The second week of the 2023 edition of the Pakistan Super League saw some big scores and some incredible matches, highlighted by the incredible rollercoaster that was the first meeting between Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings. The halfway point of the league stage has now been reached, with Islamabad United and defending champions Lahore Qalanders chasing down the early pace-setters Multan.
Match by match mini reviews
Match 9 - Quetta Gladiators vs Peshawar Zalmi
Jason Roy took his time getting into his innings as he got off the mark off his ninth ball, crashing one over the covers. Martin Guptill then skied his compatriot Jimmy Neesham off the last ball of the powerplay for 12 off 15 as Quetta ended the first six on just 28-1.
Shortly after, Usman Qadir went straight through Roy with a googly as the England international's struggled ended on 14 off 23. Mohammad Nawaz then missed a sweep off Qadir and was adjudged lbw, with the decision upheld on review as Quetta slipped to 42-3 at halfway.
A fifty partnership between Sarfaraz Ahmed and Iftikhar Ahmed came up in 39 balls with Quetta 88-3 with five to go. Sarfaraz was then yorked by Arshad Iqbal for 39 off 30, leaving Quetta 111-4 with 19 balls left. The Gladiators had managed to score 70 in overs 14-18, with Iftikhar's fifty coming off 34 balls. All in all, another brilliant final ten overs from Quetta dug them out of a hole again as Iftikhar, along with Odean Smith (25 off 12), saw them up to 154-4.
A sparkling start saw Zalmi to 29 after two but Mohammad Hasnain struck to remove Mohammad Haris for 18 off 9. Saim Ayub was then out lbw next ball for a golden duck as Quetta managed to drag themselves back into the game. Hasnain then got another as Tom Kohler-Cadmore sliced one down to third man for nine. Then, captain Babar Azam was trapped lbw by Nawaz for 19 with Zalmi 67-4 in the eighth.
Neesham reverse swept for four first ball then struck his next ball for six in a hasty start. Peshawar were 93-4 at halfway, needing just 62 from the final ten. Naseem Shah dismissed Rovman Powell for 36 off 23 with an absolute snorter, before Neesham's aggressive innings ended on 38 off 23 after he picked out deep midwicket after he took 16 from the first four balls of Qais Ahmed's over. Despite losing six wickets, Peshawar were able to enjoy a fairly comfortable chase to win with nine balls to spare.
Match 10 - Lahore Qalanders vs Quetta Gladiators
Lahore got off to a strong start but a heavy ball from Smith produced a nick from Fakhar Zaman for 22 off 14, with he and Tahir Baig just shy of fifty partnership at 49-1 midway through the fifth. Baig then skied one off Nawaz after lofting one over cover for six the ball before and goes for an attractive 31 from 15. Another progressive partnership ended with Kamran Ghulam stumped off Qais for 21 off 17. before another heavy ball from Smith removed his West Indies teammate Shai Hope for 47 from 32.
Qais then got another as Hussain Talat was unable to get it over long-off as his quickfire 26 off 13 was cut short. Hasnain then went right through David Wiese as Quetta began to reign in Lahore slightly. In the end, just 45 was scored in the final five overs, despite an unbeaten 32 from 16 from Sikandar Raza; Lahore ended on 198-6.
Abdul Bangalzai was nailed first ball by a full ball from Shaheen Shah Afridi. In at number three, Roy was peppered early on as he was on the other end of three reviews in his first five balls; all three were unsuccessful from the Qalanders. Roy then hit three sixes off Haris Rauf's first over, before Guptill sliced one to short third man for 15 off 18. Roy was then knocked over by Rashid Khan for an improved showing of 48 off 30.
Iftikhar skied one to long-on for six off ten to reduce QG to 93-4 in the 13th. Nawaz then fell in similar fashion in the next over for just two as he could only pick out deep midwicket. Yet another skied delivery saw Mohammad Hafeez gone for 25 as Quetta faltered further. The innings petered out with Quetta finished on 135-8 as the Qalanders ran out winners by 63 runs.
Match 11 - Multan Sultans vs Karachi Kings
Yet another fifty partnership between Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood was brought up, with Masood himself bringing up his fifty off 31 balls a few overs later. He was out shortly after, sweeping Shoaib Malik out to deep square leg. One of the most consistent performers in world cricket, Rizwan, brought up another fifty, this time in 42 balls.
Then, an incredible Guptill-like acceleration from Rizwan saw him scorch to a hundred in 60 balls, taking just 18 balls to get from his half-century to his century. With three balls remaining, fellow in-form batter Rilee Rossouw was out for 29 off 21 after smoking one to extra cover where Imad Wasim took the catch. Led by Rizwan, Multan finished on 196-2 with the man himself unbeaten on 110.
