Zalmi vs Gladiators, 9th Match at Sharjah, , Feb 17 2017 - Match Result

6.56pm Confirmation coming through that the match has been called off. The rain is quite heavy now and both teams will share a point each. Gloomy end to what should have been an exciting top-of-the-table clash. So nothing changes on the points table as the two teams retain their position on top of the table. Friday evening, Sharjah, so much history associated with it and so many memories that come flooding in. And who would have thought we will have a washout? Anyway, it is what it is. One more match coming up, and all we can do is hope there is no repeat and we get in a good game. Do stay tuned for the clash between Islamabad and Karachi. Cheers!

Monish Pokhrel: "55 from 36 balls was so obious for Gladiators, and I think that would be unfair for Zalmis to lose. So i feel that 'match abandon' is the unbiased result for both the team. Hope to see second game uninterrupted."

anees zed: "With Friday being the only weekly holiday, you have to feel for the crowd."

6.55pm All set for the start then. Thisara Perera is opening the innings with Ahmed Shehzad and Zalmi is starting with pace. Hasan Ali to bowl the first over. And guess what? It's drizzling.

Off they go. More work for groundstaff as the covers come on. Story of the day.

6.49pm Play to start at 6.55pm. Target is 55 from six overs. Two overs of Powerplay.

6.40pm Eighteen minutes to go for the cut-off time. Still drizzling in Sharjah.

Umair: "is it bad enough to effect the second game too..??" That's a bit hard to say. The rain is not that heavy. Just on and off. Of course, it's been persistent for the last few minutes, but still fairly light, so it may be more hours of frustrating wait when the time comes for the second game, I'm afraid.

The latest is that the game has been reduced to nine overs and the target for the Gladiators is 79. We are looking at a 6.40pm start.

And even as I finish typing that, more covers come on.

6.26pm Some of the covers have come off, but it is still raining.

Tamim Iqbal: Obviously frustrating. We have put up a good total and need to finish the job with the ball. It's a very difficult wicket to bat on and we have some good bowlers. I don't know if there will be more reduction in overs. We will see what we get and then accordingly take things forward.

6.20pm More covers have come on now. Still 38 minutes away from cut-off time, and chances of play dissipating by the minute.

6.10pm The cut-off time is 6.58pm, which is 48 minutes from now. If play does not begin by then, the match will be called off.

The revised target for the Gladiators was to be 125 provided there are no more interruptions. But now that we are in the middle of another break, it will likely be revised again. There are even bigger covers in place now, which means the rain must be heavier.

5.57pm Looks like the break will extend to more than the scheduled 10 minutes. The rains has started to fall down again and the covers have been put in place.

Hamza: "Will there be an increase in target by D/L method???" Yes, there will. Waiting for official word on the revised target.

Mazhar Shehzaad: "Tamim scored 53% of Peshawar's runs. A trend in this PSL. Individual players scoring a big percentage of the team total."