LAHORE: Young Muhammad Nafay played a match-winning knock of 60 n.o. to help Quetta Gladiators eased past a challenging total of 187-7 by the reigning champion Lahore Qalandars for the second consecutive win of the HBL PSL 9 at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Monday. It was also the second loss for the Lahore Qalandars in as many matches.
22-year-old Nafay, who had occupied the crease at the fall of Saud Shakeel in the seventh over of the Gladiators’ innings, exhibited maturity and calm much beyond his years as he played with aggression and flair helped the team win the match with five balls to spare. Nafay played Shaheen, Haris Rauf and Zaman Khan with equal ease and hit the at will.
The Quetta Gladiators kept the required run-rate under control except for the first over their innings in which Shaheen Shah Afridi had conceded five runs. The Quetta, at no stage of the match felt threatened by the formidable line-up of Lahore Qalandars. Though the newly-appointed captain Rilee Rossouw 18 (13) did not score big for the second consecutive match but his influence could be seen in all areas of the match.
Saud Shakeel and Jason Roy once again started from where they had left against Peshawar Zalmi and hit another 69 runs partnership for the first wicket before Saud Shakeel fell for 40 (23) off a searing Zaman Khan yorker in the seventh over. Jason Roy followed his opening partner to the hut in the very next over when he played an ambitious stroke off Sikander Raza and lost his middle stump for 24 runs off 19 balls. The openers had amassed a huge opening partnership of 157 runs in their first match of the campaign against Peshawar Zalmi the other day.
Saud Shakeel, for the second night in a row, was the aggressor-in-chief and played an aggressive knock which culminated through a unplayable yorker from Zaman Khan. Sherfae Rutherford 14 (12), Sarfraz Ahmed 11 (8) and Akeal Hosein 9 n.o. made small contributions but these were sufficient to the team’s cause after Nafay’s heroics.
Though all bowlers except Jahandad Khan bagged a wicket including Shaheen, Haris, Zaman and Sikander Raza for the Qalandars but no bowler could stop the run-flow due to their own failings. Lahore Qalandars must rue the missed opportunities in the field. Jason Roy was dropped on 20 by Zaman Khan at the short third man off Jahandad Khan while Sarfraz was dropped at zero by wicket-keeper Sahibzada Farhan off the bowling of Haris Rauf. The Qalandars also conceded at 10-15 runs off misfielding.
With nothing to be proud of their innings except for the consecutive fifty plus runs for Sahibzada Farhan 62 (43) and a cameo from the 20 year all-rounder Jahandad Khan 45 (17) n.o. which helped Lahore Qalandars post a par total of 187-7. No other batter could make a significant contribution as the Gladiators’ bowlers kept the noose tightened. Mohammad Amir was once again able to keep the batsmen under check with his pace and guile but it was Akeal Hosein who bowled a miserly spell of four overs for 13 runs and claimed two wickets. Mohammad Hasnain also picked two wickets but he conceded 50 runs. Mohammad Wasim and Abrar Ahmed shared one wicket between them.
Young Khawaja Muhammad Nafay was adjudged Player of the Match for his match-winning and age-defying knock as two new future stars, Muhammad Nafay and Jahandad Khan, have made their credentials known to the world in this match.
Islamabad United haved travelled to Multan to play Multan Sultans at their home ground at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Tuesday (today) while no match will be played at the Gaddafi Stadium.