PSL 2017, Match 14, Review: Lahore Qalandars pip Islamabad by 1 wicket in last over thriller

The 2017 edition of the PSL is reaching the business end of the tournament. With just 10 matches remaining in the season, the defending champions Islamabad United took on the Lahore Qalandars in the 14th match of the tournament. There were no surprises on the deck as the team winning the toss would have obviously chosen to bowl first. The Lahore skipper Brendon McCullum was the lucky man at the toss as he won the toss and elected to field first. Islamabad United still could not find a place for Samuel Badree in the lineup.

They rested Sam Billings and drafted in English batsman Ben Duckett in his place in the playing eleven. The other three overseas players remained the same – Shane Watson, Brad Haddin and Dwayne Smith. The Qalandars, on the other hand, rested Jamed Franklin and Jason Roy from the team. Cameron Delport and Grant Elliott got place in the lineup in addition to McCullum and Sunil Narine.

It was Dwayne Smith and Rafatullah Mohmand who opened the innings for Islamabad on the day. Smith, after having scored a fifty in the previous match, looked in good touch.

The openers added 30 runs for the first wicket before Aamer Yamin sent Rafatullah packing on 18 (13) in the fourth over. Brad Haddin’s horrendous run in the tournament with the bat continued as he was cleaned up by Yamin in his next over on just 1. In walked Duckett to join Smith at the crease. Things only got worse for the defending champions as Yasir Shah was introduced to the attack. He dismissed Smith on 20 (17) in the 7th over to have Islamabad on the back foot with 41/3 on the board. Skipper Misbah Ul Haq was the new man in.

Misbah and Duckett showed some brief resistance before perishing in space of 6 deliveries. Yasir bowled Duckett on 14 (21) and Misbah became the third scalp for Yamin after scoring 16 off 13 balls. It was some late hitting from Shadab Khan, who was well supported by Amad Butt, to help Islamabad post a decent 145/8 on the board. Shadab scored 42 off just 24 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes. Aamer Yamin was the pick of the bowlers with figures of 3/17 in his 4 overs.

The target was a modest one and the Qalandars were expected to steamroll the opposition. However, a top order failure saw them in dire straits early on in the innings. Cameron Delport was promoted to open the innings with McCullum. Both batsmen could manage to score just 12 and 11 respectively before being dismissed by Mohammad Irfan and Rumman Raees. Inform batter, Fakhar Zaman, perished cheaply as Shadab Khan managed to get him out lbw on 6.

Umar Akmal came in at 4 and was joined by Mohammad Rizwan, who came in at number 5. Rizwan’s stay was cut short by Shane Watson on 3. Mohammad Irfan Jr was unlucky to be dismissed run out by Watson on a duck after having faced just one delivery. At 69/5 in 11.2 overs, the Qalandars had a mockery of the run chase. The only optimistic point for them was the presence of veteran batsman Umar Akmal. He was joined by Grant Elliot at the crease.

Both batsmen batted along to add 40 runs for the 6th wicket. En route the resurrecting partnership, Umar Akmal reached his fifty in quick time. The fifty came in as a much-needed relief as he was having a dry season leading up to this game. It was Shadab Khan who provided the breakthrough for the Islamabad side as he dismissed the set batsman Akmal in the 17th over. Akmal scored 66 off 42 balls with 8 fours and 3 sixes. He had almost pocketed the game for his side with his knock.

Sunil Narine came to the crease and hit two sixes first up to bring the equation down to 14 needed off the last 14 deliveries. The Narine blitz ended soon, though. It was Rumman Raees who dismissed him on 12 (5) and then got rid of Sohail Tanvir (1) in the penultimate over to have the Qalandars 8 down. Aamer Yamin was dismissed on the first ball of the last over to make equations even more complex. 6 was needed off the last 5 balls with Elliot and Yasir Shah at the crease.

Mohammad Sami had the cherry in hand to defend 6 or take a wicket. It was the Elliott who clobbered a length delivery over the long on fence to seal the match for Lahore Qalandars in style. Elliott remained unbeaten on 26 off 17 balls with 2 fours and a six.

Brief Scores:

Islamabad United 145/8 in 20 overs (Shadab 42, Smith 20, Yamin 3/17, Yasir 2/27)

Lahore Qalandars 146/9 in 19.2 overs (Umar Akmal 66, Elliott 26*, Raees 3/26, Shadab 2/28)