HBL Pakistan Super League
\n LAHORE
\nUp until the 11th over, Karachi Kings were cruising; run-a-ball needed, eight wickets in hand, all set to consolidate their number-two spot in the HBL Pakistan Super League standings.
\nQuetta Gladiators \u2014 placed fifth \u2014 meanwhile, stayed in the hunt for a breakthrough. And when it finally came in the form of high-flying opener Tim Siefert\u2019s miscued a heave off pacer Mohammad Wasim caught by Rilee Rossouw at long-on in the 12th over, Gladiators ensured the Kings did not breathe again.
\nThe next five wickets fell in the space of 33 balls, as Quetta stole the match by five runs for only their second victory this season here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Friday night.
\nFollowing Seifert\u2019s ouster Shan Masood was the next to follow, with wicket-keeper Kusal Mendis taking a flying catch off Khurram Shahzad\u2019s bowling in the next over before a Quetta skipper Saud Shakeel\u2019s brilliant decision to place himself at first slip for Abrar Ahmed\u2019s leg-spin saw him take a simple catch to dismiss Khushdil Shah..
\nAbrar could have gone on to take yet another wicket on the very next ball had Wasim had held on to the ball after a diving attempt to take a catch off Mohammad Nabi\u2019s drive. But the Afghan veteran didn\u2019t stay on for too long, as Amir returned in the 16th to get him out.
\nKhurram returned in the 17th to see a DRS ruling confirm Abbas Afridi\u2019s lbw dismissal and Wasim took his second by trapping Omair Bin Yousuf before Faheem Ashraf\u2019s brilliant final over restricted Kings to 137-8 in pursuit of 142 \u2013 the lowest ever score defended in the PSL at the venue.
\nKings start to the chase was decent despite veteran pacer Mohammad Amir striking in the first over to dismiss Kings captain and opener David Warner.
\nSeifert and James Vince hit Kings\u2019 first two sixes off Khurram and Amir in the following couple of overs. Seifert drove Khurram for three more boundaries in the fourth over to put Kings in the driving seat.
\nVince smacked Wasim through the on-side and sliced the pacer through square as Kings crossed 50 in the powerplay Seifert cleared long-off and clobbered Faheem through the same region for a boundary in the eighth over. However, he saw Vince perish off Saud\u2019s left-arm spin in the next over as Kings reached 82-2 at the halfway stage before Siefert\u2019s wicket triggered a collapse..
\nEarlier, Gladiators were bundled out for 142 in 19.3 overs in a topsy-turvy first innings as Faheem\u2019s explosive 43 off 27 balls, including four fours and three sixes, propped up the total after early collapses and a shaky middle-order show.
\nOpener Saud kicked off proceedings with a stylish four off Mir Hamza\u2019s opening delivery, but Hasan Ali\u2019s (3-33) fiery second over turned the tide.
\nHe dismissed openers Saud and Finn Allen in quick succession, leaving Quetta at 8-2. Rossouw (10) briefly counterattacked with two boundaries, only to fall to Hasan, dragging one onto his stumps at 29-3 by the fourth over.
\nMendis (36 off 22) provided stability, stroking five boundaries, including a deft late cut and a flicked four. However, Nabi\u2019s arm ball accounted for Mark Chapman), reducing Quetta to 45-4 after six overs. Mendis and Hasan Nawaz (35 off 34) added 24 runs, but Mendis\u2019 aggressive knock ended when he miscued Abbas Afridi to James Vince at long-on, leaving Quetta at 69-5.
\nFaheem\u2019s arrival injected momentum. He and Hasan Nawaz added 59 for the sixth wicket, with Faheem smashing a six and a four off Hasan in a 19-run 15th over.
\nHis flicked six off Abbas further boosted Quetta past 100. Hassan Nawaz\u2019s gritty stand ended when he holed out to Vince off pacer Fawad Ali, and Hamza\u2019s wicket-maiden 18th over saw Wasim cleaned up by a perfect yorker and Amir caught by Warner.
\nFaheem\u2019s valiant effort was halted by a stunning one-handed catch from wicket-keeper Seifert off Abbas, and Khurram\u2019s run-out, via Hasan\u2019s direct hit, wrapped up the innings with a total good enough for them to win at the end.
\nSCOREBOARD
\nQUETTA GLADIATORS:
\nSaud Shakeel c Shan b Hasan 6
\nFinn Allen c Abbas b Hasan 0
\nRilee Rossouw b Hasan 10
\nKusal Mendis c Vince b Abbas 36
\nMark Chapman b Nabi 4
\nHasan Nawaz c Vince b Fawad 35
\nFaheem Ashraf c Seifert b Abbas 43
\nMohammad Wasim b Hamza 1
\nMohammad Amir c Warner b Hamza 0
\nKhurram Shahzad run out 1
\nAbrar Ahmed not out 2
\nEXTRAS (LB-2, NB-1, W-1) 4
\nTOTAL (all out, 19.3 overs) 142
\nFALL OF WICKETS: 1-7 (Saud), 2-8 (Allen), 3-20 (Rossouw), 4-44 (Chapman), 5-69 (Mendis), 6-128 (Hasan), 7-131 (Wasim), 8-131 (Amir), 9-139 (Faheem)
\nBOWLING: Hamza 4-1-24-2, Hasan 3.3-0-33-3 (1w), Nabi 4-0-21-1, Khushdil 1-0-12-0, Fawad 3-0-19-1 (1nb), Abbas 4-0-31-2
\nKARACHI KINGS:
\nDavid Warner c Rossouw b Amir 4
\nTim Seifert c Rossouw b Wasim 47
\nJames Vince c Rossouw b Saud 30
\nShan Masood c Mendis b Khurram 9
\nOmair Bin Yousuf lbw b Wasim 11
\nKhushdil Shah c Saud b Abrar 0
\nMohammad Nabi c Khurram b Amir 4
\nAbbas Afridi lbw b Khurram 0
\nHasan Ali not out 24
\nMir Hamza not out 3
\nEXTRAS (LB-3, NB-1, W-1) 5
\nTOTAL (for eight wickets, 20 overs) 137
\nDID NOT BAT: Fawad Ali
\nFALL OF WICKETS: 1-4 (Warner), 2-77 (Vince), 3-93 (Seifert), 4-96 (Shan), 5-97 (Khushdil), 6-102 (Nabi), 7-107 (Abbas), 8-115 (Omair)
\nBOWLING: Amir 4-0-25-2 (1w), Khurram 4-0-31-2, Abrar 4-0-15-1, Wasim 4-0-22-2, Faheem 2-0-30-0 (1nb), Saud 2-0-10-1
\nRESULT: Quetta Gladiators won by five runs.
\nPLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Faheem Ashraf<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HBL Pakistan Super League LAHORE Up until the 11th over, Karachi Kings were cruising; run-a-ball needed, eight wickets in hand, all set to consolidate their number-two spot in the HBL Pakistan Super League standings. Quetta Gladiators \u2014 placed fifth \u2014 meanwhile, stayed in the hunt for a breakthrough. And when it finally came in the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":475001,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-474981","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports"},"yoast_head":"\n