PSL2: Birthday boy Sami hands United one-run Gladiators win

Reigning champions qualify for the tournament's play-off round

Reigning Pakistan Super League (PSL) champions Islamabad United won a nail-biting victory on Friday against Quetta Gladiators, courtesy pacer Mohammad Sami’s final over at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

19.6 Islamabad United won by 1 run
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

With five runs required from last six deliveries by Gladiators, birthday boy Sami, who turned 36, gave away only three runs and picked up the man of the match award for his heroics. In the process, United also qualified for the PSL’s play-off round.



Earlier, winning the toss and opting to bowl first, Gladiators had restricted United to 165 for the loss of six wickets, with medium fast-bowler Anwar Ali and spinner Zulfiqar Babar claiming two wickets each. Meanwhile, left-armer Hasan Khan and pacer Thisara Perera claimed one scalp apiece.

The first innings saw some marvellous batting from United, as batsman Hussain Talat scored a half-century on his PSL debut. He made 56 off 39 deliveries, whereas captain Misbahul Haq (25), wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin (22), and all-rounder Shane Watson (29) all contributed towards the team’s total.



In response, Gladiators were just one run shy of levelling the scores as they were confined to 164 for five in 20 overs, despite half-centuries from star batsmen Kevin Pietersen (69) and Ahmed Shehzad (59). On the other hand, lef-armers Mohammad Irfan and Rumman Raees, alongside Sami, claimed one wicket each.



QG 164-5 (20 overs)

RUN OUT! Anwar Ali departs.

19.5 OUT! Mohammad Sami to Rilee Rossouw
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Sami to bowl the last over.



QG 161-4 (19 overs)

Anwar Ali is the new batsman.

OUT! Sarfraz departs after getting caught off a poor shot.

18.2 OUT! Rumman Raees to Sarfraz Ahmed
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Raees.



QG 159-3 (18 overs)

FOUR! Rossouw smashes a boundary towards leg-side.

Sarfraz Ahmed replaces Shehzad.

OUT! Shehzad is caught at midwicket.

17.1 OUT! Mohammad Sami to Ahmed Shehzad
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Rilee Rossouw is the new man in.

Sami.



QG 149-2 (17 overs)

OUT! Shadab traps KP for leg-before.

16.6 OUT! Shadab Khan to Kevin Pietersen
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Shadab.



QG 141-1 (16 overs)

FOUR! KP through the covers.

Shane Watson.



QG 131-1 (15 overs)

10 from the over.

Shadab.



QG 121-1 (14 overs)

SIX! Another one and KP brings up his 50.

13.5 SIX! Rumman Raees to Kevin Pietersen
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

SIX! KP hits it over midwicket rope.

13.4 SIX! Rumman Raees to Kevin Pietersen
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Raees.



QG 104-1 (13 overs)

50-up for Shehzad.

Irfan.



QG 101-1 (12 overs)

Two from the over.

Raees.



QG 99-1 (11 overs)

FOUR! Another one from KP.

SIX! KP skies it high and over the midwicket rope.

10.2 SIX! Samuel Badree to Kevin Pietersen
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Badree.



QG 82-1 (10 overs)

There was a terrible mix-up between Shehzad and Pietersen, but the United fielders failed to capitalise.

FOUR! Shehzad cuts past point.

Sami.



QG 71-1 (9 overs)

SIX! Shehzad smashes it out of the park.

8.2 SIX! Shadab Khan to Ahmed Shehzad
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Shadab.



QG 60-1 (8 overs)

FOUR! Pietersen clears the leg-side boundary.

Mohammad Sami.



QG 51-1 (7 overs)

FOUR! Pietersen plays a cut-shot to end the over.

Shadab Khan.



QG 44-1 (6 overs)

Five from the over.

Rumman Raees.



QG 39-1 (5 overs)

Eight from the over.

Irfan.



QG 31-1 (4 overs)

FOUR! KP finds midwicket boundary.

FOUR!x2 Back-to-back boundaries from Shehzad.

Badree.



QG 18-1 (3 overs)

Kevin Pietersen is the new man in.

BOWLED! Irfan knocks off Asad Shafiq's stumps.

2.4 OUT! Mohammad Irfan to Asad Shafiq
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Irfan.



QG 14-0 (2 overs)

Five from the over.

Samuel Badree.



QG 9-0 (1 over)

FOUR! Shafiq pulls it for a boundary.

Ahmed Shehzad and Asad Shafiq open for Gladiators.

