At one stage Quetta Gladiators were teetering in the powerplay with Yasir Khan, Will Smeed and Sarfaraz Ahmed not going into double figures but then a remarkable recovery took place when Mohammad Nawaz, Najibullah Zadran and Umar Akmal came out firing on all cylinders and posted a competitive score of 179 on the baord. Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled exceptionally well in the powerplay and Rumman Raees was brilliant at the death.

Islamabad United stuttered early on with Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Alex Hales losing their wickets early in the piece but then a counter-attacking and fluent 63-run-innings from Colin Munro got their chase back on track. However, Quetta fought hard as Iftikhar Ahmed and Umaid Asif dismissed Shadab Khan and Mubasir Khan and the momentum kept on shifting from one side to another.

The pressure was building up but the main protagnists of the win were, once again, Azam Khan and today Faheem Ashraf located his groove as well. In the end, Odean Smith, who had a torrid day, was given the final over and that didn't pose a stern challange as United won by two wickets and three balls in the tank.

A Khan: "Good reading of the points table for my kids, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12. Surely the little one can revise 2 times table. Thanks cricinfo." Happy to help with the tables

Dr Hassan: "QG needs improvement in bowling, batting and captaincy "

Khalid Kundi : "Not sure what people think but I find Smith overrated."

Nabeel: "ISLU in this game is the proper demonstration of PAK team as they both have excellent powerplay a middle order collapse and a complicated finish on either side."

Shahid : "Zahid.Prediction QCIUSuper over??? " We'll have to wait for it

Haroon Farooq: "Umaid will go down as a domestic cricket legend, a cult figure for the ages"

AbbasKhan: "I witnessed words exchanged between Sarfaraz and Naween Ulhaq. Sarfaraz just can't handle his anger when a bowler doesn't toss it to his gloves."

Irfan Riaz: "3 slow balls to Azam Khan in last 2 overs and all three were dispatched for boundaries. Poor bowling on such a crucial moment" Yeah, what was that all about? He was clearly enjoying slower ones

nabeel: "well I am impressed with faheem although he played a run a ball 30 but look at the situation wehre he has played and the value he gave to his wicket was the only thing needed for ISLU to finish this game after Munro."

ARK: "Can we just appreciate the fact that how good the PSL has become with the inclusion of these terrific Afghani players. Rashid, Farooqi, Naveen and others have really made a wonderful impact to this years PSL. Really adoring every bit of their presence in each match they feature in."

19.3
4
Smith to Faheem Ashraf, FOUR, There you go, Faheem seals the game in style and cracks a pull with a lot of swagger! United win by two wickets and have qualified for the playoffs
19.2
4
Smith to Faheem Ashraf, FOUR, Dibbly dobbly pace is a gift for Faheem as he slaps it on the up to extra cover fence, way too short and Faheem had oodles of time to place it in the gap, heading towards anticlimatic finish, don't understand the move to give the all-important over to Odean who has leaked plenty today
19.1
4
Smith to Faheem Ashraf, FOUR, You can't bowl there Odean with third man up in the ring, short ball, no real pace, he hangs back and glides it down to third man boundary which has made the equation pretty easy now

END OF OVER:
19 | 9 Runs 2 Wkts | IU: 171/8 (9 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 9.00, RRR: 9.00)

  • Faheem Ashraf27 (28b)
  • Umaid Asif4-0-37-3
  • Naveen-ul-Haq4-0-37-1
18.6
W
Umaid Asif to Hasan Ali, OUT, Belting catch from Odean Smith at long-on! The pace and bounce outfoxes Hasn Ali who stood tall and threw the kitchen sink at it, not the required power behind the shot and the fielder didn't have to move a muscle to gobble it up. This is getting interesting now!

Hasan Ali c Smith b Umaid Asif 1 (4m 2b 0x4 0x6) SR: 50.00

18.5
1
Umaid Asif to Faheem Ashraf, 1 run, Short of a length, unerring line outside off, he slinks back and nurdles it down to deep backward point's right
18.4
1
Umaid Asif to Hasan Ali, 1 run, Back of a length on sixth stump line, Hasan Ali taps to the off side and hurtles to the other end
18.3
W
Umaid Asif to Azam Khan, OUT, Twist in the tale! A well-directed bumper from Umaid Asif triggers a false shot, he went for the full-blooded pull, got the height but not the distance, Yasir takes a superb catch under pressure, tracked the ball from the bat, through the air, towards him and then into his hand.

