Skipper Sarfaraz Ahmed’s Quetta Gladiators Sunday won an exhibition match in Quetta against the Babar Azam-led Peshawar Zalmi by three runs.
The Gladiators restricted Zalmi to181-7 in 20 overs, as it attempted to chase 185 runs.
Even though it appeared Zalmi would stand victorious after scoring109 runs in 10 overs with just one wicket at the halfway mark, Quetta continued to claim wickets at regular intervals towards the inning’s end to stall their opponent’s progress.
Opener Mohammad Haris, who played some stunning shots, top-scored with 53 runs in 35 balls.
Shahid Afridi and Babar Azam scored 25 and 23 runs, respectively.
Mohammad Hasnain was the pick of the bowlers for Quetta after bagging figures of 3-30 in four overs.
Meanwhile, Naseem Shah defended nine runs in the final over to get his side over the line.
Earlier, Iftikhar Ahmed scored an impressive fifty as Quetta Gladiators set Peshawar Zalmi a target of 185 runs during the exhibition match in Quetta on Sunday.
Zalmi’s captain Babar Azam had won the toss and decided to bowl first.
Veteran pacer Wahab Riaz provided Zalmi with the perfect start by dismissing Ahsan Ali and Umar Akmal in the second over of the innings but Quetta fought back in the second half of the innings to post a competitive total on the board.
Ahmed smacked Riaz for six sixes in the final over of the innings to ensure that Quetta finished on a high. The right-hander remained unbeaten on 94 runs in 50 balls.
Middle-order batter Khushdil Shah scored 36 runs in 24 balls, meanwhile opener Abdul Wahid Bangalzai scored 28 in 19.
Quetta captain Sarfaraz Ahmed, who could only score four runs, was cleaned up by Aamir Jamal.
Riaz claimed three wickets but conceded 47 runs in his full quota of four overs.
