LAHORE: Karachi Kings moved a step closer to qualifying for the playoffs after defeating Quetta Gladiators in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
Chasing the Gladiators’ target of 196, the Kings won by 9 wickets with the loss of just one wicket in the 19th over thanks to brilliant performances from David Warner and Reesa Hendricks.
The team’s openers Jason Roy and captain David Warner got off to a good start.
However, Roy was out for 58 after Jahandad Khan scored 20 off 15 balls with 4 fours.
Reesa Hendricks came into bat and registered a much-needed partnership with the Kings captain to stabilize the innings and keep the scoreboard ticking.
Warner was in fine form with the bat as he led his team from the front as he raised his own bat to his sixth PSL half-century to help the team cross the 100-run mark.
Reesa also set the field on fire with his bat, stymied the Gladiators’ bowling as runs flowed through the boundaries, helping him reach his fifth PSL half-century and take the team’s total past 150.
Hendricks and Warner continued their onslaught, taking the team past the victory mark and bringing up their 100-run partnership.
The captain remained unbeaten on 89 off 48 balls with 10 fours and 4 sixes, while Reza hit 87 off 48 balls with 8 fours and a top score of 87.
Batting first, the Gladiators scored 195 runs for the loss of 6 wickets in 20 overs.
The team got off to a poor start, losing the first two wickets in the opening over of the innings, with Hasan Ali dismissing both Shamail Hussain and Khawaja Nafe.
After early setbacks, the team rallied and skipper South Shakeel and Riley Roseau led the Kings bowling line-up with aggressive fours to help them cross the 50-run mark today.
Riley helped raise his bat for his 14th PSL half-century.
Both fought hard as they brought up their 100s and dominated with their bats, which helped South Shakeel lift his bat for his fifth PSL half-century today.
However, the 147-run partnership was broken as Rizwanullah came into the attack and took the big wicket of Shaquille, who scored 57 off 34 balls with 9 fours to leave the team at 149-3 in 14.3 overs.
Hasan Nawaz joined Riley Roseau but the South African batsman didn’t hold back as he hit a boundary off his bat, which took the team’s total past 150 runs.
Riley’s innings then came to an end as the Gladiators conceded his fourth wicket to Abbas Afridi as the Gladiators scored 90 off 54 balls, which included eight fours and six maximums, to take them to 157-4 in 15.3 overs.
With the Gladiators five wickets down, Rizwanullah again claimed his second wicket and dismissed Hasan Nawaz cheaply for two runs.
Afridi struck again in the third over of the game, dismissing Jahandad Khan for 3 runs to claim his second wicket.
Hasan Ali bowled the last over to end the Gladiators’ innings, Dinesh Chandimal remained unbeaten on 30 off 17 balls, Alsari Joseph scored 2 with three fours and a six.
Abbas Afridi, Hasan Ali and Rizwanullah took 2 wickets each for Kings side.