LAHORE - Opener Ahmad Shehzad struck a solid half century and leg-spinner Fawad Ahmed took three crucial wickets to guide Quetta Gladiators to a convincing 43-run win over defending champions Islamabad United in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday, the last match of the UAE-leg of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2019.

Quetta were helped to 180-9 by a brisk 46-ball 73 from Shehzad -- his second successive fifty in HBL PSL 4 -- but apart from that none of the Quetta batsmen could score big. Pakistan born Australian Fawad then chipped in with 3-26 to halt Islamabad to 137-9 in 20 overs to ensure Quetta’s seventh win in nine games, assuring them of a top two finish in the league. They are currently placed at the top of the six teams table.

Luke Ronchi was top scorer for Islamabad with blistering 43-ball 64 studded with three sixes and seven boundaries but at the end that was not enough. Peshawar, 12 points in nine matches, are in the second position in the points table. The defeat leaves twice winners Islamabad in a spot of bother with eight points in nine games (five defeats and four wins) as they are placed third. Karachi are fourth with eight points (four wins and four losses in eight matches).

Lahore are in the relegation zone currently occupying the fifth spot having registered just six points in eight games. They have lost five matches and won three out of eight while Multan Sultans are sixth with just four points in nine games (seven defeats and two wins).

Chasing a daunting nine an over on a tough Sheikh Zayed Stadium pitch, Islamabad raced to 62 without loss in the ninth over when wickets started to fall. Fawad had Cameron Delport stumped by Sarfraz Ahmed for 25 that came off 24 balls with four boundaries.

Two more wickets fell in the space of three runs, Fawad bowled Phil Salt (two) and from the other end Mohammad Nawaz had Asif Ali for zero. Ronchi and Samit Patel (14) added 35 but young fast bowler Mohammad Hasnain - who took 2-32 -- claimed Patel and Faheem Ashraf in the same over.

In between Fawad had Ronchi caught off a miscued drive to end Islamabad’s hopes. It was Shehzad who anchored Quetta’s innings. Shehzad, who lost his place in the Pakistan team last year, cracked nine boundaries and a six in his knock during which he first put 38 for the second wicket with Azam Khan who made 12 and another 46 with Rilee Rossouw who made 23 with two boundaries and six.

Umar Akmal scored 17-ball 27 with three sixes and a boundary but Quetta lost seven wickets for 82 runs which stopped them from scoring 200 plus. Islamabad pacer Faheem Ashraf bowled with bite as he took 4-18 in his three overs while Amad Butt grabbed 3-40 to dismantle Quetta.

Earlier, a spirited knock of 59 from former Pakistan skipper Misbah-ul-Haq and 46 from double Twenty20 World Cup winning West Indian skipper Darren Sammy helped Peshawar Zalmi to chase down 125-run target from a struggling position of 20-5 against Lahore Qalandars. The league will  now shift to Karachi for the last eight matches, including the play-offs and the final -- from March 9. Quetta Gladiators beat Islamabad by 43 runs in HBL PSL.

Scorecard

QUETTA GLADIATORS:
S Watson c Faheem b Patel 15
Ahmed Shehzad c Shadab b Amad 73
Azam Khan c Ronchi b Faheem 12
R Rossouw c Rizwan b Zafar 23
Umar Akmal b Amad 27
D Bravo c Patel b Faheem 0
Sarfaraz Ahmed c Amad b Faheem 1
Mohammad Nawaz not out 15
Sohail Tanvir c Ronchi b Faheem 0
Fawad Ahmed c Ronchi b Amad 0
M Hasnain not out 0
EXTRAS: (lb2, w12) 14
TOTAL: (9 wkts; 20 overs) 180
FOW: 1-24, 2-62, 3-108, 4-152, 5-162, 6-163, 7-164, 8-164, 9-165
BOWLING: S Patel 4-0-33-1, Shadab Khan 3-0-35-0, M Sami 2-0-15-0, Faheem Ashraf 3-0-18-4, C Delport 1-0-9-0, Amad Butt 4-0-40-3, Zafar Gohar 3-0-28-1
ISLAMABAD UNITED:
L Ronchi c Watson b Fawad 64
C Delport st Sarfaraz b Fawad 25
P Salt b Fawad 2
Asif Ali b M Nawaz 0
S Patel c Sarfaraz b Hasnain 14
Rizwan Hussain b Bravo 7
Faheem Ashraf c Tanvir b Hasnain 2
Shadab Khan c Bravo b Tanvir 8
Amad Butt c Shehzad b Tanvir 0
Zafar Gohar not out 9
M Sami not out 1
EXTRAS: (lb4, w1) 5
TOTAL: (9 wkts; 20 overs) 137
FOW: 1-62, 2-64, 3-65, 4-109, 5-109, 6-111, 7-125, 8-126, 9-134
BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir 4-0-19-2, M Nawaz 4-0-27-1, D Bravo 4-0-29-1, M Hasnain 4-0-32-2, Fawad Ahmed 4-0-26-3
TOSS: Islamabad
PLAYER OF THE MATCH: Ahmed Shehzad
UMPIRES: Richard Illingworth, Rashid Riaz
TV UMPIRE: Shozab Raza
MATCH REFEREE: M Javed

Points Table

TEAM M W L T P NRR

QG 9 7 2 0 14 0.423
PZ 9 6 3 0 12 0.566
IU 9 4 5 0 8 -0.139
KK 8 4 4 0 8 -0.459
LQ 8 3 5 0 6 -0.304
MS 9 2 7 0 4 -0.145