That's it from ESPNcricinfo's live coverage of Match 18 of PSL 2022. Don't forget to join us back on the Super Sunday tomorrow where we're scheduled to have a double-header. We hope you enjoyed our watch. Till next time, it's goodbye and goodnight from Momin Butt and the rest of the crew.

Sarfraz Ahmed is the player of the match. "We were targeting to steady the ship when I was batting with Vince. I want to credit our opening players but I think Umar's inning was the turning point for us. We keep the fighting spirit till the last ball. Nawaz's absence is a setback and we'll miss him a lot, but Afridi and Noor's bowling tonight was really good and we hope they can continue like this through the rest of the tournament."

Shadab Khan: "I think we made a comeback after Roy's start but Umar Akmal and Sarfraz Ahmed's innings were the key. At the death, I thought Hasan Ali was the right option to go rather than burdening the young man Zeeshan Zameer. Faheem's finish with the bat was quite brilliant, we try to use our batting depth."

Noaman Khan: "The bowlers are letting the IU down big time. If the other bowlers could bowl half of what Shadab has. This could have been a very different story."

Faizan: "I would still say it was poor captaincy from Shadab. He should have utilized Zeeshan instead of Wasim and Hasan. "

Zia Abbasi: "By this innings, Sarfaraz has proved himself as an enigmatic character who somehow keeps pressing himself and puts lid on his critics."

Woof, it's been another cracking run-chase from Quetta Gladiators. Stick around for the presentations

11.20 PM: That's a quite astonishing innings from the Gladiators skipper to seal the deal for his team. The Men in Purple have hunted down 200-plus totals twice in two matches now and they're very much in the reckoning as far as that top-four finish is concerned. The run-chase, just like in their previous outing, was set up at the top through a blistering half-century by Jason Roy. The Gladiators seemed to be running away with the game before Shadab Khan came into the attack and put a stranglehold. He bowled beautifully, taking 3/25 and was well supported by Liam Dawson through the middle-overs as the United tightened the screws and stemmed the flow of runs. Sarfraz Ahmed struggled to get off to a flyer and he kept losing partners from the other end as the required rate crept up to over 13 runs an over. It was at this time that Umar Akmal turned back the clock with his scintillating ball-striking and injected that impetus at the rear-end. Sarfraz also found his touch and saw his team home with two balls to spare; bringing up a wonderful half-century in the process.

Quetta Gladiators have won by 5 wickets

19.4
4
Hasan Ali to Sarfaraz Ahmed, FOUR, He's done it! Low full-toss, tailing into the pads, stands tall and whips it across the line into the vacant leg-side

1 off 3 now

19.3
4
Hasan Ali to Sarfaraz Ahmed, FOUR, Creamed through the covers! Overpitched, wide of off, Sarfraz is slinking away to target the on-side but adjusts at the last moment to drive it through the covers. Exquisite timing!

5 needed off 4

19.2
1
Hasan Ali to Faulkner, 1 run, Yorker length, wide outside off, inside-edges his drive into the on-side and they hustle through

6 off 5

19.1
1
Hasan Ali to Sarfaraz Ahmed, 1 run, Off-cutter, turning into the pads, heaved disdainfully towards deep backward square leg

7 off 6 now

19.1
1w
Hasan Ali to Sarfaraz Ahmed, 1 wide, Full and wide, Sarfraz is shuffling away but lets it fly through as it's too wide

Right, 8 off 6 now. Sarfraz on strike and Hasan to bowl

END OF OVER:
19 | 19 Runs 1 Wkt | QG: 192/5 (8 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 10.10, RRR: 8.00)

  • Sarfaraz Ahmed41 (29b)
  • James Faulkner0 (0b)
  • Mohammad Wasim4-0-61-1
  • Hasan Ali3-0-38-0
18.6
1
Mohammad Wasim to Sarfaraz Ahmed, 1 run, Length delivery, over the stumps, tickled into the leg-side and keeps strike

9 needed off 7 as James Faulkner comes out

Some cameo that from Umar Akmal

18.5
W
Mohammad Wasim to Umar Akmal, OUT, Caught at deep midwicket! Slower delivery, in the arc, he hacks across the line but gets it off the toe-end of his blade; good airtime on this but not enough distance and it's safely pouched

