Image Credit- AFP
In the Pakistan Super League on Thursday, Sherfane
Rutherford produced an undefeated half-century to help Quetta Gladiators defeat
a struggling Karachi Kings by five wickets.
After a middle-order collapse, Quetta rallied to chase down 166 for their
fourth win in five games, led by Rutherford, who slammed 58 not out off 31
balls with six massive sixes and a match-winning boundary off the penultimate
ball.
Before Karachi got trapped in a knot with the Quetta spinners and was reduced
to 165 for 8, they were unable to capitalise on the influential batting of Tim
Seifert and James Vince during the powerplay. In five games, it was Karachi’s
third defeat.
A viral ailment kept out a number of key Karachi
players, including Leus de Plooy, Tabraiz Shamsi, and Mir Hamza. In the
hospital was Du Plooy.
Playing in his debut match of the season, legspinner Zahid Mahmood and Hasan
Ali put Karachi ahead with two wickets apiece, and Shoaib Malik claimed the
crucial wicket of Jason Roy, half-centurion, as Quetta collapsed to 89 for 5 in
the 12th over.
However, Rutherford spearheaded the counterattack alongside Akeal Hosein,
slamming fast bowler Anwar Ali in the last over with his forceful hitting.
Rutherford’s two sixes off the first two balls turned the tide of the match in
Quetta’s favour, who needed to score 15 from six balls.
Earlier, Shan Masood was dismissed for two by left-arm
spinner Hosein in the opening over, extending his unsatisfactory debut campaign
as Karachi captain.
During the power play, Vince blasted eight fours in his furious effort, but
Usman Tariq, the spinner, turned the tide of the match by trapping both Seifert
and Vince leg before wicket in his opening over.
The legspinner bowled Kieron Pollard in the final overs, but Abrar Ahmed
recovered strongly in his final two overs to claim three wickets. Even though
Anwar scored twenty runs off of Mohammad Wasim’s final over of his undefeated
twenty-five, it was not enough.