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PSL Eliminator 2 | David Wiese masterclass sails Lahore to final in a dramatic clash

A deserved contest to get into the final of the Pakistan Super League 2022, the Eliminator turned out to be one of the best matches in the tournament despite its flaws.

Lahore Qalandars bundled Islamabad United for 162 runs in 19.4 overs to win the game by 6 runs on Friday, 25 February to book a place in the final alongside Multan Sultans. But, it was not a straightforward game as the scoreline might suggest.

The game had everything. 

Collapse on both sides, exceptional bowling performances, poor fielding, exceptional fielding and then a rain affected final over.

Imagine Lahore Qalandars preparing to bowl the final over, trying to defend 8 off the final over, while staring at the unmissable scoreboard which indicated - If the game would stop right now due to rain - Islamabad United would win based on the DLS par score.

That’s the kind of set up we are talking about when David Wiese came out to bowl. Equation was far from simple - the game could have stopped any time, and Wiese, with the ball in hand, not only needed to pick the last two wickets, but also could not afford to lose any more runs.

But more on that later.

The batting flop show

Lahore Qalandars have batted fairly well for the most part of the tournament. That has largely happened because of the exceptional form of Fakhar Zaman, who has amassed 585 runs in the tournament.

Qalandars needed Zaman to fire on the night against batting heavy United - who on their day can possibly chase down 180-190 with ease - considering the batting depth that they possess. 

However, as it would turn out, it was not the night of Zaman at all. For that matter it was not the night of Qalandars batter at all. At the start of the innings, Qalandars were down by 9/2 in the first three overs, with barely any hope to get back in the match. But they fought back with a masterclass in counterattack from Abdullah Shafique who scored his half century in just 25 balls providing Qalandars with a good base.

There are nights when things go right, and there are nights when things go wrong. It was the latter one for the home side. They failed to capitalise on the start and were left reeling at 141/7 by the end of 19 overs.

141? Poof…Easy work for Alex Hales and co.

In a world of Pakistani & Englishmen, a Namibian steals the show

David Wiese’s story on Lahore tonight was a story of two overs. Two last ones to be specific. Not only did he save Qalandars while defending 8 runs, he also hit 3 sixes and 1 boundary in the last over of the first innings to completely change the complexion of the game.

From 141/7, Lahore jumped to 168 - a monumental step, just from the optics point of view.

Wiese stayed not out at 28 off 8 at a maddening strike rate of 350, which essentially became the difference between the two sides today.

Alex Hales, Paul Stirling & the absence of Rashid Khan

Barring Shaheen Shah Afridi and Fakhar Zaman, these are the three names that highlight a game between Lahore Qalandars and Islamabad United, you can go and ask any generic PSL fan in the world.

But as things stood last week, none among these three were playing in Eliminator if their teams actually made it this far. Stirling had gone for national duties, Hales had left citing bubble fatigue and Rashid Khan went to play for Afghanistan in Bangladesh.

However, thanks to a rule tweak in the PSL  - agreed by all franchises two among these three returned.

Alex Hales and Paul Stirling are a scary combination to face upfront - in any condition - in any league in the world. Stirling is a stand and deliver kind of a guy, a hacker for the lack of a better term, but an elite one at that. And on the other side, Alex Hales - former world number 1 T20I batter in the world - and for some, currently the best T20 opener in the world in current form.

And things started off in an ominous tone as well. Shaheen Shah Afridi was hit for 14 in his first over by Stirling and alarm bells had rung for Lahore.

However, in his return over (3rd of the chase) a pick up shot from Stirling landed into the palms of a sprinting Haris Rauf in long leg. A lucky escape for Shaheen indeed - who looked like he could go for a few in the night.

Stirling's wicket brought in a landslide in the Islamabad team and there were 46/4 inside the first six overs. All this while Alex Hales stood from the other end having played just eight balls till that point.

The Rashid Khan gap

Lahore Qalandars possibly have the best bowling unit in the tournament. You have the fear factor in Haris Rauf and Shaheen Afridi, you have the newcomer in Zaman Khan, you have a great change up in David Wiese and if all else fails you have the HULK!

Well not the Hulk, obviously, but Rashid Khan.

Lahore missed the leg spinners services direly in the game as they saw Islamabad go from 46/4 in six to 118/4 by the 13th over. Azam Khan and Alex Hales were on a roll and Lahore looked lost.

Qalandars are an exceptional unit

Don’t let the viral story of Haris Rauf ‘Slapgate’ fool you. Qalandars are a great team and they know how to bounce off each other. When things looked lost, Qalandars gave a little more in their ground fielding. Stopped boundaries, put in their dives and that’s how they got their breakthrough.

Rauf hit the stumps from short third man to find Azam Khan (40 off 28) short and then Kamran Ghulam (the guy Rauf slapped) took a stunning catch at extra cover to dismiss Hales (38 off 29). 

And guess who the bowler was? Haris Rauf. You just cannot make this up!

Barring a Shaheen over in the middle, Qalandars tightened their screws in the last five and got crucial wickets of Asif and Hasan Ali - players who can really hit the ball out of the park.

17 was needed from the last 12 with three wickets in hand. Rauf gave away 9 of them but dismissed Asif Ali in the last ball of the 19th over and then Wiese and his cutters did the rest with rain looming large.

A true final

Nobody but David Wiese had a claim to today’s man of the match and he was paid due respect by the captain who spoke highly of the Namibian in the post match presentation.

The final is set between two of the most loved sides in Multan and Lahore and it is anybody’s guess who will win the seventh edition of the Pakistan Super League.

However, if Qalandars can repeat what they did tonight, they will make the Mohammad Rizwan-led side work really hard for the trophy on Sunday, 27 February in the Gaddafi Stadium at Lahore. 

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