DUBAI: A record partnership between Rilee Rossouw and Sarfraz Ahmed inspired Quetta Gladiators to a second straight victory in the 2017 HBL PSL in Dubai on Saturday night, while leaving Karachi Kings still searching for their first.

After Quetta’s chase for 160 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium was rocked by Sohail Khan, who dismissed Ahmed Shehzad and Kevin Pietersen off successive balls and added Asad Shafiq to his haul soon after to leave them tottering at 30-3, Rossouw and captain Sarfraz both registered half-centuries while putting on 130 from 91 deliveries without being separated to seal a resounding seven-wicket win.

The feature of their magnificent batting was the brilliant running between the wickets as Rossouw made 76 off 53 balls with seven boundaries and three sixes and Sarfraz 56 off 42 with four fours and one six. Remarkably, it was Quetta’s first 100-plus stand in PSL, while Rossouw, the ex-South African left-hander, picked up his second man-of-the-match award on the trot.

Earlier after being put into bat, Karachi Kings, who lost to Peshawar Zalmi by the same margin on Friday night, began their innings circumspectly to reach just 37-2 in the Powerplay overs. The responsibility of ensuring a fighting total fell on the shoulders of Babar Azam, who saw the big-hitting Chris Gayle falling for 10 to an acrobatic return catch by Thisara Perera (3-34).

Babar and Kumar Sangakkara (25) added 44 — the highest partnership of the innings — and after the captain left, Babar carried on to complete 50 (off 42 balls, four fours and one six) before the young Pakistan right-hander was run out.

Scoreboard

KARACHI KINGS:

Shahzaib Hasan c and b Mills 19 C.H. Gayle c and b Perera 10 Babar Azam run out 50 K.C. Sangakkara c Hassaan b Perera 25 K.A. Pollard c Pietersen b Nawaz 14 Shoaib Malik c Nawaz b Perera 15 R.S. Bopara c Zulfiqar b Mills 16 Imad Wasim not out 6 Sohail Khan run out 2

EXTRAS (LB-1, W-1) 2

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 159

FALL OF WKTS: 1-28, 2-35, 3-79, 4-97, 5-123, 6-141, 7-152, 8-159.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Amir, Abrar Ahmed.

BOWLING: AnwarAli 4-0-37-0 (1w); Mills 4-0-21-2; Zulfiqar Babar 4-0-25-0; Perera 4-0-34-3; Hassaan Khan 2-0-14-0; Mohammad Nawaz 2-0-27-1.

QUETTA GLADIATORS:

Asad Shafiq c Malik b Sohail 11 Ahmed Shehzadc Pollard b Sohail 11 K.P. Pietersen c Sangakkara b Sohail 0 R.R. Rossouw not out 76
Sarfraz Ahmed not out 56

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-3, NB-1) 6

TOTAL (for three wkts, 19.1 overs) 160

FALL OF WKTS: 1-23, 2-23, 3-30.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Nawaz, N.L.T.C. Perera, Hassaan Khan, Anwar Ali, T.S. Mills, Zulfiqar Babar.

BOWLING: Mohammad Amir 4-0-27-0 (1w); Imad Wasim 3-0-27-0; Sohail Khan 4-0-23-3; Abrar Ahmed 2-0-19-0; Bopara 4-0-30-0 (1w); Pollard 1.1-0-23-0 (1nb); Shoaib Malik 1-0-9-0.

RESULT: Quetta Gladiators won by seven wickets.

UMPIRES: Aleem Dar and Rashid Riaz.

TV UMPIRE: Ahmed Shahab.

MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Rilee Rossouw.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2017