Haris Rauf Picks 3-Fer As Lahore Qalandars Beat Quetta Gladiators By 17 Runs In PSL 8
Lahore Qalandars have strengthened their top spot on the points table while Quetta Gladiators have conceded their 5th loss in 6 matches.
Chasing 149 runs to win, Quetta Gladiators were given a good start by opener Will Smeed, who scored 32 runs in 25 balls with 6 boundaries. His partner Yasir Khan contributed with 14 runs, before he was dismissed by Haris Rauf on the last ball of the powerplay. Gladiators managed 53 runs in the first 6 overs.
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Will Smeed was dismissed in the next over by Rashid Khan, while Martin Guptill, batting at #3, managed 15 runs from 20 balls. The rest of the middle order failed to step up apart from captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who remained unbeaten on 27 runs in 28 balls.
For Lahore Qalandars, Haris Rauf picked up 3 wickets while Afghan spinner Rashid Khan picked up 2 wickets for 14 runs in 4 overs. David Wiese also registered a wicket while captain Shaheen Afridi went wicket-less.
In the first innings, after a disappointing start with the bat, Lahore Qalandars were carried to 148/10, courtesy of Sikandar Raza's fifty, against Quetta Gladiators in the 18th match of Pakistan Super League 2023. Quetta Gladiators now need to chase down 149 runs in 20 overs to register their second win of PSL 8.
Qalandars received a massive blow as their in-form opener Fakhar Zaman was sent back to the pavilion courtesy of an excellent direct hit by Umaid Asif. Asif dismissed Mirza Tahir Baig (2) in the 3rd over.
Qalandars lost two more wickets inside the powerplay in the form of Sam Billings (2) and Hussain Talat (6). Abdullah Shafique looked good in his 14-ball stay but couldn't go big. Shaheen Afridi promoted himself to #6 and scored 16 runs, while Sikandar Raza remained the top scorer with an unbeaten 71 runs in 34 balls with 8 fours & 3 sixes while batting at #7.
Rashid Khan also contributed with a 20-ball-21 run knock as Lahore Qalandars managed 148 runs in 19.2 overs before losing 10 wickets. For Gladiators, Naveen-ul-Haq and Mohammad Nawaz grabbed 2 wickets each while Naseem Shah, Odean Smith and Umaid Asif managed 1 wicket each.
Earlier, Quetta Gladiators captain Sarfaraz Ahmed won the toss & opted to bowl first against Lahore Qalandars in the 18th match of Pakistan Super League 2023. This match was played at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore.
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