KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) — Quetta Gladiators finally sealed a playoff spot in Pakistan Super League cricket after four years as Mohammad Wasim pulled Shaheen Shah Afridi for a last-ball six and handed Lahore Qalandars a six-wicket defeat on Sunday.
Two-time defending champion Lahore’s disastrous season ended with only one win against Islamabad United in 10 league games. Fourth-place Quetta has 11 points and could still finish among the top two if it beats leader Multan Sultans in the final league game on Tuesday.
Quetta’s win eliminated Karachi Kings (8 points) from the playoffs race with Multan (12 points), Islamabad (11) and Peshawar Zalmi (11) also having advanced.
Opening batter Saud Shakeel anchored Quetta’s run chase of 169-4 with an unbeaten 88 off 65 balls that included two successive boundaries against Afridi (2-41) in the final over before Wasim smacked Lahore's captain over mid-wicket for a winning six off the last ball.
Left-arm fast bowler Jahandad Khan (2-30) squeezed Quetta’s chase in the first half of the innings with the wickets of Jason Roy (18) and skipper Rilee Rossouw (13) before Shakeel and Khawaja Nafay (26) put on a 70-run stand.
Earlier, Afridi hit 55 after promoting himself to No. 5 and Abdullah Shafique was 59 not out as Lahore made 166-4 after choosing to bat first.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier, Afridi hit 55 after promoting himself to No. 5 and Abdullah Shafique was 59 not out as Lahore made 166-4 after choosing to bat first.
{{/usCountry}}Colin Munro and captain Shadab Khan led Islamabad's epic run-chase against Multan as the two-time former champions qualified for the playoffs in a high-scoring game at Rawalpindi.
Munro smashed 84 off 40 balls and Shadab added 54 off 31 before Imad Wasim made a crucial unbeaten 30 to propel Islamabad to 232-7 for a three-wicket win in its last league game.
Earlier, Usman Khan posted his second successive century in the tournament as his unbeaten 100 off 50 balls anchored Multan to 228-4 after Shadab chose to field.
Usman smashed 15 fours and three sixes and shared two solid half-century stands with Johnson Charles (42) and Iftikhar Ahmed (13).
Islamabad had a bumpy start when David Willey found the thick outside edge of Alex Hales’ bat and fast bowler Mohammad Ali (2-44) snapped a brilliant one-handed return catch to dismiss Salman Ali Agha.
Munro and Shadab then put the chase back on track with a 141-run stand as they countercharged against the tournament’s leading wicket-taker Usama Mir (0-68) and Chris Jordan (1-42).
___
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket