Lahore Qalandars set a modest 140-run target for defending champions Islamabad United in the opening fixture of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Friday.
United captain Shadab Khan’s decision to bowl first proved beneficial for the defending champions as their Holder-led bowling unit dismantled the Qalandars’ batting unit, which could yield a meagre 139 before getting bowled out in 19.2 overs.
The Qalandars got off to a dismal start to their innings as they lost their key batter Fakhar Zaman (one) in the second over with just four runs on the board.
Coming out to bat at number three, Abdullah Shafique soon held one end firm but the visitors kept losing wickets at the other, resulting in them failing to post a massive total on the board.
Shafique carried his bat until the penultimate and walked back after top-scoring for the Qalandars with a 38-ball 66, studded with six fours and three sixes.
He was also involved in crucial partnerships with Daryl Mitchell and Sikandar Raza, who were the other two notable run-getters for the Qalandars, scoring 13 and 23 respectively.
The rest of the Qalandars batters, however, struggled against a disciplined United bowling attack as none of them could amass double figures.
Jason Holder was the pick of the bowlers for United, registering astonishing bowling figures of 4/26 in his four overs, while skipper Shadab bagged three wickets. Imad Wasim, Naseem Shah and overseas pacer Riley Meredith, on the other hand, made one scalp apiece.
Playing XI:
Islamabad United: Andries Gous, Sahibzada Farhan, Colin Munro, Salman Agha, Azam Khan (wk), Shadab Khan (captain), Jason Holder, Muhammad Shahzad, Imad Wasim, Naseem Shah, Riley Meredith.
Lahore Qalandars: Fakhar Zaman, Abdullah Shafique, Mohammad Naeem, Daryl Mitchell, Sam Billings (wk), Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Shaheen Afridi (captain), Jahandad Khan, Haris Rauf, Asif Afridi.
This is a developing story and is being updated with more details.
