Watson, bowlers star as Quetta drub Islamabad
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.