In response, Karachi started sharply, bringing up the team fifty in just 22 balls. James Vince took his normal game up a notch, bringing up an incredible fifty in just 20 balls. Having raced to 72-0 in the powerplay, Matthew Wade was out plumb lbw immediately after for 20 off 14. Then, as Vince was set to continue on his very merry way, a horrible run out saw him gone for 75 off 34. From that pivotal moment, all momentum was lost through the middle overs.
Imad, though, was not about to let up. Despite the required rate beginning to boom, Imad played a great captain's innings to give Karachi a chance. Malik, however, was unable to support effectively as he fell to a great diving catch from Kieron Pollard for just 13 off 19. Having needed in excess of 60 from the final four overs, the Kings were only able to get the equation down to 22 off 6. That was when the already-unpredictable game went into overdrive.
Abbas Afridi, tasked with bowling the final over, sent down a shoulder-high full toss to Imad which the Kings skipper promptly, and impressively, bunted over midwicket for six. With the no-ball, the equation was suddenly down to a much more manageable 15 in six. Ben Cutting then launched a huge (107m) six to get it down to just seven off four. The Australian could then only pick out Pollard at long-off to leave it at six needed off two with new batter Niazi on strike. He could only manage one and, with five needed off the last ball, Imad could only get a single as Multan won an incredible rollercoaster battle by three runs.
Match 12 - Peshawar Zalmi vs Islamabad United
Peshawar Zalmi breezed through an electric powerplay to reach 69-0 after six overs. Haris' strong innings ended via a leading edge that looped straight back to Shadab Khan. Mubasir Khan then went straight through Ayub for three, before Hasan Ali knocked Kohler-Cadmore's off stump out the ground as Zalmi lost another in quick succession. Then, two balls later an action replay saw Powell gone for a duck with his middle stump rearranged at 87-4 in the tenth.
Hasan got another as Neesham feathered an edge behind to Azam Khan, with Peshawar falling to 99-5. Among the falling of wickets, Babar brought up his fifty off 33 balls, but he again began to run out of partners as Dasun Shanaka picked out deep square leg for 11. Wahab Riaz then chopped on as Babar lost his seventh partner. The Zalmi captain finished 75 not out from 58 balls, with PZ ending on 156-8.
Colin Munro castled for nine after a quick Islamabad start, with the fifty brought up in 25 balls. IU ended the powerplay on a mammoth 80-1, with Ramanullah Gurbaz getting to his fifty in just 24 balls; 62 out of United's 80 came in boundaries. Gurbaz sliced Qadir to long-off as he departed for an excellent 62 from 31 with IU 98-2 early in the ninth over.
With Islamabad 112-2 at halfway, the chase was effectively over, but Shadab was dismissed cheaply before Rassie van der Dussen was narrowly run out for 42 from 29. In the end, a classic Asif Ali innings (29* off 13) helped to ease IU to a big win by six wickets with 31 balls remaining.
Match 13 - Islamabad United vs Quetta Gladiators
A good running catch from Iftikhar removed Gurbaz early on for eight from eight. Hasnain then got his second as he went right through van der Dussen, who missed an attempted scoop. After the powerplay, Islamabad were sitting at a very modest 39-2. Shadab chopped on for 12 off the bowling of Smith, before youngster Aimal Khan cleaned up Munro for 38 off 22, leaving United somewhat on the ropes at 77-4 after ten overs.
The 100 was brought up in 13 overs, with Azam reaching his fifty off 29 balls. With Azam and Asif at the crease, a strong score could never be counted out. Indeed, they put on an incredible stand, with their 98-run partnership coming in just 47 balls. The fifth-wicket stand ended with Asif chipping a low full toss to Guptill at long-on for 42 off 24. Azam, though, continued to smoke the ball to all parts.
An incredible slog sweep off a 140kph delivery sailed for a third consecutive six (this one 102m) in the penultimate over. Azam's jaw-dropping innings finished on 97 from 42 as he was finally outfoxed with a slower one from Smith off the last ball of the innings. United scored an unbelievable 92 off the last five overs, leaving them at a huge 220-5.
Fazalhaq Farooqi produced a pearler to get through Guptill's defences first ball, before the impressive Abrar Ahmed got rid of Roy lbw for five. Shortly after, Abrar picked up the wicket of Will Smeed for 17 off 11 as he missed a slog sweep. Having provided some impetus into the innings, Mohammad Hafeez found deep cover for 48 from 26 as a key hope for Quetta went at 95-4 in the 11th.
