Lahore (SBR):Qalandars handed Islamabad United an 88-run defeat to register their fourth win in the HBL PSL X here at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Wednesday evening.
Qalandars’ blazing performance was headlined by all-round prowess of Sikandar Raza (3-20 & 39) and Haris Rauf’s blistering four-for as they went to the second spot of the points table.
Islamabad were bundled out for 121 in 16.5 overs as they lost nine wickets for a mere 41 runs in 44 balls. After Shaheen Shah Afridi removed Sahibzada Farhan in the third over – his 300th T20 scalp, USA batter Andries Gous (41, 27b, 2x4s, 3x6s) and Salman Ali Agha (36, 25b, 2x4s, 3x6s) gathered 69 runs for the second wicket.
United’s batting collapse began with the fall of Salman as he was castled by Sikandar in the 10th over. Haider Ali fell to a spectacular catch by Tom Curran off the bowling of Asif Afridi in the 12th over.
Haris, who also completed 300 wickets in T20s, pinned Azam Khan leg-before in the 11th over and then returned to deliver a double-wicket over dismissing Gous and Jason Holder to reduce United to 104-6.
Player of the match Sikandar got rid of Ben Dwarshuis and skipper Shadab in the 16th over, while Haris removed Naseem to cap off a brilliant win for Qalandars.
Earlier, Lahore Qalandars romped to their second highest total of the HBL PSL X posting 209-6 in 20 overs as all of their top six batters fired. Opening batters Fakhar Zaman and Mohammad Naeem (25, 22b, 4x4s, 1x6) laid the tone for the big total with a 36-ball 50-run stand.
Fakhar, who top-scored for his team with 44 off 30 balls inclusive of five fours and two sixes, stitched another valuable partnership of 47 runs with Abdullah Shafique (22, 17b, 3x4s) to take their team to 97-2 in 10.4 overs.
Imad Wasim, who was the standout bowler for United with figures of 2-26, removed both Fakhar and Abdullah in 11th and 13th overs, respectively. Daryl Mitchell, batting at no.4, kept the run-flow intact as he smashed two fours and as many sixes in his 18-ball 28-run knock before falling to Dwarshuis in 17th over.
With 145 runs on the board in 16.1 overs, Sikandar and Sam Billings went berserk ransacking 64 runs off the next 23 balls. Sikandar smashed 39 off 17 balls with the help of three fours and three maximums, while Billings remained unbeaten in breezy 38 off 17 balls hitting four sixes and one four. Apart from Imad, Jason Holder snapped two wickets.
Lahore Qalandars will now face Quetta Gladiators in the evening fixture of tomorrow’s double-header at the Gaddafi Stadium.
