Lahore: Quetta Gladiators sealed a place in the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) with a 30 -run clinical victory over Islamabad United in the qualifier here at the Gaddafi stadium on Wednesday, thanks to the brilliant contributions of Dineh Chandimal, Faheem Ashraf and Usman Tariq.
It was a victory of the statement for the gladiators, who entered the match against the defenders such as the toppers of the league stage and the side led by Saud Shakeel barely felt the heat of the great occasion.
After having published 209-5, thanks to what turned out to be a winning association of the match between Chandimal and Faheem, Gladiators never let United escape with the game when Usman took three WICKETS.
Pursuing the great total, United, who will now face the winners of the first eliminator between Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars, ran on his way to 45-1 in the power game, with the first game Alex Hales playing the rhythm of Faheem in his early stumps in the entries.
Rassie van der Dussen incoming responded to the beginning slowly when he raised two six stations on Faheem’s head over the seventh time. The South African was after the Mohammad Wasim Jr pacemaker for two cracking limits in the ninth, but was discouraged by a mortal Yorker.
The gladiators were 94-2 in the middle of the stage after Salman Ali Agha and Sahibzada Farhan hit a four and six respectively in the tenth. Just after mentioning his half century in 33 balls, Farhan threw the turn of Usman Tariq to Khawaja Nafay in Leg Square.
As the pressure on United, Captain Shadab, who had Usman from a slog-SwepT for a six on the Midwet, stunned for a single hand capture for his Saud counterpart, who jumped into the air to intercept the ball after the ball had cut off Spinner Ahmed.
Faheem then returned to Bamboozle, the incoming James Neesham with an attachment that took the bail of the brows before Salman was counterattoted with two limits when United staggered 143-5.
But they deepened in problems when Mohammad Amir bounced to Imad Wasim.
A ramp fired by Salman from Mohammad Wasim suggested that the batter could take the game until the end, but the return of Usman in the 18th saw him perish, with Naseem Shah following him back to the pavilion in the next ball, practically finishing the procedures before Amir and Wasim took the last two Wickts.
Previously, Chandimal and Faheem led the struggle of gladiators after a difficult beginning. Gathering when the gladiators were staggering at 111-5 as of day 12, the duo played together to the penultimate ball of the entries, combining 95 of 40 balls with chandimal remaining undefeated to 49 of 29 (four four and three six) while Faheem added 45 of 23 (four four and three six).
The gladiators were effective with the bat in the power game, obtaining 68 of it but also losing three Wickts; Those of the Saud batters and in Rilee Rossouw and Hasan Nawaz.
The fall of three early wicks in the tickets seemed to play in the minds of Allen and NVHKA Fernando; The Batters Quetta present in the fold, with only 28 races that meet the next four overs, also thanks to a tight bowling of Spinner Imad and Neesham.
With Gladiators in 98-3 in the middle stage, Fernando faced IMAD in the 11th, driving on the ground for four before passing through the center of half of half of half of half of the half, only to see Allen (41 of 27, seven four) stay in the same area two balls later.
The introduction of Shadab’s legs in the next OVER caused Fernando’s dismissal, the right was caught in the front after adding 32 of 21 (two four and one six).
Shadab’s return in the 14th of Dineh Chandimal punishing the bowling player for throwing it in the slot of law by two hits for six on the ground.
Chandimal cut Imad with skill for a limit and played a similar shot of Neesham for four more to mention 150 for gladiators for 16.
While Quetta expands things, Faheem hit Salman for a four before breaking her Yorker for six straight before Chandimal sent two four and six in Neesham.
Faheem faced Naseem in the next one, pulling for six and placing the ball beyond the roof and backward point for four four. The left -hander dragged one more slow on the leg side for another six before throwing one to Shadab in the final, but by then the gladiators had enough on the board to finally take the game.
Marker
Quetta Gladiators:
Saud Shakeel C Naseem B Dwarshuis 12
Finn Allen C Farhan B imad 41
Rilee Rossouw C Ghazi B dwarshuis 16
Hasan Nawaz C Shadab B Irshad 6
AVehka Fernando LBW B Shadab 32
DIENH CHANDIMAL WOOD NOT 48
Faheem Ashraf C Shadab B Irshad 45
Mohammad Wasim was not 1
Extras (LB-3, W-5) 8
Total (for six WICKETS, 20 overs) 209
They didn’t hit: Mohammad Amir, Usman Tariq, Ahmed Ahmed
Fall of Wickets: 1-14 (SAUD), 2-58 (ROSSOUW), 3-68 (Hasan), 4-111 (Allen), 5-113 (Fernando), 6-208 (Faheem)
Bowling: Naseem 4-0-50-0, Dwarshuis 2-0-31-2 (3W), Irshad 4-0-34-2 (2W), IMAD 4-0-36-1, Neesham 4-0-36-0, Shadab 2-0-19-19-1
Islamabad United:
Sahibzada Farhan C Sub (Khawaja) B USMAN 52
Alex Hales B Faheem 0
Rassie van der Dussen B Wasim 35
SALMAN ALI AGHA C ALEN B USMAN 44
SHADAB KHAN C SAUD B ABRAR 16
James Neesham B Faheem 1
Imad wasim c faheem b amir 5
Ben Dwarshius was not 9
Naseem Shah C Allen B Usman 0
Ghazi Ghouri C Sub (Khawaja) B Amir 4
Salman Irshad C Hasan B Wasim 2
Extras (LB-4, W-7) 11
Total (all outside, 19.4 overs) 179
Fall of Wickts: 1-8 (Hales), 2-79 (Van Der Dussen), 3-101 (Farhan), 4-124 (Shadab), 5-131 (Neesham), 6-150 (IMAD), 7-168 (Salman), 8-168 (Naseem)
Bowling: Amir 4-0-31-2, FAHEEM 3-0-33-2 (1W), ABRAR 4-0-27-1, WASIM 3.4-0-38-2 (3W), USMAN 4-0-32-3 (3W), SAUD 1-0-14-0
Result: Quetta Gladiators won by 30 races.
Party player: Faheem Ashraf
Posted in Dawn, May 22, 2025