Umar Akmal c Asif Ali b Mohammad Wasim 23 (19m 8b 0x4 3x6) SR: 287.50

18.5
1w
Mohammad Wasim to Umar Akmal, 1 wide, Off-cutter, wide of off, throws his bat at it but it's too wide. Or was it? That looked inside the tramlines but he'll have to reload
18.4
6
Mohammad Wasim to Umar Akmal, SIX, Whipped away for six more! Low full-toss, middle and leg-stump, crouches low to get underneath it and muscles it over wide long-on. Extraordinary power in those wrists
18.3
1
Mohammad Wasim to Sarfaraz Ahmed, 1 run, Shortish, dug into the pitch, mistimed pull towards wide long-on
18.2
6
Mohammad Wasim to Sarfaraz Ahmed, SIX, Lambasted by the skipper! That's a real hit-me delivery. Full-toss on the pads again, Sarfraz stands tall and mows it away over the deep square leg boundary
18.1
4
Mohammad Wasim to Sarfaraz Ahmed, FOUR, Four runs! Friendly full-toss, middle-stump line, hoicked across the line and the deep backward square leg fielder has made a meal of it trying to cut it off. He put in all the hard yards but ended up parrying it over the boundary

Mohammad Wasim to bowl the penultimate over, 27 runs needed off 12

END OF OVER:
18 | 17 Runs | QG: 173/4 (27 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 9.61, RRR: 13.50)

  • Sarfaraz Ahmed29 (25b)
  • Umar Akmal17 (6b)
  • Hasan Ali3-0-38-0
  • Mohammad Wasim3-0-42-0
17.6
1
Hasan Ali to Sarfaraz Ahmed, 1 run, Fuller delivery, tailing in with the angle, dug out to long-on
17.5
2
Hasan Ali to Sarfaraz Ahmed, 2 runs, Well bowled, yorker length on middle and leg, clipped into the on-side and they hustle back for two
17.4
1
Hasan Ali to Umar Akmal, 1 run, Slower delivery, low full-toss outside off, steered down to short thirdman; he's definitely missed out there

Aamir: "Welcome back Umar Akmal, that six was some shot, waiting for a straight six"

17.3
6
Hasan Ali to Umar Akmal, SIX, Ginormous! Short of a length, Akmal hangs back and he's slammed that a million miles into the night sky
17.2
1
Hasan Ali to Sarfaraz Ahmed, 1 run, Shortens his length a touch, Sarfraz hangs back and pumps it down to mid-off, hurries through
17.1
6
Hasan Ali to Sarfaraz Ahmed, SIX, Hacked away for a gigantic six! Half-volley length, angling into the pads, slinks across and heaves across the line over the deep midwicket boundary

44 needed off 18

END OF OVER:
17 | 13 Runs | QG: 156/4 (44 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 9.17, RRR: 14.66)

  • Sarfaraz Ahmed19 (21b)
  • Umar Akmal10 (4b)
  • Mohammad Wasim3-0-42-0
  • Shadab Khan4-0-25-3
16.6
3
Mohammad Wasim to Sarfaraz Ahmed, 3 runs, Slower delivery, in the channel, miscues his lofted drive and it just evades the cover fielder who does extremely well to scurry back and keep it in to save one
16.5
0
Mohammad Wasim to Sarfaraz Ahmed, no run, Full and wide outside off, tries to squeeze it through the off-side but gets no bat on this
16.4
1
Mohammad Wasim to Umar Akmal, 1 run, Fuller delivery, tailing in with the angle, heaved across the line towards deep midwicket
16.3
2
Mohammad Wasim to Umar Akmal, 2 runs, Advances down the track to convert this into a full-toss and thumps it back past the bowler, it ricochets off the stumps at the non-striker's and scoots through the cover region
16.2
6
Mohammad Wasim to Umar Akmal, SIX, Smeared away over the leg-side! Back of a length, honing into his ribs, gets under it beautifully and smacks it high and handsome over the deep midwicket boundary
16.1
1
Mohammad Wasim to Sarfaraz Ahmed, 1 run, Length ball, angling into his hips, hoicked across the line towards the cow corner region

Imtiaz Bahar: "Sarfraz is playing a poor inns here. This has built pressure on Vince and ifthikar and they lost their wickets "

END OF OVER:
16 | 6 Runs 1 Wkt | QG: 143/4 (57 runs required from 24 balls, RR: 8.93, RRR: 14.25)

  • Sarfaraz Ahmed15 (18b)
  • Umar Akmal1 (1b)
  • Shadab Khan4-0-25-3
  • Zeeshan Zameer1-0-7-0

Another superb spell of bowling from the United skipper: 3/25 for him

15.6
1
Shadab Khan to Sarfaraz Ahmed, 1 run, Shuffles across outside off to fetch this leg-break and heaves it towards the cow corner fielder

Gladiators 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st88JJ RoyAhsan Ali
2nd4JM VinceAhsan Ali
3rd38Sarfaraz AhmedJM Vince
4th9Sarfaraz AhmedIftikhar Ahmed
5th52Sarfaraz AhmedUmar Akmal
6th12Sarfaraz AhmedJP Faulkner

Pakistan Super League

TeamMWLPTNRR
MS1091181.253
LQ1064120.765
PZ106412-0.34
IU10468-0.069
QG10468-0.708
KK10192-0.891