LAHORE: Veteran opener Faqar Zaman’s unbeaten half-century helped defending champions Lahore Qalandars beat leaders Peshawar Zalmi by six wickets in match 38 of the 11th series of the Pakistan Super League (PSL).
The win kept the Qalandars alive in the eight-team competition as it took their points tally to 10, but is yet to secure a playoff spot, which will be decided by the outcome of Sunday’s match between debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen and Rawalpindis at the National Bank Stadium.
Chasing the tough target of 200 runs, the Gilanders team came out to chase the winning runs with 4 wickets and 3 balls to spare.
Khurram Shahzad gave the chase an unnecessary start when he dismissed right-arm opener Mohammad Naeem (10) with just 21 runs on the last ball of the third over.
Following the initial stutter, Faqar later shared crucial partnerships with Abdullah Shafiq and Sarid Asalanga, who contributed brisk 25 and 33 respectively.
The experienced opener was then joined by all-rounder Sikandar Raza, and the duo added 41 runs off 18 balls to raise the scoring rate, before a freak hit-wicket dismissal by Sufyan Mukeem in the 16th over left them with an 11-ball 29.
Raza’s dismissal did not halt the Callanders’ progress as Daniel Sams kept the momentum going with an unbeaten 35 off 15 balls and contained the defending champions in the final over.
Meanwhile, Fukker took his bat full force and returned to top score with an unbeaten 58 off 47 balls with 4 fours and two sixes.
For Zalmi, Ali Raza, Iftikhar Ahmed, Shahjad and Mukeem took one wicket each.
Batting first, the leaders amassed 199/4 in their 20 overs, aided by an anchoring partnership for the second wicket between Baber and Bracewell.
The 2017 champions started their innings in a stalemate as Qalandars skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi left James Vince (10) on the board for just 16 off the first ball of the third over.
Shaheen struck again in his next over.
Following a back-and-forth, Bracewell joined Baber in the middle and the duo batted sensibly to script a decent recovery for Zalmi, knitting a crucial 94-run partnership that saw both batsmen reach their respective half-centuries.
After a 45-ball 59 with 5 fours and a six, Harris Rauf broke the menacing stand with the first delivery of the 16th over by casting Babar.
Bracewell put on another crucial partnership for Zalmi, who put on 64 runs for the fourth wicket with Iftikhar Ahmed, which ensured the Chiefs’ dominance with the bat.
New Zealand international Zalmi top-scored with a 45-ball 83 with 8 fours and 6 sixes, while Iftikhar was dismissed for 27 off 14 balls.
Shaheen and Rauf took two wickets each for Gulanders, but the latter proved costly as he conceded 46 runs in his four overs.