PSL 2020: Masterful Mohammad Hafeez wins it for Lahore, KOs Zalmi

Lahore Qalandars have defeated Peshawar Zalmi by five wickets and an over to spare in Eliminator 1 of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2020 at National Stadium. 

The best innings of Mohammad Hafeez's PSL career was instrumental in a run chase that at one point was on the verge of a meltdown with Lahore 33-3.

Hafeez formed a crucial partnership with Ben Dunk, then Samit Patel and lastly with David Wiese but most importantly, stayed till the end to ensure that his team got home.

He finished with a 46-ball 74.

With the victory, the Qalandars stay alive and will face Multan Sultans for a place in the final opposite Karachi Kings.

Zalmi, meanwhile, are knocked out of the tournament.

End of live blog

171-5 after 19 overs: Usually so excellent in death overs, Wahab Riaz leaks 20 in the over and the match is over with six balls to spare. The pacer is hit for back-to-back sixes off the final two balls.

David Wiese 16 (7) Mohammad Hafeez 74 (46)

151-5 after 18 overs: Hafeez playing arguably the best innings of his PSL career. Hits three boundaries under pressure to keep Lahore in the hunt.

Mohammad Hafeez 69 (44) David Wiese 2 (3)

20 needed off 12

135-5 after 17 overs: Stingy over by Wahab builds more pressure on Hafeez and co. 36 needed from 3 overs.

David Wiese 2 (3) Mohammad Hafeez 53 (38)

130-4 after 16 overs: Back-to-back dot balls build the pressure on Patel (20 off 17), who top edged Rahat Ali and is caught.

127-4 after 15 overs: Back-to-back short balls by Saqib Mahmood and back-to-back boundaries by Samit Patel.

Patel knows how to play Robin to a Batman and he's doing that nicely for Hafeez.

Samit Patel 19 (13) Mohammad Hafeez 49 (33)

115-4 after 14 overs: Samit Patel 8 (8) Mohammad Hafeez 48 (32)

101-4 after 13 overs: Hafeez's top edge is not grasped by a backward running Rahat Ali. He hits a four off the very next ball to remind Zalmi of the mistake they've made.

91-4 after 12 overs: Driven hard and Dunk is done. He gets caught in cover. Big, big blow for Lahore. Mohammad Imran gets the wicket off his first PSL ball.

Hafeez is off the field for a toilet break.

He finally makes it back.

Samit Patel is the new man in.

88-3 after 11 overs:

86-3 after 10.4 overs: Hafeez cops a Wahab Riaz deliver on to his groin. He needs medical attention so a strategic time-out is taken. See ya in 3 mins.

83-3 after 10 overs: Hafeez ends the Brathwaite over with another delicate dab that runs away for another four at the third-man boundary. Few play that shot better than this man.

72-3 after 9 overs: A much-needed big over for Lahore. A Viljoen wide on the leg side travels for four before Hafeez dabs him expertly for a four off the other side the very next ball.

Ben Dunk 12 (12) Mohammad Hafeez 23 (17) 

55-3 after 8 overs: Professor with a driven four in the over.

Mohammad Hafeez 13 (13) Ben Dunk 10 (10)

48-3 after 7 overs: Ben Dunk 9 (9) Mohammad Hafeez 7 (8)

41-3 after 6 overs: Ben Dunk finds two boundaries in this one. If this man stays till the end, Lahore win.

33-3 after 5 overs: Mahmood draws leading edge off of Akhtar's bat and he is caught at midwicket by Wahab Riaz. Just 7 runs for the Qalandars captain.

Ben Dunk walks in. Him and Hafeez form Lahore's best batting pair. Can they rescue Lahore?

27-2 after 4 overs: Mohammad Hafeez 1 (3) Sohail Akhtar 2 (4)

25-2 after 3 overs: Fakhar's bad run continues as he nicks it back to the keeper after contributing just six off seven balls. Several firsts: Saqib Mahmood picks up a wicket with his first ball in PSL and Imam takes his first catch behind the wickets. Imam celebrated that catch as if he had smashed a last-ball sixer in World Cup final.

The duo combine to dismiss Tamim later in the over as the Bangladesh batsman top edges and Imam hangs on to it.

18-0 after 2 overs: Tamim cracks a couple of stylish boundaries.

6-0 after 1 over: Fakhar looks uncomfortable against the spin but still smashes a four off the last ball.

Rahat Ali to bowl the second.

0-0 after 0 over: Fakhar Zaman and Tamim Iqbal at the crease. Shoaib Malik has the new ball.

