West Indies pacer Odean Smith had negligible returns in the Pakistan Super League on Thursday when Quetta Gladiators stumbled to a 17-run defeat against Lahore Qalandars.
Smith grabbed one for 27 from his allotted four overs, and the Gladiators attack of which he was a part dismissed the Qalandars for 148 in 19.2 overs in the latest match of the tournament at Gaddafi Stadium.
The Jamaican, batting at eight, made only 11 and was one of the three wickets for 22 from four overs for pacer Haris Rauf, and the Gladiators were restricted to 131 for seven, though they batted the full quota of 20 overs.
The result fortified Qalandars in the top spot in the standings on 10 points with five wins from six matches, and Gladiators in the bottom spot on two points with only a single win from the same number of matches.
Gladiators started the chase strongly with an opening stand of 53 between top-scorer Will Smeed and Pakistan international Yasir Shah.
Shah was caught behind off Rauf for 14 off the final ball of the Power Play, but the wickets of Smeed lbw to Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan for the top score of 32 next over, and Mohammad Hafeez run four for two in the 10th over destabilised the Gladiators.
They reached 62 for three at the halfway stage, but apart from their captain Sarfraz Ahmed, not out for 27, none of the other batsmen brought the durability to help them make a serious assault on the target.
Earlier, Zimbabwe international Sikandar Raza struck eight fours and three sixes in an unbeaten 71 off 34 balls to prop up the Qalandars batting after they were sent in to bat.
The Qalandars top order imploded, and they were struggling on 50 for seven in the 10th over when Raza came to their rescue, sharing 69 with Khan for the eighth wicket.
Odean Smith got Khan caught at long-off for 21 in the 16th over, and Raza dominated the closing overs to add runs that proved crucial in the end.
CMC/
