Lahore Qalandars beat Peshawar Zalmi by four wickets to book their place in the final of the Pakistan Super League (PSL), where they will face Multan Sultans for the season eight title.
Chasing a target of 172 runs, Qalandars managed to reach home in 18.5 overs.
They lost Fakhar Zaman (6) to Azmatullah Umarzai early on when he became a fort trying to play a big heave.
Meanwhile, Ahsan Hafeez, who was playing his first PSL match, took a simple catch to wicketkeeper Haseebullah after a top edge off Wahab Riaz. The left-hander scored 15 runs in 10 balls.
After a major mix-up between Abdullah Shafiq and Mirza Tahir Baig, the former was sent packing. The right-hander scored 10 runs a ball.
With Shafiq’s departure, Sam Billings came to the crease, who along with Tahir put on a crucial partnership of 50 runs off just 28 balls to get the Qalandars back on track in their run chase.
However, Tahir was dismissed after reaching his first T20 fifty with Amir Jamal. He scored 54 runs in 42 balls with the help of seven fours and two sixes.
Well played, MTB! 👏#SabSitarayHumaray l #HBLPSL8 I #LQvPZ pic.twitter.com/l8ZKUz6sIM
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 17, 2023
Billings was cleaned up by Salman Irshad with a brilliant yorker. He scored 28 valuable runs in 21 balls. Meanwhile Sikandar Raza scored 22 runs off 13 balls.
Shaheen Afridi hit a six and a four in the 19th over to take his team over the line.
Earlier, Zalmi scored 171-5 in his allotted 20 overs.
From their side, fast bowler Zaman Khan provided an early breakthrough when he smashed the stumps of Saeem Ayub (9) with a ball that went off the pitch.
After the initial shock, Babar Azam and Mohammad Haris put on 89 runs off 60 balls for the second wicket to put Zalmi in control of the match.
However, when the Qalandars needed it, Rashid Khan took two wickets in the same over to send back Babar (42 for 36) and Tom Koehler-Cadmore (0).
However, Harris continued to play the shots with ease and went on to score 85 off 54 balls. His brilliant innings included 11 fours and two sixes.
Dhuzz Dhuzz 💥@iamharis63 smokes it out of the park 💪#HBLPSL8 | #SabSitarayHumaray | #LQvPZ pic.twitter.com/QgD9fjTWTR
— PakistanSuperLeague (@thePSLt20) March 17, 2023
Shaheen was expensive with the ball as he conceded 41 runs in four overs but sent Harris back to the pavilion on the last ball of his spell.
The bowlers were selected by Zaman Qalandars with figures of 2-20 in three overs.
Playing XI
Lahore Qalandars: Mirza Tahir Baig, Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafiq, Sam Billings (wicket), Ahsan Bhatti, Sikandar Raza, David Wise, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi (captain), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan
Peshawar Zalmi: Saeem Ayub, Babar Azam (captain), Tom Koehler Cadmore, Muhammad Harris, Bhanuka Raja Paksa, Haseebullah Khan (wicket), Aamir Jamal, Azmatullah Umarzai, Wahab Riaz, Mujeebur Rehman, Salman Irshad.
