Recent Match Report – Zalmi vs Qalandars Eliminator 2 2022/23

Lahore Qalandars 176 for six (Baig 54, Billings 28, Omarzai 2-31) beat Peshawar Zalmi 171 for five (Haris 85, Babar 42, Zaman 2-20) through 4 wickets

In the primary 4 years of the PSL, the Lahore Qalandars squad would had been on vacation, or again house in entrance of the small screen television through this degree of the contest. But the ones darkish days are a far off reminiscence now, with the protecting champions sweeping previous a valiant problem from Peshawar Zalmi through 4 wickets to guide their spot of their 3rd ultimate in 4 years.

Zalmi opted to bat on the toss, absolutely cognisant that the Qalandars had been but to win chasing this season, and no chasing facet had triumphed but on the Gaddafi Stadium this 12 months. Saim Ayub was once wiped clean up early through Zaman Khan, however Babar Azam and Haris struck up a majestic partnership to set a platform. Haris was once in excellent placing shape over again, a six and a 4 off the primary 3 balls he confronted from Shaheen a remark of intent. Babar joined in from the opposite finish and through the tip of the powerplay, Zalmi had submit 54, set as much as cross larger.

Babar didn’t take your next step up, regardless that, and his strike charge stalled. Haris Rauf was once exhausting to break out within the center overs, however Haris clobbered Rashid Khan for 14 in his first over to stay Qalandars below drive. Even Babar went after Rashid with a couple of obstacles to kick off his 2d. But Rashid hit again, taking two wickets in his 3rd, breaking the stand with Babar’s wicket and eliminating Tom Kohler-Cadmore for a duck. And whilst Haris persevered to membership away, plundering some other 13 off Rashid’s ultimate over, the runs from the opposite finish had been drying up.

Shaheen had held Haris again for 3 overs on the demise, and Zalmi discovered him tricky to break out. David Wiese’s diversifications in tempo, too, proved difficult to assault, whilst, crucially, Shaheen nabbed Haris off the overall ball of his spell. The younger Zalmi batter had saved his strike charge up, however as he departed for 85, Zalmi’s momentum was once ebbing away. Haris stated on the midway mark that the 171 that they had posted was once neatly above par, however the Qalandars were not to be fooled.

Baig were given the Qalandars working with a six within the first over, however Zalmi had an enormous step forward instantly. Fakhar Zaman swung and ignored as Azmatullah Omarzai hit center stump, and rookie allrounder Azmat Hafeez departed quickly after following a breezy 15. Abdullah Shafique, too, was once simplest on the crease for a twinkling of an eye, contributing a 31-run stand with Baig earlier than a combination up ran him out.

But Zalmi would possibly had been lulled right into a false sense of safety with those common breakthroughs. The Qalandars did not have an enormous person scorer a l. a. Haris, or one giant stand just like the Babar-Haris partnership, however those small cameos and gritty partnerships had been furtively knocking off the runs. Sam Billings and Baig placed on 50 in 28 balls to ensure the run charge was once now not a subject matter earlier than Baig feathered one thru off Aamer Jamal, however the fit scenario was once arrange completely for finishers like Billings and Sikandar Raza.

They would not be there until the very finish, however they were given shut sufficient. There was once a 28-run partnership, and a 28-ball 21 for Billings complemented through 23 off 14 from Raza. Both had their stumps knocked again with the Qalandars nonetheless a trickle of runs away, however the dam Zalmi had arrange in defence in their overall had in any case burst.

The coup de grace was once delivered, in taste, through the Qalandars’ swaggering younger captain, a wallop over mid-on adopted through a lofted immediately power for 6 through Shaheen Afridi to seal the win. He held that Adonis-like pose for exaggerated impact because the Qalandars booked their spot within the ultimate, a repeat of final 12 months’s trophy fit between the protecting champions and Multan Sultans. He might but cross on to carry the trophy over again.