Gladiators glide on

Dubai - Pietersen, Nawaz guide team past fighting Peshawar Zalmi

Quetta Gladiators defeated Peshawar Zalmi by three wickets with just a ball to spare, in a top of the table clash of the Pakistan Super league, late Sunday night
The Gladiators cruised to their day's requirement after being comfortably perched on 80-4 when they required 57 runs from 48 balls for their third victory in as many matches in the five-team league. After the latest episode in the inaugural championship, the Quetta Gladiators (6 points) are the only unbeaten side after three rounds, with Peshawar Zalmi (4 points), Karachi Kings (2), Islamabad United (2) and Lahore Qalanders (0) following behind.
Gladiators went on to 101-5 from 15 overs making the position even clearer. The equation worked out to 23 runs from 23 balls when a Kevin Pietersen back foot punch sizzled through between point and cover, signaling the command with which the Gladiators were handling their business for the day. Despite wickets falling at the opposite end, the Gladiator himself - Pietersen - steered his men past the hurdles.
The came a small hitch when the Gladiators found themselves at 118-7 in the 18th over when Pietersen (35 from 29 balls with two fours and a six) holed out to Shahid Afridi at covers off left arm pacer Junaid Khan. With two overs left the Gladiators were 17 short of the target.
Former fearsome Aussie pacer Shaun Tait did well in the penultimate over initially but Anwer Ali rammed one into the long boundary off the last ball to leave a 7-run-6-ball equation. The rest was a formality though the Gladiators left it very late before coasting home.
Earlier Peshawar Zalmi after recovering from an early innings slump, recovered partially to set up 135-7 after being sent to bat.
Former England player and high utility allrounder Luke Wright (16) and the in-form Ahmed Shehzad (16) put on 35 solid runs for the first wicket before the latter departed, caught behind by Kamran Akmal off Tait.
Skipper Afridi pitched one short and straight, tempting Wright to go for an adventurous pull, which he fumbled with  by playing all over (35-2). Thirty five-year old Pietersen, and keeper-batsman Sarfraz Ahmed saw the Gladiators to a 50-2 position when the innings was seven overs old.
That master craftsman Pietersen is still in form after all the years, was evident, when he swung his bat in tee-off fashion for a sweetly timed six over long on, off the bowling of pacer Junaid in the eighth over.
Peshawar Zalmi struggled at 67-5 from 14 overs as young left arm slow Mohammad Nawaz (Man of the Match) and veteran Pakistan pacer Umar Gul struck crucial blows with two wickets apiece.
After skipper Afridi left at 5-59 in the 12th over for a duck, long time Pakistan domestic cricket player, Shahid Yousuf (21 in 25 balls with one four), and Windies T20 captain Darren Sammy carrried out a repair job taking the issue into the 90s with three overs left in the innings. The duo put on 40 runs in 30 balls to see Zalmi struggle to 99-5 and then on to the three-figure mark in the 18th over.
Sammy clouted four 6s and a sweetly timed hit to the rope for a splendid 48 that came off 31 deliveries at a crucial juncture during the Peshawar tenure. For the Gladiators, Nawaz varied his line and pace without much turn, for his 3-29, while the dependable Gul took two wickets for 19.
During the early part of the innings opener Tamim Iqbal, Pakistan star Mohammed Hafeez and Englishman Dawid Malan had all settled into double figures before gifting their wickets.
moni@khaleejtimes.com