Century from Fakhar, Firepower from Rauf Guide Lahore in Tight Contest
LAHORE: Defending champions Lahore Qalandars held their nerve to beat Quetta Gladiators by nine runs in a tightly fought PSL 11 clash at Gaddafi Stadium on Tuesday, registering their fourth win of the season.
Chasing a target of 198, the Gladiators fell short at 188 for 7 despite a strong batting effort, as Lahore’s bowlers delivered under pressure at the death.
Quetta’s innings began positively with openers Shamyl Hussain and captain Saud Shakeel putting on a brisk 49-run stand. The breakthrough came when Sikandar Raza removed Saud for 17 off 17 balls, which included three boundaries.
Shamyl then found support from Rilee Rossouw as the pair rebuilt the chase. The young opener impressed once again, reaching his third PSL half-century. His knock ended at 53 off 31 deliveries after a sharp run-out effected by Daniel Sams and completed by wicketkeeper Haseebullah Khan, leaving Quetta at 88 for 2 in under 10 overs.
Momentum shifted further when Haris Rauf dismissed Hasan Nawaz on the very next ball, leaving him without scoring. Rossouw, however, counterattacked in style and reached his 13th PSL fifty, keeping Quetta in the contest.
Rossouw’s explosive 62 off 29 balls, featuring multiple boundaries and sixes, ended when Ubaid Shah broke a 40-run stand with Khawaja Nafay. That wicket left the Gladiators at 149 for 5.
From there, the chase unraveled quickly. Bevon Jacobs fell cheaply to Shaheen Afridi, while Brett Hampton was cleaned up by a pinpoint yorker from Rauf, who picked up his second wicket of the night.
Abrar Ahmed tried to revive hopes with a quick 24 off 14 balls, but the required rate kept climbing. Needing 19 from the final over, Quetta could not pull it off as Haris Rauf bowled a composed last over, conceding just nine runs to seal the win for Lahore.
Earlier, Lahore Qalandars posted 197 for 6 after being put in to bat. Their innings had a shaky start when Khalil Ahmed dismissed Mohammad Farooq cheaply for 4.
Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique then steadied things with a 57-run partnership. Shafique made 14 before falling to Abrar Ahmed.
Fakhar took control of the innings, accelerating smoothly and bringing up his 26th PSL fifty. Alongside Charith Asalanka, he helped Lahore cross the 100-run mark and build momentum.
Asalanka contributed a fluent 31 before Brett Hampton broke their 96-run stand. Fakhar continued his dominance, eventually scoring a brilliant 103 off 51 balls with 11 fours and 6 sixes before being dismissed by Usman Tariq.
Late wickets fell as Sikandar Raza and Shaheen Afridi departed cheaply, while Daniel Sams added a quick unbeaten 18 to push Lahore close to 200.
