Image Credit- AP
After losing their sixth straight PSL match on Sunday,
the two-time reigning champion Lahore Qalandars were undone by Rassie van der
Dussen’s undefeated 104 off 52 balls against Peshawar Zalmi. Van der Dussen
reached his century in fifty balls, but it proved insufficient as Zalmi
defeated Qalandars by eight runs, their first loss as a pursuing team this
year.
Van van Dussen struck six sixes and seven fours to keep Lahore’s hopes alive as
they attempted to chase down Peshawar’s impressive 211 for 4, but the home team
was only able to muster 203 for 6.
In the penultimate over, van der Dussen pulled Luke
Wood for a six over midwicket, making it the first century of this PSL series.
Naveen-ul-Haq (2 for 50) and Wood (1 for 46) returned costly figures as he
targeted Zalmi’s fast bowlers.
Paul Walter held his composure and gave up just three runs off the first five
deliveries before Carlos Brathwaite struck a six off the last ball, leaving van
der Dussen with the strike for just one ball as they needed 18 from the last
over.
After Qalandars won the toss, Zalmi’s opening combination of Saim Ayub (88) and
captain Babar Azam (48) had raised 136 from 86 balls in the absence of the
injured Haris Rauf.
In one over, youthful fast bowler Mohammad Imran was
bowled out for 22 by Rovman Powell, who hit 46 off 20. Zalmi scored the most of
the season with 211.
Zaman Khan, who finished with zero for 48, did not provide much support for
Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi, who chipped up with three late wickets
for 33 runs.