Dubai: Islamabad United emerged as the first champions of the first Pakistan Super League through a superlative performance defeating Quetta Gladiators by six wickets on Tuesday.
Riding on the splendid knocks from Dwayne Smith’s 73 runs off 51 balls with seven fours and four sixes and Brad Haddin’s sparkling unbeaten 61 runs off 39 balls with two boundaries and five sixes , Islamabad won the match with eight balls to spare.
Quetta had posted an impressive 174 for 7 through Ahmad Shehzad’s 64 runs off 39 balls with nine four and one six and Kumar Sangakkara’s 55 runs off 32 balls with seven fours and two sixes but that was not enough to stop Islamabad from lifting the glittering trophy. Skipper Misbah Ul Haq hit the winning run.
Islamabad won the toss and elected to field, owing to the fact that Quetta batsmen are known to be good chasers. With the third ball of the first over, the seven-feet-one inch tall Mohammad Irfan made the ball swing and bounce to have opener Bismillah Khan play into the hands of wicketkeeper Brad Haddin for a duck.
Kevin Pietersen and opener Ahmad Shehzad put on 33 runs in the next four overs before Andre Russell made Pietersen on 18 hit high to Asif Ali at deep square leg. Ali took a spectacular tumbling catch, diving to his front. This dismissal brought in Kumar Sangakkara and by the 10th over, Quetta were 68 for 2.
In the 11th over, Shehzad on 38 escaped being caught by Imran Khalid as he dropped a high hit offered off the bowling of Irfan. Sangakkara began to stroke fluently and a six off Mohammad Sami timed brilliantly over the covers was a beauty.
Quetta went past the 100 run mark in the 13th over. Sangakkara reached his half century in 30 balls with a six off Dwayne Smith. He got out lofting Russell to Khalid at long on. Shehzad too reached his 50 in 35 balls.
Next man Mohammad Nawaz lasted only five balls before being bowled by Samuel Badree for 7. Shehzad too became a Sami victim, scooping an easy catch to Badree at square leg for 64.
Quetta reached 150-run mark with three more overs to go. Sami bowled a brilliant 19th over giving away just four runs. Russell gave away 15 runs in his last over with Elliott hitting the last ball of the innings for six over mid-off.
Chasing the total, Sharjeel Khan, carrying the confidence from his last match century, began confidently. He hit a six off the last ball of the first over from Anwar Ali by pulling him effortlessly over mid-wicket. Dwayne Smith hit Nathan McCullum for two boundaries in the second over. The pair batted comfortably and put on 54 runs in 5.4 overs before McCullum clean bowled Sharjeel for 13 while going for wild swing.
Smith maintained the run flow and reached his half century in 32 balls. Haddin too began to hit out and lifted Elliott for a six over mid-wicket.
Smith on 53 would have fallen had Anwar Ali managed to hold on to a catch off Mohammad Nawaz at long on. In the first ten overs, Islamabad were 83 for 1, needing 92 runs in the next ten overs.
Haddin hit Nawaz for a straight six and when Elliott bowled a slower one he again hit him over long on. In the same over, he hit Elliott from the middle of his bat for another huge six. When Haddin hit Zulfiqar Babar for six over mid-wicket, Islamabad reached 45 runs for victory from the last 36 balls.
Haddin reached his half century in 31 balls. Smith fell for 73, top edging Babar to Pietersen at backward point.
Twenty-eight runs needed off the last 24 balls, Russell too departed, bowled by Aizaz Cheema for 7. Haddin continued to smash the bowlers to steer his team to the target.
Brief scores:
Islamabad United bt Quetta Gladiators by six wickets. Quetta 174 for 7 in 20 overs (Ahmad Shehzad 64, Kumar Sangakkara 55, Mohammad Irfan 2 for 25, Andre Russell 3 for 36) Islamabad 175 for 4 in 18.4 overs (Dwayne Smith 73, Brad Haddin 61n.o).
