Faheem Ashraf led a ruthless bowling display as Quetta Gladiators thrashed Peshawar Zalmi by 64 runs, skittling them for just 114 in pursuit of a 179-run target in their HBL PSL clash in Lahore on Sunday.
In a dramatic collapse under lights, Peshawar Zalmi crumbled to 114 all out in just 15.2 overs while chasing a modest target, as Gladiators' bowlers, led by the sensational Faheem Ashraf, tore through their batting order with ruthless precision.
Zalmi’s chase was derailed almost immediately. In the space of three balls, they lost both openers, Saim Ayub and skipper Babar Azam, reducing them to 21 for 2. Saim fell to a sharp delivery from Faheem Ashraf, caught behind by Mendis, while Babar was trapped lbw by Mohammad Amir after a brisk 12 off 7.
From there, the innings never truly recovered. The experienced Faheem Ashraf was unstoppable, claiming a fiery five-wicket haul (5/33), which included key wickets at regular intervals. Mohammad Wasim Jr. added to the pressure from the other end, bowling with zip and control, dismissing Tom Kohler-Cadmore to leave Zalmi reeling at 50/5.
Hussain Talat stood as the lone warrior amid the carnage. He showed some resistance with a well-constructed 39 off 34 balls, striking four boundaries and two sixes, but found little support from the other end.
Khurram Shahzad chipped in with a tidy spell, taking 2 for 9 in his three overs, including back-to-back wickets of Mitchell Owen and Alzarri Joseph. Abrar Ahmed also got in on the act, removing Talat in the 15th over, effectively ending any hope of a Zalmi resurgence.
Zalmi’s innings folded quickly with the last five wickets tumbling for just 33 runs.
Earlier, asked to bat first, Quetta Gladiators were off to a flying start, thanks to a 46-run partnership between openers Saud Shakeel and Finn Allen for the first wicket.
Allen, in particular, played a blistering knock, scoring 31 runs off just 16 balls. His aggressive innings included 2 sixes and 4 fours, propelling Quetta’s total at a rapid pace. However, the first breakthrough came when Alzarri Joseph dismissed the New Zealand opener, sending Allen back to the pavilion.
Shakeel continued to anchor the innings, and along with Rilee Rossouw, the two took the score to 91 before Rossouw was dismissed for 27 runs off 18 balls, having struck 5 boundaries. Shakeel's contribution ended at 32 runs off 26 balls, including 5 boundaries, as he was caught by Abdul Samad off Saim Ayub’s bowling.
Kusal Mendis, who followed, added some stability to the innings, scoring 32 runs off 27 balls, but was eventually dismissed by Joseph. Mark Chapman, playing a crucial role in the middle order, struck 33 runs off 26 balls, including 3 fours. However, his wicket fell to Luke Wood, who took his only wicket of the innings.
Faheem Ashraf failed to make an impact, dismissed for just 1 run off 2 balls, as Joseph completed his third wicket. Hasan Nawaz added a quick 8 runs off 4 balls before he was run out as Gladiators post a total of 178/7 in 20 overs.
On the bowling front, Joseph was the standout performer, picking up 3 wickets for 33 runs in his 4 overs. Saim Ayub also claimed 2 wickets for 24 runs, while Wood, Muqeem, and Raza each had a wicket to their name.
Peshawar Zalmi XI: Babar Azam (Captain), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Tom Kohler Cadmore, Hussain Talat, Mitch Owen, Abdul Samad, Luke Wood, Alzari Joseph, Sufyan Muqeem, Ali Raza
Quetta Gladiators XI: Saud Shakeel (Captain), Abrar Ahmed, Hassan Nawaz, Kusal Mendis (wk), Mark Chapman, Rilee Rossouw, Mohammad Amir, Mohammad Wasim Jnr, Faheem Ashraf, Khurram Shahzad, Fin Allen
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