PZ vs QG

Alright then, we are done with the first match of the day in the PSL, from the Gaddafi Stadium. Now, the action moves to Multan for the second game of the day between hosts Multan Sultans and Karachi Kings. So do switch tabs and join us for that starting in around 50 minutes from now. This is the pair of Bala and Bidipto taking your leave. Keep following Sportskeeda! 

Rilee Rossouw (Quetta Gladiators captain): It's tough work out there. Good to have the first win under the belt. With the bowling line up, we thought it was defendable. The pitch behaved the same throughout the game and we had to bowl 120 good balls. The bowlers did a fantastic job. (On Abrar Ahmed) With his mystery and experience, he brings an x-factor into the game. Akeal also bowled two serious overs. It's good that we have them. In the death overs, our bowlers knew exactly what is to be done and they executed it well. As professionals, we strive to imporve every single game. We will go back and assess and make a tweak. We are happy with the way we are playing now.

Saud Shakeel has been adjudged the Player of the Match! Here is what he has to say. 

Saud Shakeel: I have waiting for this opportunity for a long time, but at the same time, I have been working hard on my game. So, it helps to perform straightaway with the amount of work that has been put in. Always good to have someone like Jason Roy as your fellow opener, he takes pressure off you most of the time! The coaching staff has been really supportive of me. I have enjoyed the start for sure! 

Quetta Gladiators win by 16 runs! 

Jason Roy 75 (48) | Abrar Ahmed - 4/29 (4)
Babar Azam 68 (42) | Salman Irshad - 3/38 (4)

It was a brilliant start to the innings for Peshawar Zalmi! 91 runs got scored in 9.4 overs and Babar Azam ended up scoring a magnificent half-century. But, once wickets started falling, the middle overs kept increasing the asking rate. There was where the game's fate was decided! 

Whoever came on to bowl in the first ten overs of the innings took a tap. But as the innings progressed, spin and slow bowling came to the fore. With more pace taken off, batting got slightly more difficult. 

Saim Ayub's run out made a difference, as it broke the momentum of the innings! After that, there was a bit of a rebuilding effort from both Babar and Tom Kohler-Cadmore, but the final over of Abrar Ahmed changed the complexion of the match with both those batters dismissed trying to hit out to the longer leg-side boundary! 

After that, there was an attempt to pull things off, rather miraculously, but Rovman Powell's flourish did not last long. 

Mohammad Amir and Abrar were highly impressive with the ball and the final over from Mohammad Wasim was commendable, under pressure! A nice win here on a good batting surface for the Gladiators to kickstart what should hopefully be, a much better campaign for them this time round.

19.3 Muhammad Wasim Jr. to Aamir Jamal, FOUR! Off the top edge! Tests him with the short stuff. Jamal goes hard and gets the top edge that flies away to the thirdman boundary

19.2 Muhammad Wasim Jr. to Dan Mousley, OUT! Straight to the fielder. Full and straight on the leg-stump. Flicks it right off the middle, but gun-barrel straight to the fielder at deep square leg

Dan Mousley c Akeal Hosein b Mohammad Wasim 11 (12b, 0x4, 1x6)

Excellent 19th over from Amir! Only one boundary in it and now, Zalmi have 25 runs to pull off in the final over of the innings. Maybe well away from their reach here! 

18.6 Mohammad Amir to Dan Mousley, perfect yorker once again! Mousley attempts the reverse ramp without any success. Poor shot selection against the best bowler in the opposition