Dubai: Quetta Gladiators once again proved they are a powerful outfit through an emphatic eight-wicket victory over Karachi Kings at the Dubai International stadium. After restricting Karachi to 147 for 7, Quetta won the match with 16 balls to spare after openers Ahmed Shehzad and Luke Wright put on a 92-runs partnership. Kevin Pietersen then added 46 runs in five overs with Shehzad, who cracked 71 runs off 46 balls with five boundaries and four sixes.
Wright hit 47 off 39 balls with four boundaries and two sixes while Pietersen steered the team past the target through an unbeaten 29 off 17 balls with two sixes, which included the winning six, and one boundary.
For the second time in succession, Quetta won the toss and elected to field. Opening bowler Anwar Ali picked an early wicket by dismissing opener Nauman Anwar for a second successive duck in the league with the last ball of his first over. Anwar top-edged to Zulfiqar Babar at third man.
Lendl Simmons, fresh from his unbeaten 62 against Lahore Qalandars on Friday, hit Ali for a six over mid-wicket. James Vince too smacked Umar Gul over long-leg for another six but Mohammad Nawaz ended Simmons’ knock by having him caught at long-off by Anwar Ali for 11. In the tenth over, Mohammad Nabi got Vince, who was playing very well, stumped by his skipper Sarfraz Ahmad for 30.
Nabi also took the prized wicket of inform Shakib Al Hasan, who had also hit a half century against Lahore on Friday, by bowling him with a beautiful delivery for 17.
Skipper Shoaib Malek joined Ravi Bopara. They picked the gaps well and slowly accelerated the run rate. Bopara hit Umar Gul for two boundaries in the 15th over. Malek lifted Babar over the sightscreen for a six in the 17th over. The pair put on 69 runs in 7.4 overs before Ali had Bopara hitting a full toss to substitute Saad Nasim at mid-wicket for 40. Malek too followed in the same over, run out for 37.
Quetta opener Wright and Shehzad began confidently. Wright hit two boundaries off Shakib in the second over. Left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir, fresh from his hat-trick against Lahore, bowled his first two overs brilliantly before Shehzad pulled Sohail Tanvir for a six to deep mid-wicket. In the seventh over, Wright pulled Shakib in the air, but Iftikhar Ahmad, leaping high, juggled and dropped the catch. Wright and Shehzad hit Shakib for two sixes in the ninth over and after Malek too was whacked for a six and a boundary off successive balls, Quetta got to 82 in first ten overs.
Wright fell to a brilliant catch by leaping Nauman at long-on off Wasim for 47 after he put on 92 runs in 11 overs. With 56 runs needed from 54 balls, Pietersen walked in. Shehzad reached his half-century by lifting Wasim for a six over long on.
Brief scores:
Quetta Gladiators bt Karachi Kings by 8 wickets. Karachi Kings 147 for 7 in 20 overs (James Vince 30, Ravi Bopara 40, Anwar Ali 2 for 33, Mohammad Nabi 2 for 32. Quetta Gladiators 153 for 2 in 17.2 overs. (Ahmed Shehzad 71, Luke Wright 47, Kevin Pietesen 29n.o) .
Today’s matches:
3.30 pm: Islamabad United versus Karachi Kings
8pm: Quetta Gladiators versus Peshawar Zalmi.
