A record partnership between Ben Dunk and Samit Patel orchestrated Lahore Qalandars’ first HBL PSL 2020 win as they defeated Quetta Gladiators by 37 runs at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Dunk and Patel crafted an incredible partnership of 155 runs, the highest fourth-wicket stand and second highest overall in HBL PSL history, in 73 balls to help Qalandars to a mammoth 209 for five.
Dunk, who batted at one-drop, smashed 10 sixes, the most in an HBL PSL innings, as he scored a blistering 93 at a strike-rate of over 216.
The Australian wicketkeeper-batsman struck Mohamed Nawaz, the left-arm orthodox, four sixes in an over in his 43-ball knock, which also included three fours.
From the other end, Patel also scored at a brisk rate which amplified the woes for Gladiators, the defending champions. The all-rounder scored 71 runs from 40 balls, smashing nine fours and two sixes.
The pair had come together with the Qalandars struggling at 50 for three after Mohamed Hafeez’s first-ball duck in the eighth over. Their extraordinary power-hitting set alight the crowd filled to the stadium’s 27,000-capacity.
Both batsmen were dismissed by Ben Cutting, who with two wickets for 36 runs in three overs was the most successful bowler for Sarfaraz Ahmed-led Gladiators. Mohamed Nawaz, Fawad Ahmed and Mohamed Hasnain picked a wicket each.
Gladiators faltered right from the onset of their run-chase as they lost three wickets in the Powerplay as Patel and Dilbar Hussain added two and one scalps to their tally.
Gladiators spent their remaining innings looking to rebuild their innings and a late surge by Ben Cutting (53 off 27, three fours and five sixes) gave a ray of hope, but Qalandars’ bowlers continued to strike on regular intervals.
Salman Irshad, who came in as a replacement for Haris Rauf, was the pick of the bowlers with four wickets for 29 runs. Patel, Dilbar and Mohamed Faizan were the other bowlers to have wickets in their accounts as they picked up two scalps each.
Gladiators were bowled out for 172 on the last ball of their innings.
BRIEF SCORES
Lahore Qalandars 209-5, 20 overs (Ben Dunk 93, Samit Patel 71, Chris Lynn 27; Ben Cutting 2-36)
Quetta Gladiators 172 all-out, 20 overs (Ben Cutting 53, Mohamed Nawaz 24, Shane Watson 23; Salman Irshad 4-29, Dilbar Hussain 2-11, Mohamed Faizan 2-29, Samit Patel 2-31).
Lahore Qalandars’ Ben Dunk plays a shot during their PSL match against Quetta Gladiators at the Gaddafi Cricket Stadium in Lahore yesterday. (AFP)
