Defending Champions Quetta Gladiators completed their HBL PSL 2020 marketing campaign on a successful notice as they beat Karachi Kings by 5 wickets on the Nationwide Stadium on late Sunday.

After their fourth win of the match, Gladiators, the defending champions, have been tied with Peshawar Zalmi on 9 factors, however couldn’t safe a semi-final berth as a consequence of a low internet run price.

Shane Watson and Khurram Manzoor, who was taking part in his first HBL PSL 2020 match, scored half-centuries and added 118 runs for the second wicket as Gladiators chased down the 151-run goal with 22 balls spare.

Watson scored 66 off 34 balls, wherein he smashed seven fours and 4 sixes, whereas Khurram made a 40-ball 63, studded with 9 fours and a six.

For his match-winning knock, Watson was named man of the match.

The dismissal of Khurram within the 12th over by Waqas Maqsood, who had despatched Ahmed Shehzad (zero) again within the hut on the second ball of the run chase, sparked a collapse as Gladiators slipped to 139 for 5 from 118 for one.

Pacer Arshad Iqbal (3.2-0-37-2) eliminated Watson and Ben Chopping on the primary two balls of the 15th over.

However Azam Khan (12 not out) and Mohammad Nawaz (eight not out) held their nerves to take Gladiators over the road.

Earlier, Cameron Delport’s 44-ball 62, which included 5 fours and two sixes, helped Kings to 150 for 5 in 20 overs.

The left-handed batsman stitched a 73-run stand for the fourth wicket with Chadwick Walton (26 off 20).

Babar Azam was the opposite notable contributor with the bat for Kings as he scored 32 off 34 and put up partnerships price 30 and 42 with Iftikhar Ahmed (21 off 17) and Delport after Shajeel Khan was bowled by Naseem Shah on the second ball of the match.

With the dismissal of Walton on the final ball of the penultimate over, Naseem completed with two wickets for simply 17 runs in 4 over, whereas Sohail Khan, Fawad Ahmed and Mohammad Hasnain picked up a wicket every.

The 2 semi-finals shall be performed on Tuesday, at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.

Within the first semi-final, which begins at 2pm, table-toppers Multan Sultans face Peshawar Zalmi, whereas arch-rivals Karachi Kings and Lahore Qalandars will lock horns at 7pm.

Scores briefly: Karachi Kings 150-5, 20 overs (Cameron Delport 62, Babar Azam 32, Chadwick Walton 26, Iftikhar Ahmed 21; Naseem Shah 2-17).

Quetta Gladiators 154-5, 16.2 overs (Shane Watson 66, Khurram Manzoor 63; Waqas Maqsood 2-19, Arshad Iqbal 2-37).