PSL 2018 has come right down to the wire and qualification spots are up for grabs on the last day of group matches. The first match will be between Peshawar Zalmi and the Lahore Qalandars. Peshawar Zalmi is the only team that can make it to the semis in this encounter. They can, in fact, jump to second on the league table if they win this match. The Lahore Qalandars, on the other hand, have nothing to lose and can play with complete freedom.
Match Preview
Peshawar Zalmi
Faced with the prospect of winning their last two matches, Peshawar Zalmi pulled out all the stops against the Karachi Kings and is now one win away from securing their place in the semi-finals. Their last win signaled some very positive turn of events for Peshawar.
Kamran Akmal had been trudging through the season, not without contributing but not having the impact that he wanted either. Now, with a crucial 75laced with six hits over the boundary, he is getting into top gear at just the right moment.
Kamran Akmal is very much a momentum player and gets on scoring sprees once he hits form.
Dwayne Smith did not score too many runs in the last match but he has consistently been the best batsman for Peshawar Zalmi this season. It is also not a coincidence that Mohammad Hafeez got out early without eating up too many deliveries when Peshawar Zalmi posted its best score of the season.
We would love to see Dwayne Smith and Kamran Akmal opening the inning with Hafeez coming in at 3 but that is unlikely to happen. Excellent cameos from Saad Nasim and Darren Sammy also put the Peshawar team in a good frame of mind going into the last match.
The return of Hasan Ali has boosted the Peshawar Zalmi bowling attack a lot. Ali, Wahab Riaz, and Liam Dawson were all economical in the last match and will be the biggest threat to the Lahore batting in the upcoming match as well.
Peshawar Zalmi came from a similar situation in the last season and won the tournament. They are building momentum in a very similar manner this time as well.
Lahore Qalandars
Three wins from their last three matches have only gone on to underscore the potential that the Lahore Qalandars had going into this season. Their team sheet is full of big hitters, quality bowlers, and a captain regarded as one of the best cricketing minds in the world.
Unfortunately, this renaissance has come a little too late for them.
Lahore Qalandars cannot qualify for the semi-finals but they can end the season on a high.
The addition of Devcich to the Lahore Qalandars team had brought instant results. The big New Zealander has scored runs in most matches and taken the pressure of some of the players in the team. It helps that Fakhar Zaman also hit his best score of the tournament in the last match.
Agha Salman at 3 is a little unconvincing but we like the move by Brendon McCullum to shift to the middle and come in during the pressure phases of the match. Gulraiz Sadaf and Sunil Narine also struck some impressive boundaries in the last match to showcase their batting but overall, the Lahore Qalandars still seem a little too dependent on their top-2 players.
The Lahore Qalandars also suffered a slight jolt when Sunil Narine was reported for his bowling action in the last match. This does not stop him from bowling just now but the extra scrutiny is sure to play a role.
Narine, Yasir Shah, Mitchell McClenaghan, and Shaheen Shah Afridi make for a very potent bowling attack. It is the emergence of the young fast bowler Afridi that has helped put the X factor in this bowling attack. He burst on to the PSL with one of the most economical five wickets hauls in T20 history and has built on that performance after that.
The Lahore Qalandars have the winning momentum behind them and it is easy to see them come into this game with the same aggressive attitude they have been showing recently. Can they continue to overcome some obvious weaknesses in their side and outperform the better teams?
Pitch and Conditions
The weather in Sharjah is expected to be sunny without any chance of rain. That is somewhat expected. We are more interested in seeing what kind of pitch is on offer for this match. The last few matches in Sharjah have been high scoring. The break in matches seems to have allowed the groundsmen to prepare pitches with a bit more life in them and that is helping the batsmen. The short boundaries could also play a major factor in this match.
We expect the team winning the toss to bat first in this crucial match.
Our Prediction
Peshawar Zalmi has beaten the Lahore Qalandars in four out of the last five matches they have played against them. They also beat them convincingly in the first match this season. The Lahore Qalandars are on a winning streak and will be a much more difficult opponent this time around but Peshawar should be able to win this match none the less. Having the motivation to play the semis will be the difference.
Back Peshawar Zalmi to win.
The post Peshawar Zalmi vs Lahore Qalandars, PSL 2018 – Betting Tips appeared first on Cricket Betting.
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