Darreny Sammy led Peshawar Zalmi thrashed the Quetta Gladiators by 58 runs in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2017 final Sunday at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
What was to be an intensely competitive final battle turned into a one-sided game, as the Gladiators buckled under the pressure of a 149-run target set by the Zalmi.
The Gladiators made a dismal start to their innings, with only one run in the first over, losing Morne Van Wyk to a run-out on the third ball of the second.
The Zalmi, in contrast, kicked off their innings with three solid boundaries smacked by opener Kamran Akmal.
And although the Zalmi recovered after their middle order fell with a resurgence driven by skipper Darren Sammy, Quetta did not, as wickets continued to fall thick and fast, with all out in the 16th over.
Zalmi’s Kamran Akmal and Sammy were the heavy hitters in this game, with opener Akmal racking up a quick 40 before his dismissal, and Sammy closing the Zalmi innings with 28 runs—22 of which were boundaries (three sixes and 1 four).
Quetta Gladiators’ bowler Rayad Emrit was a force to be reckoned with in the first innings, taking three wickets—Mohammad Hafeez, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Malan—with an economy of 31 runs off four overs. Mohammad Nawaz conceded just 15 runs off his four overs, taking one wicket.
Gladiators batsmen Sarfraz Ahmed, SM Ervine and Anwar Ali each scored over 20 runs apiece, contributing a large chunk of the runs to the team’s finishing score of 90 runs.
Zalmi bowlers Mohammad Asghar and Wahab Riaz shined in the game, with the former taking three wickets and conceding 16 runs, while the latter took two wickets off 13 runs.
The ICC Spirit of Cricket Award was presented to Islamabad United skipper Misbah-ul-Haq at the closing ceremony. Misbah received the award in December last year. But as Ramiz Raja said, “It’s a matter of pride” for the team.
“I am very much happy and I would like to thank the ICC, all the Pakistan boys, and the fans. It’s all about their spirit and the discipline. I am receiving this on the behalf of the whole team. I am really delighted I am in Lahore for this final. Many congratulations to Peshawar for winning it. Congratulations to Quetta for reaching the finals back-to-back,” said Misbah.
Zalmi skipper Sammy was declared man of the match.
Sohail Khan was declared the best bowler of the tournament.
Kamran Akmal was declared the best wicketkeeper, best batsman and man of the tournament.
“Credit to team management and players. Definitely, I am knocking on the doors of selection. I carried a lot of confidence from domestic cricket. I didn’t perform well in the initial matches, but the management kept their faith in me,” said Kamran.
