Dubai: Rilee Rossouw and skipper Sarfraz Ahmad steered Quetta Gladiators to a seven-wicket victory over Karachi Kings in the second match of the Pakistan Super League at the Dubai International stadium. Together they put on an unbeaten 130 runs partnership in 14.5 overs.
Restricting Karachi to 159 for 8 in 20 overs despite Babar Azam’s 50, Quetta won with five balls to spare. Rossouw remained unbeaten on 76 off 53 balls with three sixes and seven fours while Sarfraz remained unconquered on 56 off 42 balls with four boundaries and one six.
Quetta Gladiators won the toss and elected to field. Karachi opener Shahzaib Hasan and Chris Gayle put on 28 runs in 3.4 overs before Hasan got out caught and bowled by Tymal Mills for 19.
Gayle too followed at the score on 35 when Thisara Perera had him caught and bowled for 10.
Skipper Kumar Sangakkara and Babar Azam put on 44 runs in 6.2 overs before Sangakkara played Perera into the hands of Hasan Khan at deep point for 25.
Kieron Pollard lasted only seven balls to score 14 runs in which he even hit a six over bowler Mohammad Nawaz’s head. He also fell to Nawaz in the same over caught at long on by Kevin Pietersen. Next man Shoaib Malek began by hitting Nawaz for a six over long on but lasted only eight balls to score 15 runs. He lifted Perera to Nawaz at deep square leg.
Azam hit Perera for a six over deep mid-wicket and reached his 50 in 42 balls and also got run out. Ravi Bopara too followed after scoring 16 runs hooking Mills to Zulfiqar Babar at fine leg.
Chasing a run rate of 7.95 needed a good start. Asad Shafiq and Ahmad Shahzad put on 23 runs in 2.5 overs before Shahzad top edged Sohail Khan to Pollard at point for 11. Pietersen fell to the very next ball edging to wicketkeeper Sangakkara. Sohail also removed Shafiq forcing him to play to Shoaib Malek at backward point for 11 to take three wickets in four balls.
Rilee Rossouw, the hero of their victory over Lahore Qalandars on Friday through a knock of 60 runs, and skipper Sarfraz Nawaz settled down quickly. They kept the scoreboard moving. Rossouw raced to his second half century in a row.
Brief scores:
Quetta Gladiators bt Karachi Kings by 7 wkts. Karachi Kings 159 for 8 in 20 overs (Babar Azam 50, Kumar Sangakkara 25, Thisara Perera 3 for 34, Tymal Mills 2 for 15) Quetta Gladiators 160 for 3 in 19.1 overs (Rilee Rossouw 76n.o, Sarfraz Ahmad 56n.o, Sohail Khan 3 for 23)
