CRICKET
PSL: Ahsan Ali and Naseem Shah shine as Quetta beat Karachi Kings.
Naseem Shah’s magnificent spell knocked over Karachi Kings for only 113 runs.
In reply, the openers provided another brilliant start to Quetta that helped them chase the total comfortably with 8 wickets and 25 balls to spare.
Quetta Gladiators also opened up their account in the tournament with this victory while Karachi Kings lost both of their 1st two matches.
Karachi Kings 17.3 overs 113 all-out
Babar 32 (29) Naseem 5-20 Imad 26 (22) Tanvir 2-29
Queeta Gladiators 15.5 overs 114-2
Ahsan 57*(43) Imran 1-23 Smeed 30 (35)
Queeta Gladiators registered a convincing win against the Karachi Kings in the 4th match of Pakistan Super League due to a brilliant all-round performance.
The 18-year-old pacer Naseem Shah picked up a fifer to bowled out Karachi on just 113 runs.
The experienced Sohail Tanvir also claimed 2 wickets.
Quetta Gladiators comfortably chased down the total as Ahsan Ali scored back-to-back half-centuries in the first 2 matches.
Sohail Tanvir started the rot for Karachi Kings by picking up 2 wickets in only the 3rd over of the match.
He first dismissed the dangerous Sharjeel Khan on just 10 runs and after the gap of only 2 deliveries, Tanvir bowled out Joe Clarke who scored only 2 runs.
Naseem Shah’s outstanding spell
The young Naseem Shah was the star with the bowl for Gladiators as he claimed a brilliant 5 wicket haul which is also his maiden fifer in the PSL.
He destroyed the middle-order of Karachi Kings by dismissing Lammonby, Nabi, and Gregory in his first 2 overs. Lammonby and Nabi fell in his very first over.
After dismissing the Kings on just 113 runs, the Quetta Gladiators’ openers provided another positive start to their team.
The opening pair added 51 runs for Queeta in the powerplay without losing wickets.
Ahsan Ali and Will Smeed were excellent with their shot selections and both of them played fluently to score 76 runs for the first wicket.
Ben Duckett then joined Ahsan Ali but he didn’t have a long stay at the crease as he got run-out after scoring only 2 runs.
The skipper Sarfaraz Ahmad struck some boundaries to get his side over the line.
A half-century from Ahsan Ali
Ahsan Ali remained unbeaten on 57 runs off 43 balls.
He is having a great start to the PSL season 7 as he has smashed two outstanding half-centuries in the first 2 matches.
Ahsan Ali shared 76 runs in his partnership with Will Smeed for the first wicket.
He thrashed 8 boundaries in his knock of 57 runs that helped Queeta to win the match.
If Ahsan Ali continued to play like this in the tournament, he can make his comeback into the Pakistan cricket team.