With 94 needed from 30, Sarfaraz missed a sweep and was dismissed for 41 from 36 off Shadab. Nawaz then departed a few balls later as the Quetta innings began to fizzle out, Iftikhar played a good hand for 39 off 26 but he perished after mistiming a low full toss to long-off. Hasan Ali then produced a double wicket maiden in the 19th, before QG finished 157 all out as Islamabad won by 63 runs.
Match 14 - Karachi Kings vs Multan Sultans
Another flying start from Vince ended when he skied Anwar Ali to David Miller at mid-on for 27 off just 12 balls. A watchful yet productive innings continued from the Kings, with the hundred brought up after 12 overs. Tayyab Tahir's first outing of the season saw him bring up a fifty in 33 balls, before the man of the moment Ihsanullah pinned him for 65 from 45 as Karachi reached 141-2 at the 17-over mark.
Miller then shockingly shelled a chance to remove Malik, before Ihsanullah castled a scratchy Wade with a 151kph delivery, the Australian departing for a rather slow and uncharacteristic 46 off 47. He did, though, help to somewhat set a platform and Karachi were in the end able to get up to 167-3.
Masood's brisk start ended with 25 off 16 after a successful Karachi review for caught behind. Part-time off-spinner Malik (3.3-0-16-3) produced a peach to get rid of in-form Rossouw for just seven. Miller then located long-off off the bowling of his South Africa teammate Tabraiz Shamsi (4-0-18-3) for seven to reduce Multan to 70-3 at halfway. The first ball after saw Rizwan get a leading edge off Malik for 29 off 25; the first time in six innings this season to be dismissed without passing 50.
Shamsi, playing his first game since the recently-concluded SA20, then got another as he went through Khushdil with a beautiful googly, before snaring one more as Usama Mir failed to get enough on a shot to long-off as the Sultans fell to 88-6 in the 14th. Imad Wasim then essentially sealed the game when it was his turn to produce a jaffa as Carlos Brathwaite departed. In the end, a rare off day for Multan saw them all out for 101, with the Kings exacting revenge to win by 66 runs.
Match 15 - Lahore Qalanders vs Peshawar Zalmi
It was a slow start for the Qalanders, with Baig being bowled by Wahab for five after missing a pull. Indeed, after the powerplay Lahore were sat at a solid if unspectacular 46-1. Making his first appearance of the season, Pakistan Test opener Abdullah Shafique brought up his fifty in 31 balls. He then continued to accelerate the scoring, along with Fakhar, somewhat belatedly in the latter's case.
Wahab then got Shafique at the end of an expensive 19-run over for 75 off 41, with Fakhar reaching another fifty, off 32 balls. All of a sudden, with Fakhar cutting loose, Lahore found themselves in a very strong position at 159-2 after 15. Indeed, between overs 13 and 17, Lahore scored 84; the 200 was brought up in just 17.2 overs.
Powell's bowling-based misery ended as Fakhar failed to get past Bhanuka Rajapaksa at extra cover, the PSL run machine just ending up short of what would have been a sensational hundred, scoring 96 off 45. At the other end, Sam Billings had dovetailed wonderfully with Fakhar and he duly hit the last ball of the innings for six to finish on 47 from 23, with Lahore finishing on an enormous 241-3.
Shaheen's first ball sensationally broke Haris' bat, before his next ball saw his international teammate's off stump sent cartwheeling. Shaheen then went straight through his opposite number Babar in his next over. Despite losing their elite pair of openers, Zalmi still reached 63-2 after the powerplay. The fifty partnership between Ayub and Kohler-Cadmore was brought up in 29 balls, with the latter taking Rashid for 18 off the ninth with PZ 101-2. Kohler-Cadmore brought up his fifty in 21 balls in the midst of a second consecutive 18-run over to see Peshawar to a very strong 119-2 at halfway.
Next ball, though, a great slower ball from Rauf removed Kohler-Cadmore for 55 off just 23. An incredible six off Rauf saw Ayub to fifty in 31 balls, before Rashid removed Ayub three balls later for 51 off 34. Still, though, Zalmi had remained in the chase having reached 160-4 after 15 overs. Rajapaksa then hit an enormous six before chipping his next ball to long-on to depart for for 24 off 14.
Then, with 71 needed from 26, Powell was castled by a Zaman Khan slower ball for 20 off 15 as Shaheen (4-0-40-5) got his fifth with Neesham nicking behind. Despite a strong start, it was always likely going to be an uphill battle for Peshawar and they ended on 201-9, handing Lahore a 40-run win.
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