LAHORE: Lady luck was smiling brightly on young Hasan Nawaz here at the Gaddafi Stadium Saturday night.
It was a genuine thriller as in-form Quetta Gladiators looked to upstage table toppers Islamabad United on a track which had everything for all.
Medium-pacer Mohammad Shahzad was given the ball to bowl the final over with Gladiators needing 15 to win.
Shahzad off his own bowling dropped Hasan who top edged a short ball. The very next ball, captain Salman Ali Agha floored a difficult chance in the slip as the batters took two runs. The 22-year-old Hasan lifted the pacer for a six over long-off before wicket-keeper Andries Gous in confusion failed to gather the ball while running towards third man, giving Hasan yet another life as the batters added two more.
Hasan — who made a superb 64 not out off 41 balls with four sixes and two fours — had the last laugh on the penultimate ball as the right-hander smashed a slightly short delivery for a six over backward square leg giving Gladiators a memorable win besides lifting them to top of the table. They now have 11 points from eight games while United have 10 in as many matches.
Chasing 158, Gladiators got off to a swift start but lost both the openers inside the first four overs.
Captain Saud Shakeel was caught nicely by Mohammad Shahzad at point off paceman Salman Irshad on the last ball of the third over.
Fast bowler Naseem Shah, who was hit for a couple of fours by Finn Allen in the second over, came back to dismiss the batter in the fourth over who was caught by Jason Holder. Gladiators were now 28-2. Allen made 20 off 13 balls.
One-down batter Rilee Rossouw thumped pacer Jason Holder for four fours as Gladiators crossed the half-century mark to end the powerplay at 53-2.
Following a 52-run partnership off 38 balls with Hasan Nawaz, Rossouw’s 27 off 24 knock ended in a horrible run-out in the 10th over. The left-hander failed to return to the non-striker’s end after being sent back by his partner who was not interested in a run after playing a shot to short fine leg.
Mark Chapman did not last long and, looking to play a lofted shot, was caught by Haider Ali at long-on off Nawaz in the 11th over as Gladiators slumped to 84-4.
A massive six by Hasan off Nawaz over long-on helped Gladiators reach 100 in 12.2 overs.
Haseebullah Khan (seven) was caught by Gous off a Holder’s back-of-length ball just outside the off stump in the 14th over. The batter reviewed the decision but the on-field umpire’s call was upheld.
Faheem Ashraf (six) was caught brilliantly by Holder off Salman Ali Agha at short cover while Kyle Jamieson’s (three) wicket was claimed by pacer Salman as United ended the 16th over at 117-7. Mohammad Wasim’s cameo (16 off 11) was ended by Naseem Shah in the 19th over.
Earlier, United posted a decent 157-9 after being asked to bat first.
Sahibzada Farhan and Kyle Mayers gave United a brisk 58-run stand inside the powerplay.
In-form Farhan, who cracked pacer Kyle Jamieson for a six over widish mid-wicket in the very first over, clearly looked more aggressive than his partner — smashing fast bowler Khurram Shahzad for a six in the fourth over before hitting paceman Mohammad Wasim Junior for a four and then back-to-back sixes over fine leg in the fifth over as United cruised to 50 in 4.5 overs.
After pulling mystery spinner Abrar Ahmed for a maximum in the sixth over, Mayers was cleaned up on the very next ball. He made 22 off 17 as United ended the powerplay at 59-1.
After the departure of Mayers, United kept losing wickets.
Medium pacer Faheem jolted United with a double strike in the ninth over.
First, he dismissed Colin Munro (nine off 13) who was caught by wicket-keeper Haseebullah and then sent captain Salman Ali Agha (naught) back to the pavilion as the batter top-edged a short ball which was caught by Mark Chapman at deep square leg. United were now 70-3.
Saud, the part-time slow left-arm spinner, in the next over bowled a dangerous-looking Farhan who failed in his attempt to play a slog sweep. Farhan made 39 off 24 balls with the aid of four sixes and a couple of fours.
