2016 PSL: Lahore end Quetta's dominance with 63-run win

Umar Akmal scores tournament's highest individual score of 93 off 40 balls

Lahore Qalandars inflicted the biggest defeat on unbeaten Quetta Gladiators on Monday as they beat them by 63 runs in the eighth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

In their chase, Quetta gained winning momentum when captain Sarfraz Ahmed and Muhammad Nawaz came out to bat with three wickets down and 37 runs on the board. Both coupled for a partnership of 74 runs but after Sarfraz's departure, wickets kept falling and the Gladiators never recovered.

Earlier, Lahore came out all guns firing against Quetta on Monday as they scored the highest PSL total of 195 runs courtesy a 40-ball 93 by Umar Akmal.

Lahore, after being sent in to bat first, didn't lose any wicket for the first nine overs. Azhar Ali was the first batsman to be dismissed which brought Umar in. He found the sweet part of the bat from the start and hit eight maximums and six boundaries.

Anwar Ali, Zulfiqar Babar and Umar Gul bagged one wicket each for Quetta.

Post-match presentation

Umar Akmal is the man of the match: "I have played such innings in domestic career. Whatever happened today it was a blessing. Today I got an opportunity at number three. I was prepared that I will wait for the last overs to fire. [Ramiz says the new hairstyle is good] I don't know how it looks I just tried it.

Sarfraz Ahmed: "Credit goes to Umar for such a nice innings. Delport read the pitch as well. It was surely a wake up call for us. We will learn from our mistakes."

Azhar Ali: "We needed this victory. First two games didn't go well. Today the batting fired and the bowlers had something to defend. Umar's innings was tremendous. Delport held his nerves, meanwhile, he was calm. We were hoping a good performance will get us going; we will try and build on this."



QUE 131 all out (16.2 overs)



OUT! Umar Gul is caught by the man of the match Umar Akmal at long-on



STUMPED! The bat is in the air and Akbar will have to walk back. Third wicket for Zafar.



Zafar Gohar.



QUE 129-8 (16 overs)

OUT! Anwar Ali is caught in covers as well. Just a couple of wickets more and Qalandars will have their first whirl of victory.

OUT! Elton Chigumbura is caught in covers by Azhar Ali. Pakistan ODI captain is ecstatic as his team inch closer to their first victory.



Mendis!



QUE 124-6 (15 overs)

OUT! Umar Akmal catches Nabi at long-on. It was hit straight, Umar had to run a few yards and he collects it nicely.



Zafar Gohar now. Left-arm spinners making it big in PSL.



QUE 118-5 (14 overs)

STUMPED! Inexperience coming into play. Nawaz (42) was finding it hard to pick Mendis and he walked up to him, instead of nullifying the spin he missed the ball completely. Regulation stumping by Rizwan.



Nawaz finding it hard to pick Mendis.

Ajantha Mendis is back now for his second over.



QUE 115-4 (13 overs)

Seven runs and the wicket of Quetta captain Sarfraz Ahmed in the over.

STUMPED! Sarfraz Ahmed walks out but misses the ball. Rizwan dislodges the bails, turns his backs and stands straight. Zohaib goes wild in excitement. Muhammad Nabi joins Nawaz in the middle.



Zohaib in for his last over.



QUE 108-3 (12 overs)

FOUR! Fuller length and Sarfraz targets the unguarded midwicket boundary.



FOUR! Driven towards backward square leg. Nawaz get the all important boundary for Quetta.



Two dot balls, Nawaz beaten on both occasions.

Kevon Cooper has been brought back.



QUE 97-3 (11 overs)

Dot followed by another double. Sarfraz is running hard to keep the scoreboard ticking. Dot to end the over.

Another double. This time a misfield by the bowler allows a second run.

Two doubles on the first two balls.

Zohaib Khan now.



QUE 89-3 (10 overs)

SIX! On one knee and Nawaz is playing an Umar Akmal innings here. Fetched from off and hit over square leg.



FOUR! Nawaz hits the full-toss towards extra cover. Its a cover drive.



