DUBAI: Inspired Sandeep Lamichhane’s brilliant spin bowling, Lahore Qalandars improved their playoff aspirations in the HBL Pakistan Super League when they crushed Quetta Gladiators by eight wickets here at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday.

For the Sarfraz Ahmed-led Gladiators, who head the six-team standings, it was a second straight loss after they fell prey to Colin Ingram’s sensational 59-ball 127 that helped Karachi Kings win in Sharjah on Sunday night.

The leaders, put into bat for second time on the trot, dismally failed to post a healthy total when they were shot out for 106 in 19.1 overs. Barring Ahsan Ali, the top scorer with 33 from 25 balls with three boundaries and a brace of sixes, and Sarfraz (29 off 27 balls, one four), Mohammad Nawaz was the only other batsman to enter double figures with an 18-ball 12.

Shane Watson, Rilee Rossouw and Umar Akmal — the Gladiators’ main source of big scores — all fell prey to Lamichhane, the first player from Nepal to participate in the PSL.

The 18-year-old leg-spinner trapped Watson for seven, had Rossouw (0) caught and then cleaned up Umar (1) before removing debutant Danish Aziz (1) to finish with magnificent figures of four wickets for 10 runs — his best return in T20 cricket while improving upon 3-11.

Upcoming fast bowler Haris Rauf also made his presence felt with the wickets of Nawaz and Fawad Ahmed to end up with 2-23.

The Qalandars’ response to the chase got off to a shaky start when Fakhar Zaman was held at point by Ahsan to give Hyderabad-born 18-year-old debutant Mohammad Hasnain his first wicket. After starting with a wide, the paceman had Fakhar (2) playing a loose shot.

Gauhar Ali, the tall wicket-keeper/batsman, slammed three fours and one six in making 21 off 15 deliveries but he was bowled by left-arm England paceman Harry Gurney to leave Qalandars 3302.

But Haris Sohail, who was playing his first game since December, and A.B. de Villiers put the result beyond doubt for the Qalandars. The pair added 74 without being parted. Haris contributed 33 with his 42-ball innings including three fours, while de Villiers timed the ball sweetly to strike seven boundaries in his 38-ball 47.

The Qalandars, who had come into this game in fifth spot, moved to fourth following this success, their third in the league.

The Gladiators, who had won the first encounter in Sharjah against the Qalandars courtesy of Sarfraz’s last-ball six off David Wiese, now have to get back to winning ways because despite topping the standings at this point, they are still not guaranteed a playoff spot if they keep on losing.

Scoreboard

QUETTA GLADIATORS:

S.R. Watson lbw b Lamichhane7

Ahsan Ali run out33

R.R. Rossouw c Wiese b Lamichhane8

Umar Akmal b Lamichhane1

Danish Aziz c Haris b Lamichhane1

Sarfraz Ahmed c Lamichhane b Yasir29

Mohammad Nawaz c de Villiers b Haris12

Sohail Tanvir b Shaheen7

Fawad Ahmed b Haris0

Mohammad Hasnain run out0

H.F. Gurney not out0

EXTRAS (W-8)8

TOTAL (all out, 19.1 overs)106

FALL OF WKTS: 1-33, 2-43, 3-45, 4-47, 5-53, 6-90, 7-98, 8-101, 9-105.

BOWLING: Yasir Shah 4-0-32-1; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3.1-0-16-1 (4w); Lamichhane 4-0-10-4; Wiese 2-0-18-0; Fakhar Zaman 2-0-7-0; Haris Rauf 4-0-23-2 (3w).

LAHORE QALANDARS:

Fakhar Zaman c Ahsan b Hasnain2

Gauhar Ali b Gurney21

Haris Sohail not out33

A.B. de Villiers not out47

EXTRAS (LB-2, W-2)4

TOTAL for two wkts, 16.3 overs)107

FALL OF WKTS: 1-4, 2-33.

DID NOT BAT: Sohail Akhtar, C.J. Anderson, D. Wiese, Yasir Shah, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Haris Rauf, S. Lamichhane.

BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir 3-0-15-0; Mohammad Hasnain 4-0-29-1 (2w); Gurney 2-0-13-1; Fawad Ahmed 4-0-23-0; Mohammad Nawaz 2-0-13-0; Rossouw 1-0-6-0; Danish Aziz 0.3-0-6-0.

RESULT: Lahore Qalandars won by eight wickets.

UMPIRES: R.E.J. Martinesz (Sri Lanka) and Shozab Raza (Pakistan).

TV UMPIRE: Asif Yaqoob (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees (Pakistan).

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Sandeep Lamichhane.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2019