Lahore Qalandars hand Islamabad United first defeat in PSL 10

LAHORE, May 1 (DNA): Lahore Qalandars ended Islamabad United’s unbeaten run in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10, outclassing them with a dominant performance at Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.

Chasing a daunting 210-run target, the United’s batting unit unfolded on a meagre 121 before getting bowled out in 16.5 overs and thus succumbed to their first defeat in the ongoing season.

The visitors got off to a shaky start to their innings as Shaheen Shah Afridi dismissed in-form opening batter Sahibzada Farhan in the third over with just 11 runs on the board.

Following the early hiccup, Salman Ali Agha joined Andries Gous in the middle and together they stitched an anchoring 69-run partnership for the second wicket.

The duo appeared to have settled down and was looking to pace things until Sikandar Raza cleaned up Agha in the 10th over.

The right-handed batter made 36 off 25 deliveries with the help of two fours and three sixes.

Agha’s dismissal sparked a collapse, which saw United losing their remaining eight wickets for just 50 runs and were thus bundled out for a modest total.

Opening batter Gous remained the top-scorer for the United with a 27-ball 41, laced with two fours and three sixes.

Haris Rauf was the pick of the Qalandars’ bowlers as he took four wickets for just 31 runs in 3.5 overs, followed by Raza with three, while Tom Curran, Asif Afridi and Shaheen chipped in with one scalp apiece.

Earlier, explosive late-order knocks from Sam Billings and Sikandar Raza lifted Lahore Qalandars to an imposing 209/6 against the unbeaten Islamabad United.

Put into bat first, the Qalandars accumulated 209/6 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a 64-run partnership for the fifth wicket between Billings and Raza.

The home side got off to a decent start to their innings as their struggling opening pair of Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Naeem turned the tide by putting together 50 runs at a brisk rate.

Naeem, who was the core aggressor of the stand, had an agonising end to his knock as he got run out on the penultimate delivery of the batting powerplay, courtesy of a direct hit from Ben Dwarshuis.

The emerging opener scored 25 off 22 deliveries with the help of four fours and a six.

Fakhar was then involved in another crucial partnership for the hosts when he added 47 runs for the second wicket with Abdullah Shafique before falling victim to Imad Wasim in the 11th over.

He smashed five fours and two sixes on his way to a 30-ball 44.

Imad struck again in his next over by getting another set batter Abdullah Shafique caught at long-off, reducing the Qalandars to 108/3.

Shafique made 22 off 17 deliveries, laced with three boundaries.

Following the back-to-back blows, wicketkeeper batter Sam Billings and Daryl Mitchell then knitted a blistering 37-run partnership in just 21 deliveries before the latter fell victim to Dwarshuis after scoring 28 off 18 deliveries, comprised of two fours and as many sixes.

Billings was then joined by in-form Sikandar Raza in the middle and the duo dominated United’s bowlers at the backend to bolster the hosts’ total.

Billings and Raza put together a quickfire 64-run partnership for the sixth wicket, which culminated with the latter’s dismissal on the penultimate delivery of the innings.

Raza smashed three fours and as many sixes on his way to a 17-ball 39.

Billings, on the other hand, batted until the end and returned unbeaten with a 17-ball 38, studded with one four and four sixes.

For United, Imad and Jason Holder bagged two wickets each, while Dwarshuis chipped in with one strike.

Earlier, Islamabad United won the toss and elected to bowl first against Lahore Qalandars.

Squads

Lahore Qalandars: Shaheen Shah Afridi, Fakhar Zaman and Daryl Mitchell (all platinum), Haris Rauf, Sikandar Raza and Kusal Perera (all diamond), Abdullah Shafique, Jahandad Khan and Zaman Khan (all gold), David Wiese, Asif Ali, Asif Afridi, Muhammad Akhlaq and Rishad Hossain (all silver), Momin Qamar and Momin Azab (both emerging), Muhammad Naeem, Salman Ali Mirza and Tom Curran (all supplementary).

Islamabad United: Shadab Khan and Naseem Shah (both platinum), Azam Khan, Imad Wasim and Jason Holder (all diamond), Haider Ali, Salman Ali Agha and Ben Dwarshuis (all gold), Colin Munro, Rumman Raees, Andries Gous, Mohammad Nawaz and Salman Irshad (all silver), Hunain Shah, Muhammad Faiq and Saad Masood (both emerging), Kyle Mayers and Riley Meredith.