FOUR! An exquisite square drive. Nawaz showing off his batting skills.



FOUR! Short and struck nicely by Nawaz. Midwicket is the place.



Hammad Azam in for his second over.



QUE 69-3 (9 overs)

FOUR! Sarfraz sweeps and that too effectively. Beats square leg to  the boundary.



STUMPED MISSED AGAIN! Rizwan equals Sarfraz's tally in this match. Both missed two stumping chances.



FOUR! Nawaz waits and goes on the back foot to hit it towards extra cover.



Ajantha Mendis is in now. Can Quetta decipher his code?



QUE 57-3 (8 overs)

Six runs off the over. Quetta need a lot of boundaries and an inspirational knock to win this one.

Medium-pacer Hammad Azam has been given the ball by Azhar.



QUE 51-3 (7 overs)

STUMPING CHANCE! Sarfraz's wicket in question... Sarfraz just makes it in. He survives!

SIX! Sarfraz with a sweep over square leg. It was a full-toss and it was treated perfectly.



Zohaib Khan with his left-arm spin again.



QUE 42-3 (6 overs)

FOUR! Sarfraz gets off the mark with a boundary. Fine leg was up in the circle and he guided the full-toss past him.

OUT! KP stands two feet outside the crease and hits it towards deep square leg where Cooper bags it safely.



Dwayne Bravo is back.



QUE 35-2 (5 overs)

SIX! Just eases into the shot, hits it through the line and clears long-on. Who says Pietersen can't play left-arm spinners?



Stump missed. That is the third of the day. Earlier, Sarfraz missed a sitter and then a difficult one. This time its Muhammad Rizwan. Both Pakistan's first and second choice keepers.



Zohaib Khan now with his left-arm spin.



QUE 27-2 (4 overs)

OUT! Luke tries to clear midwicket but finds Cooper ready to bag the dolly.



So its two Englishmen now on the crease as Zafar Gohar bowls.



QUE 24-1 (3 overs)

FOUR! Kevin Pietersen enters and rocks Lahore with a confident boundary towards midwicket. He needs to play a long innings for Quetta today.



BOWLED! Inside edge and Shehzad's stumps blink red. Cooper does the job for Lahore.



FOUR! Clipped towards square leg by Shehzad. You don't bowl on a set batsman's legs.



FOUR! This time pitched short and on Shehzad's leg. Slapped towards midwicket with ease.

The dibbly-dobbly Kevon Cooper comes on to bowl now.



QUE 10-0 (2 overs)

DROPPED! Wright put down by Zafar off his own bowling. Lifeline for Luke!



Left-arm spinner Zafar Gohar joins Bravo from the other end.



QUE 6-0 (1 overs)

FOUR! Inside edge and Shehzad gets a boundary. Lucky that it didn't hit the wickets.



Dwayne Bravo opens the bowling for Lahore. PSL's two top-scorers Ahmed Shehzad and Luke Wright open the innings for Quetta.



LHR 194-3 (20 overs)

Just a single managed by Bravo. Quetta will have to put on some show to defend this target.

OUT! Umar Akmal (93) is caught at long leg. It was short but not enough to pull.

Pulled by Umar but Zulfiqar denies him a boundary at fine leg. Two runs taken.

Bravo brings Umar back with a single. Umar is on 91.

Umar miscues the first shot of the day and the ball falls short of the fielder. Just a single.

FOUR! Umar moves to 90 with a blistering drive towards midwicket.



LHR 185-2 (19 overs)

SIX! Short and angling towards leg. Umar pulls it and sends it over the square leg boundary.

FOUR! In the block-hole but fetched and hit straight by Umar.

SIX! Gul bowls a juicy full-toss to the youngest Akmal and gets treated with a maximum over long leg.

Single by Umar, followed by a single by Bravo.

Umar Gul bowls the penultimate over.



LHR 166-2 (18 overs)

FOUR! Umar Akmal sends the short ball towards square leg. The fielder had no chance.



Dwayne Bravo is the new batsman in who joins the firing Umar.

Anwar Ali is in now for the third-last over.



LHR 157-2 (17 overs)

OUT! Delport goes for a reverse sweep but Zulfiqar bowls it into his feet. Easy decision for the umpire as he raises his finger.



Zulfiqar Babar now. Can he turn on damage control for Quetta?



LHR 150-1 (16 overs)

SIX! Delport now. Over long-on. Lahore are surely back in the tournament with a bang.



SIX! Umar Akmal gets the fastest FIFTY of the PSL and that too in style. He sends a flying kiss to someone into the stands.



Muhammad Nabi now.



LHR 136-1 (15 overs)

FOUR! Cut beautifully by Umar this time. He is making a statement here.

SIX! Exactly same shot. Backfoot, pulled and Umar clears the midwicket boundary.



SIX! Short and Umar Akmal pulls it off the back foot. Meanwhile, the fielder in the crowd spills it.

Strategic timeout... Akbar Rehman starts after the break.



LHR 118-1 (14 overs)

No ball and its a free hit! Gul bowls a perfect yorker and only a single is taken.

SIX! Slow and full on off, Umar Akmal punishes Gul for that delivery. Straight over his head again.

SIX! Is it a bird, a plane? No its Umar Akmal's six off Umar Gul. Straight as an arrow.



Umar Gul is back.



LHR 99-1 (13 overs)

FOUR! Akmal advances to hit it straight but edges it past the keeper to find the boundary.

FOUR! Umar Akmal joins Delport's hitting party. Short and pulled towards long leg.



Muhammad Nawaz now.



LHR 86-1 (12 overs)

FOUR! Delport chooses the same area but this time punches it for a boundary.

SIX! Delport dances forward to nullify spin and goes over midwicket.



Muhammad Nabi.



LHR 73-1 (11 overs)

FIFTY up for the South African off 42 balls.



FOURx2! Delport is on fire today. He is finding the sweet part of the bat with ease.



Zulfiqar Babar now.



LHR 62-1 (10 overs)

OUT! Azhar Ali goes for an upper cut but finds the fielder who stumbles but bags it safely.

FOUR! Delport was ready the short ball. Packaged and delivered to midwicket.



Umar Gul in for his second over. He is going to stick to the shorter length here.



LHR 57-0 (9 overs)

SIX! Its big, its huge, its over long-on. Delport showing what he is made of.



Muhammad Nawaz with his left-arm spin now.



LHR 48-0 (8 overs)

FOUR! Short and pulled to perfection by Delport.



Umar Gul has been brought in now.



LHR 40-0 (7 overs)

FOUR! Finally a reverse sweep earns the batsman a boundary. Delport  accounts for it.



Zulfiqar Babar.



LHR 34-0 (6 overs)

STUMP MISSED! Sarfraz is not able to bag the ball behind the stumps as Delport charges forward. The ball runs down to the boundary. Four byes!



Muhammad Nabi.



LHR 29-0 (5 overs)

FOURx2! Delport goes straight while Azhar Ali cuts it to earn a boundary.





Zulfiqar Babar in for his second over.



LHR 20-0 (4 overs)

Just one run off Anwar Ali's over.



LHR 19-0 (3 overs)

FOUR! Azhar Ali rocks back and guides the ball towards long on.



Zulfiqar Babar has been brought in for the third over. Seven runs off it.



LHR 12-0 (2 overs)

Five runs off the over.

Muhammad Nabi is on from the other end now with his off-spin.



LHR 7-0 (1 over)

SIX! Azhar Ali comes out of the crease and slams Anwar over midwicket.



Quetta start with a wide!

Chris Gayle has been dropped by Lahore today. Cameron Delport and Azhar Ali will open the batting for the Qalandars. Anwar Ali is warming up for the first over.



Quetta have won the toss and have elected to bowl first. They could have experimented with a batting display first up but they are determined to win every match possible. So there goes the tried and tested formula; bowl the team out for a paltry total and chase it.