Rawalpindi (Web Desk): Quetta Gladiators set 217-run target for Peshawar Zalmi in the second match of the tenth season of Pakistan Super League (PSL 10) at Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
The foundation of this massive total was laid by a fiery opening partnership between skipper Saud Shakeel and debutant Finn Allen, who tore into Zalmi’s attack from the get-go.
The pair wasted no time finding the boundary ropes, racing to 67 without loss inside the first six overs, stamping their authority early in the innings.
Finn Allen, playing his maiden PSL game, made an immediate mark with a ruthless display of power-hitting. His most explosive moment came in the seventh over when he dismantled Sufiyan Muqeem, plundering 23 runs to bring up a scintillating half-century off just 24 balls.
But just as the Gladiators looked to tighten their grip, Muqeem had the final say in the same over, removing Allen for a whirlwind 53 off 25 balls, ending an 88-run opening stand that had set the tone for the innings.
Hasan Nawaz stepped in at one-down and quickly found his rhythm alongside Shakeel, who continued to anchor the innings with poise.
The captain soon brought up his third PSL fifty, reaching the milestone in 35 deliveries as the pair added crucial runs in the middle phase. Their partnership of 63 was broken in the 16th over when Shakeel mistimed one off young speedster Ali Raza and walked back for a well-crafted 59. Gladiators were 151 for 2 at that stage.
Hasan Nawaz followed suit shortly after, falling for 41 off 32 balls to a sharp delivery from Alzarri Joseph, with Quetta sitting at 158 for 3 in the 17th over.
Despite the double blow, the Gladiators’ momentum never dipped, as Rilee Rossouw and Kusal Mendis launched a late assault.
The left-right pair unleashed a flurry of boundaries, stitching together a brisk 58-run stand that pushed the total well past 200. Rossouw remained unbeaten on 21 from 10, while Mendis lit up the death overs with a cameo worth 35 off just 14 balls.
For Zalmi, the bowling attack looked short of answers. While Sufiyan Muqeem, Alzarri Joseph, and Ali Raza managed to pick up a wicket apiece, none of them could stem the run flow as the Gladiators marched to 216 for 3, setting up a pulsating chase for the Rawalpindi crowd.
Teams
Quetta Gladiators: Finn Allen, Hasan Nawaz, Kusal Mendis (wk), Saud Shakeel (cap), Rilee Rossouw, Shoaib Malik, Faheem Ashraf, Kyle Jamieson, Abrar Ahmed, Mohammad Amir, Usman Tariq
Peshawar Zalmi: Babar Azam (cap), Saim Ayub, Mohammad Haris (wk), Tom Kohler-Cadmore, Max Bryant, Mitchell Owen, Hussain Talat, Alzarri Joseph, Mohammad Ali, Sufiyan Muqeem, Ali Raza