Multan end home leg with easy victory over Quetta

MULTAN: Multan Sultans finished their home leg on a high ater defeating Queta Gladiators by 13 runs at Multan Cricket Stadium on Sunday evening.

Ater posting 180-4 in the first innings, the Mohammad Rizwan-led side restricted Queta Gladiators to 167-9, courtesy of three-wicket hauls by Mohammad Ali and David Willey. Gaddafi Stadium Lahore will host the second fixture of the day, scheduled to take place between Lahore Qalandars and Peshawar Zalmi at 7 pm.

Queta Gladiators won the toss and elected to field first. Usman Khan, playing his first game of HBL PSL 9, started the innings with three boundaries in the first over. Abrar Ahmed provided the first breakthrough as Usman (14, 7b, 3x4s) was stumped in the third over.

Reeza Hendricks joined Mohammad Rizwan in the middle and the two stitched a 79-run second-wicket partnership to bring momentum to Multan’s innings.

Akeal Hosein broke the partnership in the 14th over as Rizwan holed one out to Saud Shakeel at deep midwicket. The Multan skipper had to walk back ater scoring his 18th HBL PSL half-century that showcased two boundaries and four maximums.

Subsequently, Tayyab Tahir – also playing his first game of HBL PSL 9 – partnered with Hendricks for a quickfire 77-run stand that helped Multan get to a satisfactory total. In the last five overs, Multan amassed 68 runs, with the 18th and 19th overs going for 17 runs each.

By the time Hendricks was dismissed in the final over, the damage had been done as Multan ended at180-4.withhisknockthatyielded72from47,which included seven boundaries and four maximums, Hendricks overtook Lahore’s Sahibzada Farhan to becomethetournament’scurrentleadingrun-scorer.

Tayyab finished with an unbeaten 35 from 22, including four boundaries and a six. Mohammad Amir bagged two wickets while Abrar and Akeal picked up one each.

In pursuit of 181, Queta Gladiators lost both their opening baters inside the powerplay with Jason Roy falling on an exceptional delivery bowled by Mohammad Ali in the third over and Saud Shakeel geting caught at mid-on by Usama Mir off David Willey.

Khawaja Nafay and captain Rilee Rossouw bated together to add 62 runs for the third-wicket partnership until debutant Atab Ibrahim got hold of the later on the last ball of the 12th over. Rossouw walked back for 30 off 18, on the back of a four and two sixes.