SHARJAH: In a replay between last year’s finalists of HBL Pakistan Super League, Peshawar Zalmi again sealed victory over Quetta Gladiators on Thursday night after a remarkable contribution from an incapacitated Darren Sammy.

In what should have been a cakewalk at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Peshawar lost three quick wickets at the backend of the chase. Sammy, forced to limp out to bat after injuring his knee while bowling, set about thrashing the bowlers. He smashed a couple of huge sixes before ending a pulsating encounter by striking Anwar Ali down the ground for a boundary on the fourth ball of the last over of the game.

Sammy’s four-ball 16 backed an excellent third-wicket partnership of 54 between star Bangladesh opener Tamim Iqbal (36 off 38 balls, three fours and one six) and Mohammad Hafeez (29 off 34, two fours and one six) after Dwayne Smith set the tone with a 14-ball cameo of 23 (four fours and one six) Earlier, Peshawar hardly put a foot wrong by restricting Quetta to 141-8.

The game was watched by a pair of Chinese cricketers, Jian Li and Yufie Zhang, who have been invited by the franchise owner Javed Afridi for training with the squad, Retired Australian all-rounder Shane Watson blazed his way to 47 from 32 deliveries. He was harsh on spinner Mohammad Asghar, clobbering him for four out of his five sixes. Asghar disappeared from the attack after going for 35 runs in two overs, including a hat-trick of sixes from the bludgeoning bat of Watson.

South African left-hander Rilee Rossouw was the only other Quetta batsman to play a meaningful knock of 37 from 25 balls, laced with two sixes and as many fours.

Sammy, who was voted man of the match for his courageous act, bagged two wickets as did Umaid Asif and Wahab Riaz, while young fast bowler Sameen Gul made a promising PSL debut with tidy figures of 1-20 in four overs.

The team standings remained unchanged after the match, with Quetta retaining their second place and Peshawar staying at fourth.

Scores in brief:

QUETTA GLADIATORS 141-8 (S.R. Watson 47, R.R. Rossouw 37; Wahab Riaz 2-16, Umaid Asif 2-18, D.J.G. Sammy 2-21); PESHAWAR ZALMI 143-5 in 19.4 overs (Tamim Iqbal 37, Mohammad Hafeez 29, D.R. Smith 23, D.J.G. Sammy 16 not out).

Published in Dawn, March 2nd, 2018