Neesham, Powell power Peshawar Zalmi to edge Quetta Gladiators

In the ninth match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight, Peshawar Zalmi defeated Quetta Gladiators by four wickets in a convincing run chase. Chasing a target of 155 runs, Zalmi got off to a poor start and lost three wickets for 47 runs in the fifth over, including in-form batters Mohammad Haris, Saim Ayub, and Tom Kohler-Cadmore. The team then lost their skipper Babar Azam in the eighth over and slipped to 67/4. James Neesham and Rovman Powell anchored the run chase with a gritty 46-run partnership before Powell departed. Neesham joined hands with Dasun Shanaka and scored 38 off 23 deliveries, including four boundaries and three sixes, before falling victim to Qais Ahmed in the 15th over. Shanaka and Wahab Riaz held their nerves calm to steer the team to their second triumph of the season. Earlier, the Gladiators raised 154/4 despite a dismal start, with Iftikhar scoring a magnificent half-century. Gladiators openers Jason Roy and Martin Guptill started cautiously against a disciplined bowling attack of Zalmi before losing wickets in the ninth over. Mohammad Hasnain led the bowling attack for the Gladiators with 3/13 in his four overs.