DUBAI: Quetta Gladiators put another clinical performance to early pace in the HBL Pakistan Super League by cruising to a seven-wicket win over defending champions Islamabad United in Dubai on Sunday.

Quetta’s second straight triumph at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium was set up by incisive bowling of Sohail Tanvir and Fawad Ahmed and the belligerence from the bats of Shane Watson and Umar Akmal.

Sarfraz Ahmed hardly put a foot wrong when his decision to bowl first paid off handsomely as Luke Ronchi perished to the very first ball of the match before Sohail struck with the last delivery by holding a instinct return catch to dismiss the promoted Shadab Khan with no runs on the board.

Islamabad’s miseries multiplied when Rizwan Hussain was trapped LBW by spinner Mohammad Nawaz for five. But the holders made a splendid recovery from 8-3 to post 157-8 thanks to the efforts of Hussain Talat, Asif Ali and Wayne Parnell.

Hussain made an 18-ball 30 with the aid of four boundaries and a six while adding 50 for the fourth wicket with Cameron Delport (19) before Sohail held a tumbling catch to see off the South Africa ; Asif thumped a brace of sixes and as many fours in scoring 36 off 27 deliveries.

But at 117-7 in the 18th over when Asif was well caught on the fence by Nawaz, it seemed difficult Islamabad getting 150 but Parnell produced a series of powerful strikes to smash 41 from only 20 deliveries as the South African left-hander banged seven fours and hoisted a six until he was brilliantly taken on the run by Umar Akmal.

Sohail conceded 15 runs from his final but still finished with an excellent return of 4-21, the second successive four-for following Haris Rauf’s feat for Lahore Qalandars against Karachi Kings on Saturday night.

Pakistan-born Fawad, the former Australia leggie, was Quetta’s other bowling hero as the 37-year-old picked up three wickets for only 15 runs in his four overs.

Ahmed Shehzad’s miserable start to this tournament continued as the discarded Pakistan opener edged one onto the stumps when he played all over a Samit Patel delivery. But at least Shehzad didn’t fall without scoring on this occasion as he did two nights ago against Peshawar Zalmi.

After Rilee Rossouw provided Rumman Raees Khan his first wicket upon his return to competitive cricket after almost a year out the sidelines following that horrific knee injury during the game against the same opponents in Sharjah on Feb 28, Watson and Umar simply toyed with the Islamabad bowlers.

Luck was also on Quetta’s side on Sunday as Watson was bowled on 28 by Mohammad Sami but it was declared a no-ball since the former Pakistan paceman had dislodged the bails in his stride. Had that being a legitimate delivery, Quetta would have been three down for 75.

As it turned transpired, Watson was not going to give up as the former Australian all-rounder thrashed his way to an undefeated 81 with his 55-ball innings containing four sixes and six fours, including the winning runs.

Umar was well on course for a second consecutive half-century but upon reaching 44 off 28 balls (five fours and two sixes) he chose to throw his wicket by charging at Delport bt only managing to offer a high ball which was acrobatically held by the bowler himself.

Sarfraz (15 off 16 balls) ensured there would be no further room for dramatics as he and Watson carried their side to victory by putting 67 without being separated, result that helped retain Quetta the top spot in the six-team standings.

Islamabad’s second straight defeat in three matches leaves hovering in fourth spot

Scoreboard

ISLAMABAD UNITED:

L. Ronchi c Shehzad b Sohail0
Rizwan Hussain lbw b Nawaz5
Shadab Khan c and b Sohail0
C.S. Delport c Sohail b Fawad19
Hussain Talat b Fawad30
Asif Ali c Nawaz b Sohail36
Faheem Ashraf c Shehzad b Fawad1
W.D. Parnell c Umar b Sohail41
S.R. Patel not out15
Mohammad Sami not out2

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-3, W-1)8

TOTAL (for eight wkts, 20 overs)157

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-0, 3-8, 4-58, 5-76, 6-82, 7-117, 8-144.

DID NOT BAT: Rumman Raees Khan.

BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir 4-1-21-4 (1w); Ghulam Mudassar 3.4-0-37-0; Mohammad Nawaz 4-0-24-1; Mohammad Irfan Jr 4-0-47-0; Fawad Ahmed 4-0-15-3; Smith 0.2-0-6-0.

QUETTA GLADIATORS:

S.R. Watson not out81
Ahmed Shehzad b Patel2
R.R. Rossouw c Sami b Rumman10
Umar Akmal c and b Delport44
Sarfraz Ahmed not out15

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-1, W-3, NB-1)9

TOTAL (for three wkts, 18.2 overs)161

FALL OF WKTS: 1-7, 2-32, 3-94.

DID NOT BAT: D.R. Smith, Mohammad Nawaz, Sohail Tanvir, Mohammad Irfan Jr, Ghulam Mudassar, Fawad Ahmed.

BOWLING: Patel 3-0-15-1; Faheem Ashraf 3-0-24-0; Rumman Raees Khan 3.2-0-28-1 (1w); Parnell 1-0-16-0; Shadab Khan 4-0-38-0 (1w); Mohammad Sami 1-0-14-0 (1nb); Delport 3-0-21-1 (1w).

RESULT: Quetta Gladiators won by seven wickets.

UMPIRES: Asif Yaqoob (Pakistan) and R.E.J. Martinesz (Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: M.A. Gough (England).

MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees (Pakistan).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Shane Watson.

Published in Dawn, February 18th, 2019