By Staff Reporter
LAHORE: Aaron Hardie produced a match-winning all-round performance as Peshawar Zalmi beat debutants Hyderabad Kingsmen by five wickets to claim their second HBL Pakistan Super League title at Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday.
Hardie claimed four wickets for 27 runs to help bowl out Hyderabad for 129 in 18 overs, then top-scored with an unbeaten 56 off 39 balls, featuring nine fours, as Zalmi chased down the target in 15.2 overs with 28 balls to spare.
The Australian all-rounder became the first player to take a four-wicket haul and score a half-century in a PSL final. He was named player of the match.
Zalmi, who won the toss and elected to bowl, had reached the final as table-toppers after eight wins and just one defeat in the league phase. They had thrashed Islamabad United in the qualifier and ended a nine-year wait for silverware, having last lifted the trophy in 2017 with a victory over Quetta Gladiators. The win takes them level with Islamabad United and Lahore Qalandars as multiple-time champions.
Hyderabad, one of two new franchises this season, produced a remarkable turnaround after losing its first five league matches. They won the next five to reach the playoffs, then stunned Islamabad United by two runs in the eliminator on Friday to book their maiden final appearance.
Hyderabad made a solid start after being put in, reaching 69-2 in the powerplay. But their innings collapsed dramatically, losing six wickets for just four runs in nine balls to slump to 73-6.
Hardie struck first, having captain Marnus Labuschagne caught behind for 20. Nahid Rana, who replaced Khurram Shehzad in the squad, removed Glenn Maxwell for a first-ball duck and claimed two wickets in all. Sufyan Muqeem trapped Usman Khan lbw, while Michael Bracewell effected two sharp run-outs to dismiss Irfan Khan Niazi and Kusal Perera.
Saim Ayub provided the only substantial resistance with a fighting 54 off 50 balls, taking the score past 100 before Hardie claimed his third victim. Hardie then wrapped up the innings five balls later by having No. 11 Akif Javed caught behind. Hassan Khan top-scored among the lower order with 12, while seven of Hyderabad’s 11 batters failed to reach double figures.
Labuschagne later admitted his side had fallen short with the bat. “As a batting group, we probably left a few runs out there,” he said. “We showed once again that belief in the side and what we can do, putting them four for 40, but just not enough runs on the board tonight.”
Zalmi’s chase began disastrously. Mohammad Ali removed opener Mohammad Haris for six in the first over and followed up by bowling captain Babar Azam for a golden duck. Kusal Mendis fell for nine and Bracewell for four as the defending champions slumped to 40-4 inside five overs.
Hardie and Abdul Samad then turned the match with an 85-run fifth-wicket stand. Samad made 48 before holing out to the deep with just five runs still required. Pakistan Under-19 captain Farhan Yousuf struck the winning boundary.
Ali finished with three for 38, while Akif Javed and Hunain Shah picked up a wicket apiece.
Babar Azam, the tournament’s leading run-scorer with 588 runs — equaling Fakhar Zaman’s PSL record for a single edition — collected his first title as captain. “It’s a very big achievement for me, for Peshawar Zalmi and all the fans,” he said. “Throughout the tournament, we’ve performed really well as a team … every player executed the plans they were given in batting, bowling, and fielding. Our plan was to go match by match.”
Hardie echoed the skipper’s satisfaction. “It was just a great game of cricket,” he said. “Kingsmen came out of the blocks really hard. They’ve certainly had a lot of momentum from the last couple of games, and they carried that in, but I’m really proud of the way the boys were able to fight back.”
Labuschagne, whose side had come from four straight defeats to reach the final, reflected on their campaign with pride despite the loss. “Tonight hurts,” he said. “But reflecting on what an amazing tournament we’ve put together, coming from four losses to winning four in a row, getting bowled out for 80, then winning by 100, and then winning two games to get into the final. We’ve made so many great memories, and I’m just so proud of the team; it’s been an awesome effort.”
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