Rilee, Hasan, Amir put Gladiators in playoffs

By our correspondent
RAWALPINDI: Rilee Rossouw and Hasan Nawaz slammed superb centuries while Mohammad Amir blew the top order to put Quetta Gladiators in the playoffs when they bulldozed Islamabad United by a record margin of runs in their crucial match of the HBL PSL X at the Pindi Stadium in Rawalpindi on Wednesday night.
Rilee (104) and Hasan (100 not out) guided Quetta Gladiators to a record total of 263-3 in the allotted 20 overs.
Amir then took key wickets to finish with 3- to help Gladiators to dismiss United for a .
Set to chase a record total, United, who were missing their skipper Shadab Khan due to groin injury, had a disastrous start. The left-armer Mohammad Amir got rid of openers Kyle Mayers (0) and Sahibzada Farhan (1) in his first over to bring United under an immense pressure.
He, in his next over, got rid of the key wicket of Salman Ali Agha (6) to leave United reeling at 19-3. United’s miseries continued as Mohammad Wasim Junior sent Mohammad Shahzad back for a 13-ball 24 before Khurram Shahzad removing Mohammad Nawaz (10) to leave United gasping at 43-5 in the fifth over.
Leggie Abrar Ahmed further added to the woes of United when he had Haider Ali (6) to leave his side just four wickets away of a massive victory.
United’s pathetic batting display continued as Faheem Ashraf in the next over got rid of Azam Khan (6) when he was excellently held by diving Mohammad Wasim Junior on the boundary-line.
And then the tail was wrapped-up in no time to seal a fantastic win.
Amir was ably backed by Abrar Ahmed who got
Earlier South Africa’s Rilee Rossouw and Hasan Nawaz hit superb centuries to enable Quetta Gladiators to post a record total of 263-3.
Rilee sizzled with 46-ball 104 while Hasan smashed an excellent 45-ball 100 not out as Gladiators posted a record total. They surpassed the previous highest total of 262-3 which had been posted by Multan Sultans against Quetta Gladiators also at the Pindi Stadium on March 11, 2023.
Both batsmen batted exceptionally well. They hammered every bowler with an enviable ease. Quetta Gladiators were 63-2 in the powerplay after being invited to bat first. And they were 103-2 in ten overs. They reached 182-2 in 15 overs and in the final five overs they scored 81 runs to reach the milestone.
Both Rilee and Hasan added 134 runs off just 61 balls for the third wicket association to put their team in strong position.
Rilee was the first who completed the century, his first of the season and third of his PSL’s career.
The South African completed his fifty off 26 balls and went on to reach his hundred off 42 deliveries.
He hammered 14 fours and six big sixes in his fantastic knock. Rilee hit two sixes and two fours in Jason Holder’s one over, which was the 13th over of the innings that yielded 20 runs. Rilee, dislodged by Imad Wasim, also smacked Ben Dwarshuis for two glorious sixes and a four in the fifth over which produced 19 runs.
After Rilee’s departure Hasan Nawaz went for lusty hitting. He also hammered Naseem Shah for three huge sixes in the penultimate over of the innings which yielded 28 runs as the right-armer was also hit by Mark Chapman for a glorious four, earlier.
Hasan completed his fifty off 29 balls and his maiden PSL’s century came off 45 deliveries. He hammered left-armer Ben Dwarshuis for a four off the final ball of the innings to complete his well-deserved century.
He hammered nine sixes and four fours in his fantastic knock. Hasan dominated the fourth wicket unbroken partnership of 69 runs with New Zealand’s Mark Chapman who remained not out on 13.
After losing Finn Allen (5), got run out by Haider Ali when he wanted to take the second run, skipper Saud Shakeel showed some aggression before being removed by Naseem Shah, held by Haider Ali, in the deep for an 18-ball 23. Saud, dropped, earlier, by Haider Ali at point off Ben Dwarshuis when on 21, smashed three fours.
Naseem Shah (1-55) and Jason Holder (0-52) were the most expensive bowlers. Imad Wasim was impressive with 1-42 in his four overs. United’s bowlers bowled well in the first ten overs and after that they failed to contain the batsmen who kept hitting boundaries with an enviable ease.
The loss, their fourth successive, left United at ten points from nine matches.