DUBAI: Quetta Gladiators extended their unbeaten streak to three by edging Peshawar Zalmi in a final-over thriller to firmly establish their position as the side to beat in the inaugural edition of the Pakistan Super League here on Sunday.

Quetta sneaked home in their chase of 136 with three wickets and a ball to spare, condemning the Zalmi to their first defeat of the event at the Dubai Inter­national Cricket Stadium.

The most-anticipated clash of the tournament so far lived up to its top billing. The match, that swung one way then another, appeared to be in Quetta’s grasp with Kevin Pietersen anchoring the chase.

But his dismissal for a 29-ball 35 in the 18th over with 18 runs still needed to give Peshawar more than a sniff at pulling a rabbit out of the bag. With 13 required off 7, Anwar Ali struck a timely six off Shaun Tait and then Elton Chigumbura picked up a boundary in the final over to send team mentor Sir Viv Richards and the Quetta dressing room into delirium.

Peshawar did very well to make a match out of it despite posting a sub-par 135.

For Quetta, Ahmed Shehzad started like he was continuing his last innings. He took Asghar for a four and a six and Quetta were up and running.

Skipper Sarfraz Ahmed looked particularly nervy in his stand with Pietersen evidenced by as many as three poorly-judged calls for singles.

Sarfraz fell as Afridi had him top-edging a sweep to deep midwicket and Peshawar sensed an opening.

Pietersen remained cool and made sure the asking rate never climbed above the number at the start of the chase. His dismissal swung the pendulum once again but Quetta still had the experience of Chigumbura to draw upon at the end.

Earlier, a quickfire 48 from Darren Sammy in a 57-run stand for the sixth wicket with Shahid Yousuf gave the Peshawar total a semblance of respectability after an uncharacteristic middle-order wobble.

Put in, Peshawar got off to a sedate start with Tamim Iqbal and Mohammad Hafeez adding 21 in the first four overs as Quetta skipper Sarfraz expertly alternated between Anwar and his spinners. Sammy fell two-short of a deserved 50 but Peshawar got to 135.

Scoreboard

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Tamim Iqbal c Nabi b Nawaz 14

M. Hafeez c Chigumbura b Nawaz 10

D.J. Malan c Sarfraz b Umar 18

Kamran Akmal c Nawaz b Zulfiqar 6

Shahid Yousuf c and b Nawaz 21

Shahid Afridi c Zulfiqar b Umar 0

D.J.G. Sammy c Nawaz b Anwar 48

Wahab Riaz not out 10

Junaid Khan not out 0

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-6) 8

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 20 overs) 135

FALL OF WKTS: 1-22, 2-24, 3-43, 4-59, 5-59, 6-116, 7-129.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Asghar, S.W. Tait.

BOWLING: Anwar Ali 4-0-38-1 (4w); Mohammad Nabi 4-0-29-0; Zulfiqar Babar

4-0-15-1; Mohammad Nawaz 4-0-29-3 (1w); Umar Gul 3-0-19-2 (1w); Akbar-ur-Rehman 1-0-3-0.

QUETTA GLADIATORS:

L.J. Wright b Afridi 16

Ahmed Shehzad c Kamran b Tait 16

K.P. Pietersen c Afridi b Junaid 35

Sarfraz Ahmed c Malan b Afridi 21

Mohammad Nawaz c Malan b Wahab 4

Akbar-ur-Rehman st Kamran b Asghar 11

Mohammad Nabi c Kamran b Wahab 9

E. Chigumbura not out 7

Anwar Ali not out 10

EXTRAS (LB-5, W-5) 10

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 19.5 overs) 139

FALL OF WKTS: 1-35, 2-35, 3-73, 4-79, 5-96, 6-116, 7-118.

DID NOT BAT: Umar Gul, Zulfiqar Babar.

BOWLING: Mohammad Asghar 4-0-27-1; Tait 4-0-32-1 (3w); Shahid Afridi 4-1-17-2 (1w); Wahab Riaz 3.5-0-29-2 (1w); Junaid Khan 4-0-29-1.

RESULT: Quetta Gladiators won by three wickets.

UMPIRES: Rashid Riaz (Pakistan) and Shozab Raza (Pakistan).

TV UMPIRE: J.S. Wilson (West Indies).

MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees (Pakistan).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Mohammad Nawaz (Quetta Gladiators).

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2016