Quetta Gladiators 190 for 5 (Roy 50, Cutting 42*, Sarfaraz 33, Abdullah 2-17) beat Islamabad United 187 for 7 (Ingram 63, Naseem 2-23) by five wickets
Quetta Gladiators pulled off PSL 2020’s highest successful chase on the back of Ben Cutting’s unbeaten 17-ball innings of 42, that helped them chase Islamabad United’s 188-run target in a five-wicket win. The result keeps them on top of the tournament points table.
When Sarfaraz Ahmed was out at the start of the 16th over, Gladiators needed a further 55 runs in 29 balls, but Cutting’s two fours and four sixes – in the company of Mohammad Nawaz – sealed the win with two balls to spare.
Cutting makes full use of Roy, Sarfaraz innings
Despite losing Shane Watson early in their chase, holing out to deep midwicket, the other Gladiators opener Jason Roy consolidated with a 38-ball fifty to keep them within the scoring rate.
Ahmed Shahzad entertained with two sixes off Shadab Khan but was out for his five-ball cameo of 12, stumped trying a third big shot while Azam Khan did not last long either. Azam, in particular, was bogged down by the accumulation of dot balls, bowled by Ahmed Safi Abdullah. Roy’s six fours and two sixes though took Gladiators past the 100-run mark in the 12th over, but he fell in the same over when he struck Abdullah into the hands of long off.
Sarfaraz, the Gladiators captain, then find the gap intermittently to hit 33 off 20 balls, but when he fell in the 16th over, the required run-rate was more than 11. That’s when Cutting took charge, first collecting 11 off Rumman Raees’ 17th over and then smacking 17 off Faheem Ashraf’s 18th. That made the equation 16 off 12 balls, which Cutting finished with two sixes in the 20th over to earn their third win in four games.
Second half of first innings hurts United
After 14 overs, Islamabad United were cruising. At 140 for 4, Colin Ingram was on 42 while Asif Ali had just walked in to cause more damage, but three wickets in the next three overs deflated United’s second-half flourish, making only 33 runs in the last five overs.
The innings had begun with Luke Ronchi crunching 11 runs in four deliveries to hand United a flying start but was bowled by Naseem Shah early. Dawid Malan followed Ronchi back two overs later, but Colin Munro held one end up hitting Mohammad Hasnain and Naseem to all parts. Although Munro fell inside the Powerplay, by the time he was out, United were at 52 for 3 and positioned for a sizeable total.
United’s No. 5 Ingram picked up from where Munro left off. His leg-side play saw many boundaries hitting the midwicket fence, and he anchored United’s innings thereafter.
With six overs to go, they were prepared for an assault that would take United past 200, but the dismissals of Asif and Ashraf in quick succession exposed their lower order, forcing Ingram to change his approach. Despite 15 runs off the final over, which helped Ingram reach his 39th T20 fifty, all United could manage was 187. It turned out to be too little on a true batting surface.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo