Captain Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Quetta Gladiators won an exhibition match against Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi by three runs in Quetta on Sunday.
Gladiators restricted Zalmi to 181-7 in 20 overs, as they looked to chase down 185 runs.
Although it looked like Zalmi would win by just one wicket at the halfway point after scoring 109 runs in 10 overs, Quetta continued to pick up wickets at regular intervals till the end of the innings to halt their opponents’ progress. .
Opener Mohammad Haris scored 53 runs off 35 balls while playing brilliant shots.
Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam scored 25 and 23 runs respectively.
Mohammad Hasnain was the best bowler for Quetta after taking figures of 3-30 in four overs.
Meanwhile, Naseem Shah defended 9 runs in the last over to take his team over the line.
Earlier, Iftikhar Ahmed scored a brilliant fifty as Quetta Gladiators set a target of 185 runs to Peshawar Zalmi during an exhibition match in Quetta on Sunday.
Zalmi captain Babar Azam won the toss and decided to bowl first.
Veteran fast bowler Wahab Riaz gave Zalmi the perfect start by dismissing Ahsan Ali and Umar Akmal in the second over of the innings but Quetta fought back to post a competitive total on the board in the second half of the innings.
Ahmed hit Riaz for six sixes in the last over of the innings to ensure that Quetta went on a high. The right-hander remained unbeaten on 94 runs off 50 balls.
Middle order batsman Khushdil Shah scored 36 runs in 24 balls while opener Abdul Wahid Bengalzai scored 28 runs in 19 balls.
Quetta captain Sarfraz Ahmed, who could only score four runs, was cleaned out by Amir Jamal.
Riaz took three wickets but conceded 47 runs in his full quota of four overs.
