Van der Dussen's 104* in vain as Qalandars slump to fifth straight defeat
The win, Zalmi's second in four games, lifted them to fourth place on the table
AP
26-Feb-2024 • 12 mins ago
Rassie van der Dussen brought up the season's first century • Associated Press
Peshawar Zalmi 211 for 4 (Ayub 88, Babar 48, Powell 46, Afridi 3-33) beat Lahore Qalandars 203 for 6 (Van der Dussen 104*, Naveen 2-50) by eight runs
Rassie van der Dussen's unbeaten 52-ball 104 went in vain against Peshawar Zalmi as two-time defending champions Lahore Qalandars lost their fifth straight game in the PSL on Sunday. Van der Dussen got to his century in 50 balls, but it wasn't quite enough as Zalmi won by eight runs with Qalandars chasing for the first time this season.
Van der Dussen kept Lahore's hopes alive in pursuit of Peshawar's formidable total of 211 for 4 by hitting six sixes and seven fours, but the home team was restricted to 203 for 6.
It was the first century in this PSL edition, which van der Dussen reached by pulling Luke Wood for a six over midwicket in the penultimate over. He attacked Zalmi's quick bowlers, with Naveen-ul-Haq (2 for 50) and Wood (1 for 46) returning expensive figures.
Needing 18 off the final over, van der Dussen got the strike for only one ball as Paul Walter kept his nerve and conceded just three runs off the first five balls before Carlos Brathwaite hit a six off the final ball.
In the absence of the injured Haris Rauf, Zalmi's opening pair of Saim Ayub (88) and captain Babar Azam (48) had raised 136 off 86 balls after Qalandars won the toss.
Rovman Powell smashed 46 off 20 and hammered young fast bowler Mohammad Imran for 22 in one over. Zalmi's 211 was the season's highest total.
Qalandars captain Shaheen Shah Afridi chipped in with three late wickets for 33 runs, but got little assistance from Zaman Khan, who ended with none for 48.