Azam Khan c Yasir Khan b Umaid Asif 35 (53m 25b 2x4 2x6) SR: 140.00

18.2
6
Umaid Asif to Azam Khan, SIX, Employs a classical shot, looks like Quetta is not learning, they serve him slower ones and he keeps clubbing them into the stands, another proper wallop. He is getting into his groove
18.1
1
Umaid Asif to Faheem Ashraf, 1 run, Pulls his length back, plugging away in the corridor, squirts it into the off side off the backfoot

END OF OVER:
18 | 13 Runs | IU: 162/6 (18 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 9.00, RRR: 9.00)

  • Azam Khan29 (23b)
  • Faheem Ashraf25 (26b)
  • Naveen-ul-Haq4-0-37-1
  • Naseem Shah4-0-28-1
17.6
0
Naveen-ul-Haq to Azam Khan, no run, Drags his length back, slants across off, he makes room to upper-cut, ball kept rising off the deck and it's a precious dot
17.5
6
Naveen-ul-Haq to Azam Khan, SIX, Imperious! In the slot and he does not miss out. Slower one on off and he picked it early, deposits it over midwicket for a brilliant six, looks like the momentum has turned in the favour of Islamabad United after these two lusty blows
17.4
4
Naveen-ul-Haq to Azam Khan, FOUR, Powered down the ground! Pitched short and no pace to offer but he generates a lot of power behind that shot and that went like bullet down the ground, bisects long on and long off
17.3
1
Naveen-ul-Haq to Faheem Ashraf, 1 run, Round the wicket, on a length and it holds its line on off, forces it away using brute force in his wrists to deep midwicket
17.2
1
Naveen-ul-Haq to Azam Khan, 1 run, Pitched up and follows Azam was moving away from leg stump, manages to thwack a cut off the backfoot to deep backward point
17.1
1
Naveen-ul-Haq to Faheem Ashraf, 1 run, Length ball on off, he presses i down to mid-off and dashes across to the other end, Azam Khan was struggling at the striker's end, shy at the stumps

Malik Murad: "Very mature inning by both Azam and Faheem. Perfect according to situation. "

nabeel: "With the fire power the both teams are having I would love a super over won't you Rvel Zahid?" I crave for super overs Nabeel, PSL 8 deserves one

Usman Mughal: "This match is perfectly hanging in the balance. One wicket here and Quetta has a real chance. And one good over will do it for Islamabad as well"

Rashid Nazir: "The danger for QG is still on the pitch in the shape of Azam Khan. This hitting bomb can blast any time. "

Shahid : "Zahid! Yes both can do it. "

Ahsan Butt: "Can't help but notice how adaptive Azam has been in this innings! He deserves another shot in the national team!"

END OF OVER:
17 | 9 Runs | IU: 149/6 (31 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 8.76, RRR: 10.33)

  • Faheem Ashraf23 (24b)
  • Azam Khan18 (19b)
  • Naseem Shah4-0-28-1
  • Naveen-ul-Haq3-0-24-1
16.6
1
Naseem Shah to Faheem Ashraf, 1 run, Pushes it down to long-on for a run
16.5
1
Naseem Shah to Azam Khan, 1 run, Hard length, into the body, he lifts it over mid-on, there is protection in the deep
16.4
1lb
Naseem Shah to Faheem Ashraf, 1 leg bye, Wears it on his pads and brings Azam Khan on strike
16.3
1
Naseem Shah to Azam Khan, 1 run, Climbing on him around chest height, swivels and tugs it away into the acreage at midwicket
16.2
4
Naseem Shah to Azam Khan, FOUR, Over the wicket, length ball on off and he humps it through extra cover for a boundary, timed the pants off it over the rope Everything so right about that stroke.
16.1
1
Naseem Shah to Faheem Ashraf, 1 run, Back of a length, zinging it back at the batter who firmly pumps it down to Umar Akmal at wide long on

END OF OVER:
16 | 7 Runs | IU: 140/6 (40 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 8.75, RRR: 10.00)

  • Faheem Ashraf21 (21b)
  • Azam Khan12 (16b)
  • Naveen-ul-Haq3-0-24-1
  • Naseem Shah3-0-20-1
15.6
1
Naveen-ul-Haq to Faheem Ashraf, 1 run, A touch short and angling into the body, awkward bounce and he knocks it down the ground towards square leg, will have to settle for a run

United 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st0AD HalesRahmanullah Gurbaz
2nd52C MunroAD Hales
3rd44C MunroShadab Khan
4th0C MunroMubasir Khan
5th6Azam KhanMubasir Khan
6th9Asif AliAzam Khan
7th58Faheem AshrafAzam Khan
8th2Faheem AshrafHasan Ali
9th12Rumman RaeesFaheem Ashraf

Pakistan Super League

TeamMWLPTNRR
LQ1073140.915
MS1064120.5
IU106412-0.708
PZ105510-0.452
KK103760.756
QG10376-1.066