KARACHI, Pakistan, CMC – West Indies Twenty20 star Akeal Hosein produced a gutsy all-round effort but it went in vain as his Quetta Gladiators went down by 39 runs to Obed McCoy’s Islamabad United in the first eliminator of the Pakistan Super League here yesterday.
The 30-year-old first grabbed two for 34 from four overs of left-arm spin to help restrict Islamabad to 174 for nine from their 20 overs, after they had opted to bat first at the National Stadium.
Hosein then smashed an 18-ball 31 as Gladiators slumped to 135 all out in the 19th over, left-arm seamer McCoy conjuring up a stingy spell of one for 13 from three overs.
While the defeat ended Gladiators sojourn in the competition, Islamabad will have another crack at the final when they take on Darren Sammy’s Peshawar Zalmi in the second eliminator on Saturday.
New Zealander Martin Guptill led Islamabad’s early assault, top-scoring with 56 off 47 balls with five fours and a six, as he put on 51 for the first wicket with Englishman Alex Hales (23) and a further 51 for the second wicket with Agha Salman (31).
Hosein made key strikes, however, as Islamabad lost seven wickets for 56 runs to decline at the back end of the innings.
In reply, Gladiators had their top order wrecked by left-arm spinner Imad Wasim (3-12) as they crashed to an irreparable 16 for five in the fifth over.
The left-handed Hosein arrived at number seven to blast two fours and three sixes and fuel a desperate 52-run sixth wicket partnership with top-scorer Omair Yousuf, who made exactly 50 off 37 balls.
When Hosein was tragically run out at the start of the 11th, Omair added 41 for the eighth wicket with Mohammad Amir (23) but the stand was not enough to salvage the run chase.
