SHARJAH — Quetta Gladiators pulled off a nerve-racking last-over win over Peshawar Zalmi by just one run in the first play-off here to qualify for the Pakistan Super League final.
Defending a 201-run target, Quetta’s spinner Mohammad Nawaz took three wickets off the last three balls to send a packed 19,000 stadium into a frenzy.
Peshawar was cruising along nicely needing just 20 runs in the last three overs after Mohammad Hafeez knocked 77 and Dawid Malan smashed 56.
Shahid Afridi — with four sixes and a boundary in a 13-ball 34 — pushed Peshawar to the brink of victory but Quetta kept its nerve to pull off a sensational win.
Quetta was lifted to 200-7 by Ahmed Shahzad’s 38-ball 77 spiced with four sixes and seven boundaries while Kevin Pietersen made a rapid-fire 22-ball 40.
Quetta now flies to Lahore to play the final Sunday.
The second play-off will be between defending champion Islamabad United and Karachi Kings in Sharjah Wednesday. The winner of that match will play Peshawar in Dubai on Friday to decide who meets Quetta in the final.
The final will be held under tight security after deadly blasts in Lahore.
The Twenty20 league was launched last year.
Dickwella, Gunaratne in Sri Lanka squad
Batsmen Niroshan Dickwella and Asela Gunaratne have been rewarded for their recent limited-over success with spots in Sri Lanka’s Test squad for the two-match series against Bangladesh, starting next week.
Squad: Rangana Herath (captain), Dinesh Chandimal (wicketkeeper), Dimuth Karunaratne, Niroshan Dickwella, Upul Tharanga, Dhananjaya de Silva, Kusal Mendis, Asela Gunaratne, Suranga Lakmal, Lahiru Kumara, Nuwan Pradeep, Vikum Sanjaya, Dilruwan Perera, Lakshan Sandakan and Malinda Pushpakumara. — Agencies
