Ton-up in the HBL Pakistan Super League Gladiators keep Kings winless as Guptill shines

KARACHI: Quetta Gladiators’ youthful pacers Mohammad Hasnain and Naseem Shah always stepped up when the going got tough. Martin Guptill’s counterattacking century propelled Quetta to 168, and the pair overcame the persistent veteran Shoaib Malik of the Karachi Kings as well as the dew that covered the National Stadium on this misty Saturday night to win the HBL Pakistan Super League match by six runs.

Quetta recovered from a dismal loss to Multan Sultans, but it was the Karachi team’s third straight setback. With T20 heavyweights Malik and Matthew Wade at the crease, the hosts’ equation was straightforward at the halfway point. Having recovered from a shaky start, the home team needed 10 an over to win.

Following that, Hasnain put on a display of his superb bowling; the right-armer blinded Wade with his pace to rattle the stumps of the left-hander before confusing Karachi captain Imad Wasim with a bouncer.

It says a lot about how Naseem and Hasnain in managed to keep Malik and Irfan Niazi at bay that Imad was Karachi’s last wicket to fall. As Irfan hit leg-spinner Hasnain over far off for a big six, the two batters threatened temporarily. But, Malik responded by hitting leg-spinner Qais Ahmed for a four over square leg.

After hitting a six over the head of spinner Muhammad Nawaz to get his second 50 of the season, Malik turned his spinner behind for a boundary in the 17th over, leaving Karachi needing 37 from the final three overs.

However, Naseem only gave up six runs in the 18th over, while Hasnain only allowed the two hitters to score seven runs in the over after. All Kings needed 24 off the final over, but despite two fours from Malik (71 off 49) and a six from Irfan, they fell short (37).

Nawaz struck to dismiss Sharjeel Khan for a duck after opener James Vince (22) had launched Karachi’s pursuit with two brilliant boundaries off Naseem in the first over. While continuing, Vince observed another partner, Haider Ali, being castled by Qais just before he lost his own stumps to Naseem’s sharp in-swinger.

Being given the opportunity to bat first, the Gladiators had previously recovered from a disastrous start to their innings owing to an explosive yet responsible hundred from opener Guptill. The New Zealander scored 117 runs off 67 balls by pillaging the Karachi bowlers for 12 fours and five sixes.

On the last over of the game, medium-pacer Andrew Tye struck out against Guptill with three boundaries and as many sixes, helping him reach his first PSL century. aided by Iftikhar Ahmed and Guptill’s 69-run partnership in 52 balls after they had lost four wickets for 23 runs by the seventh wicket.

At that point, Guptil increased the stakes and assisted Quetta in posting a respectable score after Imad had placed them under a lot of pressure by taking three fast wickets in his opening spell. As the opener attempted to play an arm ball past the line, the left-arm spinner struck as soon as the second delivery of the game to trap Jason Roy lbw for a duck. Imad began the first over of the match as a maiden and two balls later forced a stumping to dismiss Abdul Wahid Bangalzai.

Aamer Yamin’s no-ball gave Quetta its first two runs before the medium-pacer gave Guptill two home runs. But in the third, Imad returned to tidy up Umar. As Irfan was caught at short midwicket, Sarfraz became Karachi’s fourth victim and Aamer’s first.

Iftikhar, who was about to bat, sent Aamer through the covers after dropping to one knee and scoring Quetta’s first boundary in almost five overs. By the end of the 10th over, the scoreboard read 51-4 after Guptill punished a leg-spinner Imran Tahir’s half-tracker and a careless ball with two more fours. When Iftikhar was caught off Amir by Imran at square leg, his attempt to launch a late assault failed.

After the South African bowler gave him a double in the following over, Guptill reached fifty before throwing him for the first six overs of Quetta’s innings long off. When Sharjeel dropped Guptill at point off Tye while the opening was still playing at 61, Karachi lost an opportunity to further damage Quetta.

The Kings paid a heavy price for it as Guptill beat Tye in the penultimate over to turn the tide in his favour. On the opening ball, Tye was slotted all over the place, and Aamer Yamin’s shoddy fielding at deep square ensured it was a four.