LAHORE: A combined display of hard hitting by batters steered Peshawar Zalmi to a well-deserved five-wicket victory against debutants Rawalpindiz in a high-scoring match of the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.
Needing 21 for victory in the final two overs, Michael Bracewell (35 not out) and Aamer Jamal (13 not out off four balls) stood firm to complete the job with five balls to spare as the duo added 24 runs for the undefeated sixth-wicket partnership. Bracewell was named man-of-the-match for his vital knock.
Chasing a gigantic 215, openers Mohammad Haris (47) and captain Babar Azam (39) along with Abdul Samad (33) and Kusal Mendis (31) had made invaluable contributions earlier as Zalmi completed the task — their highest-ever chase in PSL history — in their first game of the edition.
In a flying start, Haris and Babar posted 62 in powerplay to keep Zalmi in the hunt right from the word go.
During his 28-ball knock, Babar smashed four fours and a six while Haris struck four fours and a couple of maximums in his stay in which he also negotiated 28 deliveries.
As Zalmi cruised to 78-0, Asif Afridi gave Rawalpindiz a huge wicket when the slow left-arm orthodox spinner trapped Babar in front in the ninth over. The dismissal came through DRS after the umpire gave the right-hander not out.
Haris was next to go as he skied a short ball which was caught by Rawalpindiz captain Mohammad Rizwan off pacer Amad Butt as scoreboard read 96-2 at halfway stage.
Mendis, who cracked a four and a couple of sixes in his 17-ball cameo, added 32 runs with Aaron Hardie (eight) before the latter was dismissed by leg-spinner Rishad Hossain in the 14th over. And when Mendis was caught by Rishad at long-off off a slower Amad delivery in the 15th over, Zalmi looked in serious trouble.
However, Bracewell and Samad had other ideas amid a mounting required run-rate.
They added a stunning 64 runs off just 23 balls to bring their team back in the game. Bracewell faced 17 balls and plundered three fours and two sixes while Samad was more belligerent launching four sixes and a four in his 11-ball blitz.
Samad was sent back by fast bowler Mohammad Amir on the last ball of the 18th over before the Bracewell-Aamer pair rose to the occasion.
Fast bowlers Naseem Shah (0-51), Amir (1-49) and Amad (2-45) proved expensive while Rishad (1-35) and Asif (1-37 off 3.1 overs) got a wicket apiece.
Earlier after opting to bat first in daylight, Rawalpindiz posted a massive total courtesy opener Yasir Khan’s blistering innings of 83.
Yasir and fellow opener Rizwan (41 off 32 balls) took a hurricane 125-run start in 12 overs to give their team a solid foundation for a huge total.
After lifting their team 63-0 in powerplay, the opening pair raced to 100 in just 9.5 overs as a huge total looked certain.
Right-handed Yasir was far more aggressive than his partner, as he completed the half-century off only 28 balls. He faced only 46 deliveries during his stay while cracking seven fours and six sixes. Rizwan, on the other hand, hit five fours and a six.
Fast bowler Ali Raza gave Zalmi the first breakthrough in the 13th over when he induced Rizwan to play a miscued lofted shot and caught by Farhan Yousuf around long-on.
Zalmi took a sigh of relief in the 15th over when Yasir was caught by Aamer at deep square leg off Ali. Rawalpindiz were now 144-2.
Kamran Ghulam (20-ball 37) and Daryl Mitchell (23 off 13 balls) took the total to 150 in 15 overs and then lifted the run-rate with some powerful shots. Kamran clobbered three sixes and a brace of fours while Mitchell registered two maximums as they took the score to 185 before the former was caught by Farhan at backward point off pacer Hardie in the 18th over. Mitchell’s innings was ended by Aamer in the final over when the batter was caught by Hardie at long-on.
Aamer conceded 20 runs off the final five balls as Sam Billings (18 not out off eight, two fours and a six) cut loose.
Aamer took 1-45 runs off three overs while Ali claimed 2-42 from his three overs. Hardie gave away 36 runs for one wicket in three overs.
Scoreboard
RAWALPINDIZ:
Yasir Khan c Aamer b Ali83
Mohammad Rizwan c Farhan b Ali41
Kamran Ghulam c Farhan b Hardie37
Daryl Mitchell c Hardie b Aamer23
Sam Billings not out18
Abdullah Fazal not out5
EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1, W-5)7
TOTAL (for four wickets, 20 overs)214
DID NOT BAT: Amad Butt, Rishad Hossain, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Asif Afridi
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-125 (Rizwan), 2-144 (Yasir), 3-185 (Kamran), 4-197 (Mitchell)
BOWLING: Shoriful 4-0-31-0 (4w, 1nb), Hardie 3-0-36-1, Ali 3-0-42-2, Aamer 3-0-43-1 (1w), Bracewell 3-0-33-0, Sufiyan 4-0-28-0
PESHAWAR ZALMI:
Mohammad Haris c Rizwan b Amad47
Babar Azam lbw b Asif39
Kusal Mendis c Rishad b Amad31
Aaron Hardie c Abdullah b Rishad8
Michael Bracewell not out35
Abdul Samad c Billings b Amir33
Aamer Jamal not out17
EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1, W-6)8
TOTAL (for five wickets, 19.1 overs)218
DID NOT BAT: Farhan Yousaf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Shoriful Islam, Ali Raza
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-78 (Babar), 2-96 (Haris), 3-128 (Hardie), 4-130 (Mendis), 5-194 (Samad)
BOWLING: Amir 4-0-49-1 (1w), Asif 3.1-0-37-1 (1w), Naseem 4-0-51-0 (1w, 1nb), Amad 4-0-45-2 (2w), Rishad 4-0-35-1
RESULT: Peshawar Zalmi won by five wickets.
MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Micheal Bracewell
Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2026
