c Kamran b Sameen 35
R.R. Rossouw c Hasan b Umaid 8
Mahmudullah b Umaid 19
N.L.T.C. Perera c sub b Wahab 12
Anwar Ali not out 28
Hassaan Khan c Kamran b Wahab 0
Mir Hamza run out 0

EXTRAS (LB-10, W-4) 14
TOTAL (for nine wkts, 20 overs) 156
FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-17, 3-80, 4-80, 5-116, 6-117, 7-132, 8-133
DID NOT BAT: Rahat Ali.
BOWLING: Hasan Ali 4-0-21-2 (1w); Sameen Gul 4-0-21-1 (1w); Wahab Riaz 4-0-26-2; Umaid Asif 4-0-26-2 (2w); Dawson 4-0-52-0.

RESULT: Peshawar Zalmi won by one run.
UMPIRES: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and Rashid Riaz (Pakistan).
TV UMPIRE: Ahmed Shahab (Pakistan).
MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees (Pakistan).
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Hasan Ali
SECOND ELIMINATOR: Karachi Kings vs Peshawar Zalmi (Lahore, Wednesday, 7:00pm PST).

Published in Dawn, March 21st, 2018