Faheem excelled again with two wickets in the 13th over.
The pacer picked up his third wicket when he bowled wicket-keeper/batter Andries Gous (eight). Two balls later, Shahzad (zero) fell as Saud took a stunning catch while diving to his right at extra cover that left United 91-6 in 13 overs.
Mohammad Nawaz, who was dropped by Jamieson off Faheem at long-on in the 13th over, took full advantage of the chance plundering 49 off 34 with help of five sixes and a four.
In the process, he alongside Haider (10) added a crucial 39 runs off 26 balls for the seventh wicket before the latter was caught by Rossouw at long-on off Khurram.
After touching 100 mark in 15.1 overs, United accelerated scoring courtesy Nawaz’s calculated hitting.
Having hit Jamieson for a maximum in the 11th over, Nawaz smashed Abrar for a six in the 16th over; the left-hander in the next over lifted Faheem for two more sixes and then struck a six and a four off Jamieson in the last over before getting caught brilliantly by Haseebullah. Jason Holder made 14 not out off 11.
Faheem picked up 4-25 in three overs.
SCOREBOARD
ISLAMABAD UNITED:
Sahibzada Farhan b Saud 39
Kyle Mayers b Abrar 22
Colin Munro c Haseebullah b Faheem 9
Salman Ali Agha c Chapman b Faheem 0
Andries Gous b Faheem 8
Mohammad Nawaz c Haseebullah b Jamieson 49
Mohammad Shahzad c Saud b Faheem 0
Haider Ali c Rossouw b Khurram 10
Jason Holder not out 14
Naseem Shah run out (Haseebullah) 1
EXTRAS (LB-2, W-3) 5
TOTAL (for nine wickets, 20 overs) 157
DID NOT BAT: Salman Irshad
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-58 (Mayers), 2-70 (Munro), 3-70 (Salman), 4-77 (Farhan), 5-91 (Gous), 6-91 (Shahzad), 7-130 (Haider), 8-156 (Nawaz), 9-157 (Naseem).
BOWLING: Jamieson 4-0-35-1, Khurram 4-0-29-1, Wasim Jr 4-0-33-0 (1w), Abrar 4-0-29-1 (1w), Faheem 3-0-25-4, Saud 1-0-4-1 (1w).
QUETTA GLADIATORS:
Saud Shakeel c Shahzad b Salman 7
Finn Allen c Holder b Naseem 20
Rilee Rossouw run out (Nawaz) 27
Hasan Nawaz not out 64
Mark Chapman c Haider b Nawaz 2
Haseebullah Khan c Gous b Holder 7
Faheem Ashraf c Holder b Salman Agha 6
Kyle Jamieson c Nawaz b Salman 3
Mohammad Wasim Jr c Gous b Naseem 16
Abrar Ahmed not out 0
EXTRAS (LB-2, W-5) 7
TOTAL (for eight wickets, 19.5 overs) 159
DID NOT BAT: Khurram Shahzad.
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-28 (Saud), 2-28 (Allen), 3-80 (Rossouw), 4-84 (Chapman), 5-104 (Haseebullah), 6-112 (Faheem), 7-117 (Jamieson), 8-143 (Wasim Jr),
BOWLING: Mayers 1-0-3-0, Naseem 4-0-31-2 (1w), Salman 4-0-31-2, Holder 4-0-40-1 (3w), Nawaz 4-0-20-1, Salman Agha 2-0-16-1 (1w), Shahzad 0.5-0-16-0.
RESULT: Quetta Gladiators won by two wickets.
CURRENT STANDING
Tabulated under (Teams, matches, wins, losses, points, net run-rate)
Gladiators 8 5 2 11 0.906 United 8 5 3 10 0.650
Qalandars 8 4 3 9 1.110
Kings 7 4 3 8 0.445
Zalmi 7 3 4 6 -0.507
Sultans 8 1 7 2 -2.597
Published in Dawn, May 4th, 2025
