365 Sporting Days

Match 2 of the re-started PSL 5 was the first of 2 eliminators for a place in the final, waiting for the winner of the second eliminator will be Karachi Kings, the team I’ve supported since the start.

The line ups!

Lahore Qalanders

• Sohail Akhtar (c)
• Fakhar Zaman
• Tamim Iqbal
• Mohammad Hafeez
• Ben Dunk (wk)
• Samit Patel
• David Wiese
• Muhammad Faizan
• Shaheen Afridi
• Haris Rauf
• Dilbar Hussain

Peshawar Zalmi

• Imam ul-Haq (wk)
• Haider Ali
• Faf du Plessis
• Shoaib Malik
• Sohaib Maqsood
• Hardus Viljoen
• Wahab Riaz
• Carlos Brathwaite
• Saqib Mahmood
• Rahat Ali

Sohail won the toss for Lahore and put Peshawar in to bat. One of the highlights of this PSL, played in Pakistan in its totality has been the number and quality of overseas players joining the home grown players, this match featured 2 particularly special talents in Tamim Iqbal and Faf du Plessis, it was just sad that the virus has meant there could be no crowds to watch them!

Imam and Haider opened for Peshawar, disappointingly Haider was out for a duck as he was bowled by another of Pakistan’s bright young stars Shaheen, that saw Peshawar on 1 for 1 after just 2 balls. maqsood in at 3 faced 1 balls for his 16 before he was caught by Fakhar from the bowling of Hussain. Imad who faces criticism at times for his strike rate made 24 from 19 balls before he was caught and bowled by Wiese. Peshawar were 54 for 3 in the 9th over.

Faf du Plessis – one of my favourite players, was joined by Shoaib Malikand the pair put on 29 before du Plessis was caught by Dunk from the bowling of Hussain, he’d scored 31 from 25 balls. Imran in at Six made just 8 before he was caught by Fakhar, a second wicket for Wiese. Peshawar were 96 for 5 in the 13th over.

Carlos Brathwaite, a name that makes England fans quiver shared a partnership of 33 with Shoaib; but bith fell in the space of 4 balls. Shoaib was caught by Dunk from the bowling of Hussain for 39 and Brathwaite was caught by Hafeez from the bowling of Shaheen for 10. That all added up to 131 for 7 in the 17th over.

Viljoen and Wahab were at the crease, with Wahab departing for a Duck, caught by Akhtar from the bowling od Rauf. In common with the first match of the day the score accelerated in the last 2 overs as Viljoes made 237 from 16 balls before he too was caught by Akhtar from the bowling of Rauf. A very competitive total of 170 for 9 – you’d think!

Pakistan announced their squad for the tour to New Zealand and some may have been surprised by the inclusion of Fakhar, that disquiet won’t have been calmed after he was out for just 6, caught by Imam from the bowling of Lancashire man Mahmood. 18 for 1 wasn’t the best start in chasing 170!

Tamim won’t have played much cricket this year so it may have been a risk to bring him in for such a key game, he was out in the same manner as Fakhar for just 18 albeit from just 10 balls. Mahmood was enjoying himself and he struck a third time to dismiss Akhtar for 7. Lahore were in some trouble on 33 for 3 in the 5th over.

However the 40 year old Hafeez (Professor) was at the crease, I have a times been vocal about both his and Shoaib’s inclusion in the international squads, but, credit where it’s due, Hafeez is on fire in this format, he knows how to get a game won!

More of Hafeez in a moment – Ben Dunk came late to the tournament but sits third in the runs total, he contributed 20 to this run chase before he was caught by by Brathwaite from the bowling of Imran. Samit Patel, another of my favourites also scored 20 before he was caught by Viljoen from the bowling of Rahat. Lahore were 130 for 5 in the 16th over.

David Wiese is a big hitter and he hit 2 mighty sixes to finish the game off; but it was the 74 from 46 balls scored by Hafeez that saw the Lahore Qalanders through to the second elimination match against Multan Sultans for a place in the final. A shout out for Hafeez he sits second in the runs table, with just Babar ahead of him.