Lahore 164-3 (Delport 78, U Akmal 52 not out; Junaid 2-32)
Peshawar 160-7 (Malan 42, Tamim 30; Delport 3-18, Cooper 3-25)
SHARJAH // The figures would be passable if they were of a part-time offspinner: 6 0 37 0. Six overs, just over a run a ball – not bad right?
Except, of course, they are not.
Those are Chris Gayle’s scores so far for Lahore Qalandars in the Pakistan Super League.
When Lahore picked Gayle, alongside Dwayne Bravo and Umar Akmal for their franchise at the players draft, it always felt as if the batting order would be either big hit, or big miss, with no middle ground. So it has proven, though it did not prevent them from securing a tense four-run win against Peshawar Zalmi.
Gayle was out in the first over of the innings for the third time, and the second time to Junaid Khan.
It will be of almost no consolation that he should not have been out: replays suggested the ball was missing leg-stump.
It should serve as an eye-opener to Lahore that their leading run-scorer, who actually won them the game was the lesser-known Cameron Delport.
Delport’s sterling all-round performance was enough to drag Lahore over the line for just a second win in six matches. He followed up his 78 – a third fifty of the tournament – with three wickets as Lahore successfully defend 165.
As in their only other win, Delport was also given considerable help here by Akmal. The pair put on 101 for the third wicket, with Akmal getting to a second fifty.
Peshawar looked to be in the running to pull off the league’s highest run-chase so far at various points: when Tamim Iqbal was continuing his hot streak, or when Dawid Malan’s 42 seemed to be finishing matters off.
But Delport’s gentle medium-pacers accounted for three big wickets, including Tamim and Shahid Afridi. Lahore have only won two games, but both have been against the table-toppers and it keeps them in the running for a play-off sport.
Turning point
Until Malan was at the crease, Peshawar were in it. The moment he fell, leg-before to Devon Cooper, was the first time Lahore could be confident of securing victory. Still their bowling threatened to let the match slip away, not least when Wahab Riaz tonked a massive, straight six in the final over off Ehsan Adil.
Man of the match
Cameron Delport, Lahore You can be forgiven if you had not heard of Delport before the PSL. It has nothing to do with your knowledge or his skills: it is just the nature of Twenty20 cricket that there are an increasing number of players, bouncing from league to league, franchise to franchise. You hear of them but they never truly register.
Delport is not exactly a format specialist. He has broken a Sachin Tendulkar record. In partnership with Morne van Wyk he put on an unbroken stand of 367 in a 50-over game, breaking a 331-run stand between Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid.
Three fifties means he is also the league’s second-highest scorer. His three wickets on the night also makes him their second-highest wicket-taker.
The National’s verdict
Lahore have thrown a cat among the pigeons in the bottom half of the PSL with this win. Had they lost, they would almost certainly have been out.
But their narrow four-run win means they retain hopes of the play-offs. This win has opened up the tournament beneath the top two sides.
osamiuddin@thenational.ae
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