Hard-hitting opener Jason Roy’s marathon 145-run knock trumped Babar Azam’s maiden Pakistan Super League (PSL) century as Quetta Gladiators pulled off the highest run chase to down Peshawar Zalmi by eight wickets to stay in the playoff contention.

The Gladiators had a mountain to climb to stay alive in the tournament as the former champions needed to pull off the highest-ever run chase and eventually they did so with 10 balls to spare at the back of a scintillating knock by Roy.

In pursuit of 241, the Gladiators’ openers Martin Guptill and Roy gave their side a flying start as they straight away charged on Zalmi bowlers; raising 40 runs in the third over.

Roy was the core aggressor of the Gladiators’ counterattack but his partner Guptill also began to catch up before Wahab Riaz outdid him with a short-pitch delivery. He scored a brisk eight-ball 21 including three boundaries and a six.

Following the early setback, Will Smeed joined his countrymate in the middle and the pair stitched a match-defining 109-run partnership for the second wicket and made sure to score at a rapid pace.

Roy once again led the charge of yet another partnership while Smeed anchored the run chase before falling victim to Mujeeb Ur Rehman in the 12th over. He scored 26 off 22, hitting a boundary and two sixes.

The Gladiators needed 91 off the last eight overs when Mohammad Hafeez came out to bat.

The experienced batter wasted no time in settling down and opened his account with a boundary on the first ball. The right-handed batter then brought all his experience in play to support Roy, who was turning it into a nightmare for Zalmi.

The pair then prevailed in steering their side to victory and pulled off the highest run chase with 10 balls to spare as Zalmi bowlers remained clueless.

Roy played a marathon knock and registered the highest individual score in PSL history with a 63-ball 145, beefed up whopping 20 boundaries and five gigantic sixes.

Hafeez, on the other hand, also played a crucial cameo; scoring brisk 41 runs in 18 balls with the help of six boundaries and two sixes.

For Zalmi, Wahab and Mujeeb could pick up a wicket as the rest went for plenty and wicketless.

Earlier, Captain Babar Azam Wednesday hit a maiden Pakistan Super League century as Peshawar Zalmi piled up a mammoth total of 240-2 against Quetta Gladiators in the 25th eight edition of the PSL at Pindi Cricket Stadium in Rawalpindi.

The duo of Peshawar Zalmi skipper Babar Azam and batter Saim Ayub also managed to hit the second-highest partnership of the Pakistan Super League during the match.

The duo managed to score 162 runs — before opener Ayub was sent back to the pavilion.

https://twitter.com/thePSLt20/status/1633495068030976003

Babar, who is also the national side's skipper across all formats, holds the record for scoring the highest partnership with Sharjeel Khan (176) and the third-highest partnership (157) — both while he was representing Karachi Kings.

Ayub made an entertaining 74 off 34 balls hitting five sixes and six boundaries.

https://twitter.com/thePSLt20/status/1633494381930897408

Babar was run out on 115 in the first ball of the last over. Babar took only 60 balls to reach the three figure and it was overall eighth time that he crossed the 100 runs mark in Twenty20 cricket. Babar faced 65 balls and hit three sixes and 15 boundaries during his 102 minutes stay on the crease with a strike rate of 177.

https://twitter.com/thePSLt20/status/1633486572489252865

Rovman Powell also hit some big shots as he remained unbeaten for his 35 runs off 18 balls hitting two sixes and three boundaries.

https://twitter.com/thePSLt20/status/1633488616923045889

Tom Kohler-Cadmore remained unbeaten for his seven runs off 3 balls hitting a boundary.

For Quetta, Muhammad Hussnain was the most expensive bowler as he conceded 57 runs in his four overs. Dwaine Pretorius was only wicket-taker as he finished with figures of 1-40 in his four overs.