Defending champions Quetta Gladiators knocked out of PSL
Multans Sultans to face Peshawar Zalmi in semi-finals; Karachi Kings to play Lahore Qalandars
Sunday 15 March 2020 17:44, UK
Defending champions Quetta Gladiators have been dumped out of the Pakistan Super League with a five-wicket win over Karachi Kings in their final group game not enough to lift them into the semi-finals.
Quetta - who needed to reach their target of 151 in 3.2 overs to overhaul fourth-placed Peshawar Zalmi in the standings - topped Karachi's total of 150-5 in 16.2 overs, with Shane Watson (66 off 34) and Khurram Manzoor (63 off 40) plundering 118 for the second wicket.
The Gladiators finished level on nine points with Zalmi - the side they beat in the 2019 final - but their run rate was inferior to Peshawar, who advance into a semi-final with table toppers Multan Sultans on Tuesday.
Karachi will play Lahore Qalandars in Tuesday's other semi-final at Gaddafi Stadium, with the latter having cemented a top-four position with a nine-wicket hammering of Sultans earlier on Sunday.
Gladiators' 17-year-old seamer Naseem Shah picked up 2-17 from his four overs as Kings - who sealed their semi-final berth with a win over Islamabad United on Saturday - were limited to 150-5.
Cameron Delport (62 off 44) top-scored for Karachi, dominating stands of 73 and 42 with Chadwick Walton (26) and Babar Azam (32) respectively.
Kings' total proved too small with Watson and Manzoor, who clubbed 11 and 10 boundaries respectively, firing after opener Ahmed Shehzad was dismissed from the second ball of the chase.
Quetta lost 4-21 between the 11th and 15th overs - Waqas Maqsood (2-19) ousting Manzoor - but that wobble came too late for Kings, with Gladiators winning with 22 balls to spare.
