QUETTA-Quetta Gladiators have defeated Peshawar Zalmi by three runs during the exhibition match in Quetta on Sunday.
Chasing 185 for victory, Zalmi were restricted to 181-7 in 20 overs. At the half-way mark, it seemed as if Zalmi would cruise to victory after reaching 109-1 in 10 overs. However, Quetta picked up wickets at regular intervals towards the backend of the innings to stall their opponent’s progress.
Opener Mohammad Haris, who played some stunning shots, top-scored with 53 runs in 35 balls. Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam scored 25 and 23 runs, respectively. Muhammad Hasnain was the pick of the bowlers for Quetta after bagging figures of 3-30 in four overs. Naseem Shah defended nine runs in the final over to get his side over the line.
Earlier, Iftikhar Ahmed scored an impressive fifty as Quetta Gladiators set Peshawar Zalmi a target of 185 runs. Zalmi’s captain Babar Azam had won the toss and decided to bowl first. Veteran pacer Wahab Riaz provided Zalmi with the perfect start by dismissing Ahsan Ali and Umar Akmal in the second over of the innings but Quetta fought back in the second half of the innings to post a competitive total on the board.
Iftikhar Ahmed smacked Riaz for six sixes in the final over of the innings to ensure that Quetta finished on a high. The right-hander remained unbeaten on 94 runs in 50 balls. Middle-order batter Khushdil Shah scored 36 runs in 24 balls, while opener Abdul Wahid Bangalzai scored 28 in 19. Quetta captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who could only score four runs, was cleaned up by Aamir Jamal. Riaz claimed three wickets but conceded 47 runs in his full quota of four overs.