Story at the break: Lahore Qalandars started well, picked up regular wickets and before the last over, must have been feeling that they have it in the bag. But a 20-over 20th over got them to 170 - a total that on a complicated Karachi wicket may not prove easy to chase down.

170-9 after 20 overs: Haris Rauf leaks 20 in the final over to have Zalmi feeling really good about themselves. Hardus Viljoen (37 off 16) was the Zalmi hero in the over, cracking two sixes and just as many fours before getting caught on the final ball of the innings.

150-8 after 19 overs: Saqib Mahmood 2 (3) Hardus Viljoen 17 (10)

143-8 after 18 overs: Wheels are coming off of the Zalmi innings. Wahab Riaz vanishes.

132-7 after 17 overs: Brathwaite is deceived by a slower ball from Shaheen and is caught.

129-6 after 16 overs: Shoaib Malik nicks a wide delivery back to the keeper and falls just when Zalmi needed him to stay and accelerate. 39 off 24 for the veteran all-rounder.

120-5 after 15 overs: A couple boundaries for Malik in this over. He is Zalmi's main hope. 

Carlos Brathwaite 2 (3) Shoaib Malik 37 (21)

10 an over from here gets Zalmi 170.

106-5 after 14 overs: Shoaib Malik 23 (16) Carlos Brathwaite 2 (2)

97-5 after 13 overs: Not content with hitting Wiese for a six off the first ball, Imran goes for another later in the over and is out caught.

Carlos Brathwaite is next man in.

87-4 after 12 overs: Du Plessis is a goner. Dilber finds a thin edge. He is given out but the decision is immediately reviewed. The former South Africa captain does not find any joy out of the review and he walks off unimpressed. A 25-ball 31 for him on PSL debut.

Mohammad Imran is new man in. Malik has a massive responsibility on his shoulders now.

77-3 after 11 overs: Malik almost gets caught at long-on boundary. Tamim Iqbal jumps and gets a hand to it but it goes beyond him.

66-3 after 10 overs: Faf du Plessis 20 (18) Shoaib Malik 4 (5)

56-3 after 9 overs: Imam top edges David Wiese, who also grabs the catch. A 24-run knock off 19 balls for the lefty. Zalmi in a spot of bother.

With Sani Mirza in the stands, Shoaib Malik walks in.

51-2 after 8 overs: Another uneventful over.

44-2 after 7 overs: Wahab Riaz in TV interview confirms that Imam, currently batting, will also be keeping the wickets tonight in place of Kamran Akmal, who is out injured.

Faf du Plessis 7 (9) Imam-ul-Haq 20 (15)

38-2 after 6 overs:

34-2 after 5 overs: Sohaib was pushing his luck and pays the price. He pulls Dilber for a six and then a wild, uncontrolled heave the next ball has him caught. Sohaib was unluckly that he did not earn a reprieve as replays showed the ball might have clipped a spider camera cable on its way down into Fakhar Zaman's hands. It would have been super weird as by the time the replays were seen, Sohaib was back in the dugout and Faf du Plessis was at the crease to make his PSL debut.

26-1 after 4 overs: Imam pulls Haris for a beautiful six. Sohaib, though, still looks uncomfortable. 

Dilber Hussain, another one of Lahore's finds, to bowl the next over.

16-1 after 3 overs: A boundary off the over but wasn't in control. Shaheen is a menacing presence for Zalmi batters. Sohaib, especially, does not look comfortable as he is trying to clear his left leg every other ball. 

11-1 after 2 overs: Imam gets a six off a top-edge. Other than that, it was a tight over by Haris Rauf.

4-1 after 1 over: Shaheen bowls out Haider on the first ball. Terrific start for the Qalandars. Sohaib Maqsood is new man in.

0-0 after 0 over: Haider Ali and Imam-ul-Haq to open the innings for Zalmi. Shaheen Afridi to bowl the first over.

7:47pm: Playing elevens

Lahore: Sohail Akhtar, Fakhar Zaman, Tamim Iqbal, Mohammad Hafeez, Ben Dunk, Samit Patel, David Wiese, Mohammad Faizan, Shaheen Afridi, Haris Rauf, Dilber Hussain

Peshawar: Imam Ul Haq, Haider Ali. Faf du Plessis, Shoaib Malik, Sohaib Maqsood, Hardus Viljoen, Wahab Riaz, Carlos Brathwaite, Mohammad Irfan, Saqib Mahmood, Rahat Ali

7:40pm Lahore Qalandars have won the toss and decided to field first.

7:30pm The toss has been delayed for a second straight match.

In the first match of the day, this happened.

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