LAHORE: Following their second straight defeat in Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 11, Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne admitted his side’s continued struggles in the powerplay have been costly.
After losing against Quetta Gladiators, Labuschagne turned in a performance that made the Kingsmen think.
Speaking during the post-match presentation, the Australian batsman admitted that the loss of early wickets in the first six overs had disrupted the team’s momentum in both games so far.
Despite the top-order collapse, Labuschagne was buoyed by middle-order fightback and individual contributions that helped stabilize the innings.
“In both the games, we lost two or three wickets in the powerplay and that stopped the flow of runs,” Labuschagne said. “Saim (Ayub) and Mas (Sadaq) are great players and we know they will improve. The back end also needs to be improved.
“In the middle, we were good. Mahesh Dikshana was very good today and brought us back into the match. The last two overs were 28 runs, so we have to make our choices and get them right. But there is only one way.”
While expressing confidence in the team’s production, Labuschagne also addressed a personal shortcoming on the field.
“In fielding, I have dropped a sitter myself. We are practicing well and the results will come after that,” he said.
Batting first, Quetta Gladiators lost captain South Shakeel early on. Riley Meredith struck in the final ball of the second over to dismiss South for a boundary in one ball as the Gladiators finished 21 for 1.
Shamil Hussain (54 off 41 balls, 3 fours, 3 sixes) then combined with Hasan Nawaz to rebuild the innings. The pair shared 89 runs before easing the pressure by adding 50 runs.
Shamil scored his second consecutive half-century in PSL 11 before being dismissed by Meredith. Hasan Nawaz scored 53 off 40 balls and was run out by Usman Khan following a direct delivery from Saad Ali.
The Gladiators finished on 174, with Hyderabad setting a target of 175 to win.
In reply, Hyderabad Kingsmen were restricted to 134-8 in 20 overs by some disciplined bowling by Gladiators.
Saim Ayub hit two consecutive fours in the first over and fell to 8 off four balls in no time, before being bowled by a sharp, unplayable bouncer from Alzari Joseph.
In the next over, Abrar Ahmed dismissed the other opener Mas Sadagat for a duck off the second ball, leaving the Kingsmen reeling at 17-2.
Saad Ali and Labuschagne tried to stabilize the innings, crossing the 50-run total. However, Usman Tariq made an immediate impact in his first over, dismissing Saad Ali for 7 off 12 balls as the Kingsmen slumped to 51-4.
Skipper South Shakeel then turned his hand and struck on his first ball, claiming the crucial wicket of Labuschagne on 23 off 21 balls (3 boundaries), reducing Hyderabad to 57-5.
Irfan Khan Niazi and Hasan Khan put on a useful 48-run partnership to take the total past 100.
The Kingsmen were under pressure at 105-6 before Hasan Khan’s brilliant 31 off 19 balls (3 fours and a six) was dismissed by Ahmed Daniel.
Mahesh Deekshana 2 runs and Riley Meredith 3 runs unbeaten kept Hyderabad short in the end.