Hardie strikes as Peshawar Zalmi score five wicket victory to lift their second PSL title

By Special Correspondent

LAHORE: Aaron Hardie’s all-round brilliance powered Peshawar Zalmi to a five-wicket victory over Hyderabad Kingsmen in the final of HBL Pakistan Super League 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Sunday night, lifting captain Babar Azam’s side to their second HBL PSL title after 2017. The final was played in front of a packed Gaddafi Stadium as the crowd was recorded at 32,461 ––– the largest ever crowd in HBL PSL history. Player of the final Hardie returned the second-best bowling figures across the 11 HBL PSL final ––– four for 27 to skittle the Kingsmen for 129 in 18 overs and then anchored the chase with an unbeaten 56 from 39 balls after walking in to bat in first over at 7-2, hitting nine fours, as Peshawar Zalmi reached the target with 28 balls to spare. After Babar opted to bowl, Maaz Sadaqat (11, 6b, 1×4, 1×6) was caught in the second over by Abdul Samad off Mohammad Basit to leave Hyderabad 16 for one. Hyderabad Kingsmen captain Marnus Labuschagne then struck three fours and a six in his 12-ball 20 before edging behind to Mohammad Haris off Hardie at as the Kingsmen flew to 69 for two in the powerplay.

The middle order then folded around Saim Ayub, who was the lone batter to cross the 20-run mark for his team. Usman Khan was trapped leg-before-wicket by Sufyan Moqim for eight. Twin blows in the seventh over reduced the Kingsmen to 72 for five as Muhammad Irfan Khan was run out by Michael Bracewell for one and Glenn Maxwell was caught by Farhan Yousaf off Nahid Rana for a golden duck. Kusal Perera was run out by Bracewell for one as Kingsmen slid from 71 for two to 73 for six, losing four wickets for a mere two runs. Saim resisted with a 50-ball 54 featuring five fours and two sixes before being caught by Iftikhar Ahmed off Hardie as the scoreboard read 123 for nine. Akif was caught behind off Hardie as Hyderabad were bundled out for 129 in 18 overs. Nahid Rana returned figures of two for 22 in four overs with a wicket maiden 14th over. Sufyan’s lone wicket took his tournament tally to 22 in 11 matches, securing him the Fazal Mahmood Cap as the leading wicket-taker of HBL PSL 11.

Chasing 130, Peshawar Zalmi were rocked by Mohammad Ali’s two-wicket burst in the first over, with opening batters Haris (6) and Babar (0) back in the hut and Zalmi off to a shaky start. It was at this moment when Hardie walked in to bat. Hunain then landed Kusal Mendis’ wicket as the score read 33 for three in the fourth over. Akif dismissed Michael Bracewell (4) at 40 for four to leave the chase tottering. Hardie and Abdul Samad then forged a match-winning 85-run fifth-wicket stand. Samad struck three fours and four sixes in his 34-ball 48 before being caught by Maxwell off Ali (4-0-38-3) at 125 for five in the 15th over. Hardie sealed the chase along with Farhan Yousaf, who finished unbeaten on a two-ball four, striking the winning boundary. Babar finished as the tournament’s top run-scorer with a record-equalling 588 runs in 11 matches, winning the Hanif Mohammad Cap.

Brief scores:

Final – Peshawar Zalmi beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore

Hyderabad Kingsmen 129 all out, 18 overs (Saim Ayub 54, Marnus Labuschagne 20; Aaron Hardie 4-27, Nahid Rana 2-22) VS Peshawar Zalmi 130-5, 15.2 overs (Aaron Hardie 56 not out, Abdul Samad 48; Mohammad Ali 3-38)

Player of the Final: Aaron Hardie (Peshawar Zalmi)

Best Batter of the tournament: Babar Azam – 588 runs (Peshawar Zalmi)

Best Bowler and player of the tournament: Sufyan Moqim – 22 wickets (Peshawar Zalmi)

Best wicket-keeper of the tournament: Kusal Mendis – 550 runs and 8 dismissals (Peshawar Zalmi)

All-rounder of the tournament: Shadab Khan – 17 wickets and 173 runs (Islamabad United)

Emerging player of the tournament – Hunain Shah – (Hyderabad Kingsmen)

Best fielder of the tournament: Farhan Yousuf – 10 catches (Peshawar Zalmi)

Player of the tournament: Sufyan Moqim (Peshawar Zalmi)

Spirit of cricket award – Hyderabad Kingsmen.