Lahore Qalandars ease to victory over Peshawar Zalmi

Fakhar Zaman, scoring his third 50-plus knock in as many matches, Mohammad Hafeez (37 off 19) and Rashid Khan (22 off 8) helped the Qalandars post 199 for 4, a total which proved out of reach for Peshawar Zalmi

Karachi Kings: Lahore Qalandars 199-4, Peshawar Zalmi 170-9 – Lahore Qalandars won by 29 runs

Lahore Qalandars moved up to second in the Pakistan Super League table after completing a routine 29-run victory over Peshawar Zalmi.

Runs from Fakhar Zaman, who scored his third 50-plus knock in as many matches, Mohammad Hafeez and Rashid Khan helped the Qalandars post 199 for 4 from their 20 overs before a miserly showing from skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi (2 for 19) and three wickets from Zaman Khan restricted Peshawar to 170 for 9.  

With six of the previous eight matches won by the side bowling first, Zalmi skipper Wahab Riaz understandably sent Lahore in to bat after winning the toss.

However, the decision quickly backfired with form batter Zaman and opening partner Abdullah Shafique putting on a rapid 94 (60 balls) for the first wicket.

Shafique was removed for 41 on the stroke of drinks, caught by Hazratullah Zazai off Usman Qadir, and 14 balls later, Zaman departed for 66 (38) after miscuing a slower ball to Ben Cutting at deep midwicket.

^{Fakhar Zaman on his way to another 50-plus knock [Asif Hassan/AFP via Getty Images]}

His wicket did little to stop Lahore’s scoring, with Hafeez adding 45 runs off 30 balls with Kamran Ghulam and 39 off 14 with Rashid either side of a quick two wickets for Salman Irshad.

Hafeez finished unbeaten on 37 off 19 while Rashid struck three sixes on his way to 22 off 8. Talat (1 for 19) and Riaz (0 for 33) were the only bowlers to concede fewer than 10 runs per over.

In reply, Qalandars skipper Afridi removed Zazai for a three-ball duck to get Peshawar’s chase off to the worst possible start before a 62-run second-wicket partnership between Kamran Akmal and Talat repaired some of the damage.

However, when Zaman Khan dismissed the pair with consecutive deliveries in the ninth over, Zalmi’s chase lost all momentum. Wickets fell steadily until close and a 36-run fifth-wicket stand between Sherfane Rutherford and Haider Ali was as good at got for the batting side.

Afridi finished with figures of 2 for 19 from his four overs while Zaman Khan picked up 3 for 32 and David Wiese collected two wickets in the final over. Rashid was the other wicket-taker.

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