LAHORE, Pakistan: Opening batters Jason Roy and Saud Shakeel shared a beefy 157-run stand as a reshuffled Quetta Gladiators made a triumphant start in Pakistan Super League cricket with a 16-run win over Peshawar Zalmi on Sunday.
Multan Sultans, which lost last year’s PSL thrilling final against Lahore Qalandars by one run, later opened its campaign with a thumping 55-run victory against allrounder-heavy Karachi Kings.
Roy scored a breezy 75 off 48 balls and lefthander Shakeel, who waited for 33 games to get his first opportunity in the PSL, made an equally fine 74 off 47 deliveries that lifted Quetta to 206-5.
Babar Azam (68) and Saim Ayub (42) provided Peshawar with a brisk start of 90 off 51 balls before Peshawar’s chase wobbled in the latter part of the innings and was eventually held to 190-6.
Quetta’s new captain Rilee Rossouw of South Africa was one of the major changes Quetta had made this season. It relieved its long-time skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed after failing to qualify for the playoffs for four successive seasons.
Quetta has also brought in the Australian duo of Shane Watson as its head coach and Shaun Tait as bowling coach while also picking Mohammad Amir in the draft for the first time after the left-arm pace bowler played the last eight seasons for Karachi Kings.
Amir (1-29) bowled brilliantly upfront and was duly rewarded with the late wicket of Rovman Powell in his last over.
Peshawar hit back briefly at the death through Salman Irshad (3-38) after Englishman Luke Wood broke the tall opening stand when Shakeel holed out to Babar. Roy was splendidly caught low at midwicket when he couldn’t clear Irshad’s low full toss as Quetta lost four wickets for 34 runs.
Ayub was needlessly run out in the ninth over and leg spinner Abrar Ahmed (2-29) picked up the key wickets of Babar and Tom Kohler-Cadmore (18) in one over to seal the game for Quetta.
MULTAN STARTS WITH A WIN
Multan’s overseas signings Reeza Hendricks of South Africa and Englishman Dawid Malan struck half centuries in the home team’s challenging total of 185-2 after Karachi won the toss and elected to field.
Veteran Shoaib Malik struck 53 off 35 balls and Karachi’s newly installed captain Shan Masood struggled for his 30 off 31 balls against his former franchise as Multan restricted its opponent to 130-8 in 20 overs.
West Indian power-hitter Kieron Pollard (28 not out) was the other batter to reach double-figures in an otherwise lackluster performance by former champion Karachi.
Hendricks struck an unbeaten 79 off 54 and Malan made a resolute 52 as both set up a strong total with a 121-run second-wicket stand. Malan fell soon after completing his half century when he holed out in the deep off Daniel Sams’ slower delivery, but Khushdil Shah provided a late flourish with a 13-ball 28 not out.
Fast bowler Mohammad Ali (3-23) ran through Karachi’s lower order and David Willey (2-22) chipped in with the wickets of James Vince and Saad Baig off successive deliveries in his second over as Karachi’s chase never got going against Multan’s pace.
