Samit Patel Saturday proved once again nemesis for the Quetta Gladiators as he struck thrice in a single over to condemn Quetta Gladiators to their second lowest score ever of the Pakistan Super League.
Quetta could manage 98-9 in 20 overs, the fourth lowest score of the PSL history and the lowest score this season. Ironically, in their previous encounter Qaldars scored 209 against Gladiators, the highest score of the season.
Qalandars cruise to the target losing two wickets in 11.5 overs. M Hafeez remained unbeaten on 39 off 32 deliveries hitting four boundaries and a six. Ben Dunk also remained unbeaten for 30 off 21 balls and also hit three fours and a six.
Fakhar Zaman also showed some form before getting out again while trying a cut shot to M Nawaz, as the ball went through to stumps and he got himself unwisely clean-bowled after scoring 20 runs off 13 deliveris. He hit a six and three boundaries to speedster M Hasnain in the second over of the innings. Sohail Akhtar was other wi cket to feel courtesy to sharp work of Sarfraz Ahmed behind the stumps on a Nawaz delivery.
Lahore Qalandars captain Sohail Akhtar won the toss and elected to field first in the key Pakistan Super League match of the 2020 season at Gaddafi Cricket Stadium, Lahore.
The ground staff did a commendable job at the stadium as despite heavy rain overnight and drizzling in the day, they prepared the ground in time to go for the scheduled start.
Patel, who thrashed Gladiators bowlers in the previous encounter of the both team at the same venue, this time caught them into a spin web to carve out magical figures of 4-1-5-4.
Shaheen Shah Afridi, who made return to the team after nursing a bruised shoulder in place of Usman Shinwari, set the tone early by removing Shane Watson on the second ball of the first over of the match. A full and straight delivery hit Watson’s pad low as he went for a duck.
Afridi struck again on his next over’s very first ball to remove Ahmed Shahzad, who is experiencing a nightmarish PSL season so far. Shahzad scored nine runs before he tried to hit Afridi high in the air and was caught by Patel at backward point. And from there on Patel’s show started. In very next over, Patel removed Quetta’s captain Sarfraz Ahmed who scored only one run off five balls. Sarfraz tried to play a delivery onside and a leading edge was easily taken by Ben Dunk in the slips.
Sixth and the last over of the power play was what that totally destroyed Gladiators. Patel struck on very first ball to clean bowled Jesson Roy as he was completely beaten by lovely delivery. Roy could score just six runs off 13 balls.
Patel bowled three dotted deliveries to new batsman Azam Khan and on fourth ball Azam tried to push forward and got edge that was taken by Dunk in the slips safely. New man in was Ben Cutting who saved Quetta blushes many a times this season but he also failed. He tried to pull very first delivery to midwicket and was caught by Afridi with ease.
Quetta were 21-6 after power play the lowest total in power plays so far. Later batsmen tried to hang on for bit but could not reverse the damage. M Nawaz and Sohail Khan resisted well for some time with the aid of some sloppy fielding by Qalandars players and it was Farzan Raja who broke the partnership when Nawaz decided to go big but was caught by Dilbar Hussain at mid-on. Nawaz scored 10 runs off 26 balls and hit a boundary.
Fawad Ahmed became the second victim of Farzan when he was stumped by Dane Villas. He scored 4 runs after facing 8 balls.
Sohail however hit some lusty blows and was a batsman to take a cue from how to play on a turning pitch. He hit two sixes and four boundaries in his 35-ball 32 before Salman Irshad rattled his wickets.
Qalandars have made four changes for the match as Chris Lynn has been ruled out due to fever and Shaheen Afridi returns in place of Usman Shinwari. David Weisse also made comeback to playing XI as he replaced Sri Lanka Seekkuge Prasanna while Farzan Raja also made it to the playing XI. Qalandars captain Sohail said they would take the advantage of moisture in the pitch and would try to restrain Gladiators to a low total.