KARACHI, Pakistan, CMC – A polished 47 from new West Indies One-day International captain Shai Hope trumped an explosive 48 from England international Jason Roy, and Lahore Qalandars conquered Quetta Gladiators by 63 runs in the Pakistan Super League yesterday.
Hope, batting at four, struck five fours and one six in a 32-ball knock that was the cornerstone of the Qalandars’ 198 for six after they were put in to bat in the 10th match of the tournament at the National Cricket Stadium.
Roy smashed one four and five sixes from 30 balls, but the rest of the Gladiators batting failed to fire, and they were restricted to 135 for eight.
Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi produced a left-arm swing bowling master class to lead the rout with 3-22 from his allotted four overs, and Twenty20 globetrotter David Wiese supported with equally damaging figures of 3-23 from his four overs.
Afridi removed opener Abdul Bangalzai lbw for a duck with his fourth delivery, but Roy, batting at three, paced Gladiators to 49 for one at the end of the Power Play in tandem with New Zealander Martin Guptill.
Things started to unravel in the next over, when Guptill was caught at short third man off Wiese, and Gladiators started to 72 for three at the halfway stage, but no one could give them the impetus to keep up with the scoring rate, and the chase floundered in the second half of the innings.
It was the second win in three matches for Qalandars, and they are now second in the six-team table on four points – two behind leaders Multan Sultans.
Earlier, Hope came to the crease in the final over of the Power Play with Qalandars 62 for two, having lost Mirza Baig for 31 and Fakhar Zaman for 22 in the span of six balls.
The Barbadian wicketkeeper-batsman and Kamran Ghulam carried Qalandars to 108 for two at the halfway mark of the innings and they added 56 for the third wicket to set the platform for a flourishing finish from their side.
Ghulam stumped off Afghanistan leg-spinner Qais Ahmad for 21 in the 12th over, and Hope was caught at deep mid-wicket off West Indies pacer Odean Smith three overs later.
Qalandars were 146 for four, and Zimbabwean all-rounder Sikandar Raza hit 32 from 16 balls to beef up their total.