Mohammad Irfan to begin the bowling attack.



IU 165-6 (20 overs)

OUT! LBW and looks like it has injured Watson.

19.6 OUT! Anwar Ali to Shane Watson
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

SIX! A pull shot from Watson.

19.3 SIX! Anwar Ali to Shane Watson
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

SIX! Majestic hit by Watson over midwicket.

19.2 SIX! Anwar Ali to Shane Watson
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

FOUR! Watson pushes it for a boundary.

Anwar Ali.



IU 147-5 (19 overs)

SIX! Shadab smashes it out of the ground.

18.2 SIX! Mohammad Nawaz to Shadab Khan
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Nawaz.



IU 135-5 (18 overs)

Shadab Khan is the new batsman.

OUT! Misbah wanted another but is caught at midwicket boundary.

17.6 OUT! Anwar Ali to Misbah-ul-Haq
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

SIX! Misbah goes big.

17.3 SIX! Anwar Ali to Misbah-ul-Haq
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FOUR! Watson pulls it towards boundary.

Anwar Ali.



IU 122-4 (17 overs)

Three from the over.

Nawaz.



IU 119-4 (16 overs)

Shane Watson is the new man in.

OUT! Haddin tries for a big one but is caught by Anwar Ali at long-off.

15.3 OUT! Hasan Khan to Brad Haddin
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Hasan Khan.



IU 111-3 (15 overs)

FOURx2! Back-to-back boundaries from Haddin.

Anwar Ali.



IU 97-3 (14 overs)

Six runs from the over.

Zulfiqar.



IU 91-3 (13 overs)

FOUR! Haddin finds the midwicket boundary.

Perera.



IU 82-3 (12 overs)

Five from the over.

Nawaz.



IU 77-3 (11 overs)

Haddin is the new batsman.

OUT! Big wicket for Gladiators as Talat falls.

10.4 OUT! Zulfiqar Babar to Hussain Talat
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Zulfiqar.



IU 74-2 (10 overs)

FOUR! Another boundary from Talat.

SIX! And it's 50 for Hussain Talat.

9.1 SIX! Hasan Khan to Hussain Talat
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Hasan Khan.



IU 63-2 (9 overs)

Four runs from the over.

Misbah is the new man in for United.

OUT! Rafatullah skies it high and the third man takes a comfortable catch.

8.2 OUT! Thisara Perera to Rafatullah Mohmand
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Perera joins the bowling attack.



IU 59-1 (8 overs)

Five from the over.

Hasan Khan.



IU 54-1 (7 overs)

SIX! Talat goes for a boundary over covers.

6.2 SIX! Mahmudullah to Hussain Talat
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FOUR! A cut-stroke from Talat.

Mahmudullah.



IU 41-1 (6 overs)

Another FOUR from Talat.

FOUR! Talat goes down on one knee and smashes a boundary.

Hasan Khan. 



IU 30-1 (5 overs)

DROPPED! The fielder fumbled a lot trying to hold on to it, but luck didn't favour him.

FOUR! Talat capitalises on the missing first slip.

Anwar Ali brings in some pace.



IU 23-1 (4 overs)

SIX! Rafatullah ends the over with a huge boundary over the bowler's head.

3.6 SIX! Mohammad Nawaz to Rafatullah Mohmand
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Mohammad Nawaz is the new spinner to join the attack.



IU 14-1 (3 overs)

A few close-call singles from the over.

Zulfiqar.



IU 10-1 (2 overs)

FOUR! Towards the off side from Talat.

Another top edge but it lands in no man's land. Talat survives.

Mahmudullah to try his off-spin.



IU 4-1 (1 over)

FOUR! A sweep shot to end the over on a high.

Hussain Talat is the new man in.

OUT! Smith skied it high and it was an easy catch in the end for Nawaz.

0.3 OUT! Zulfiqar Babar to Dwayne Smith
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— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) February 24, 2017

Dwayne Smith and Rafatullah opening for United.

Zulfiqar Babar bowls the first over.



Teams:

Gladiators:

Asad Shafiq, Ahmed Shehzad, Kevin Pietersen, Rilee Rossouw, Sarfraz Ahmed (c), Mahmudullah, Thisara Perera, Mohammad Nawaz, Hasan Khan, Anwar Ali, Zulfiqar Babar.

United:

Smith, Ratafullah, Haddin, Misbah (c), Watson, Shadab, Talat, Sami, Irfan, Raees, Badree.



Toss: Sarfraz Ahmed wins toss and elects to field.