PSL Match
In PSL Match 11, MULTAN A swashbuckling half-century from Reeza Hendricks backed by leader Mohammad Ali’s precise bowling steered Multan Sultans to a 13-run palm over Quetta Gladiators then at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
The victory — the fourth in five games for Sultans — kept the Mohammad Rizwan-led on top in the six-platoon league. Gladiators alternate on the table with three wins in the fourth PSL Match. With Sunday’s match, the Multan leg of PSL 9 also ended.
Ali with emotional bowling numbers of 3- 19 off his four overs that included a maiden over, plushly earned the man-of-the-match award. Defending a solid 180- 4, Sultans confined Gladiators to 167 for nine in PSL Match 11.
After being transferred into the club by Gladiators ’ commander Rilee Rossouw, Sultans started their innings with Rizwan and Usman Khan who was playing his first PSL 9 game Right- handed Usman( 14 off seven), who had cracked three fours in the opening over sailed by West Indian incentive Akeal Hosein, was deceived by pugilists ’ riddle incentive Abrar Ahmed while trying to play a truculent stroke as Sarfaraz Ahmed removed the bails.
South African Hendricks joining Rizwan boosted the innings with a 79-run alternate-gate cooperation. Akeal broke their cooperation in the 14th over when Rizwan while trying a big shot was caught by Saud Shakeel at deep midwicket. The commander walked back after scoring his 18th PSL half-century featuring two fours and four sixes.
Tayyab Tahir, also playing his first game of PSL 9, also partnered with Hendricks for a 77-run stage- off bare 6.3 overs that lifted Sultans to a fighting aggregate. In the last five overs, the Sultans amassed 68, with the 18th and 19th overs costing them 17 runs each. Hendricks was dismissed by Mohammad Amir in the final over after smashing a 47-ball 72 that included seven boundaries and four sixes.
The South African player in the process caught Qalandars ’ nature Sahibzada Farhan as the event’s leading run-arranger. Iftikhar Ahmed was transferred back by Amir on the penultimate ball of the innings for a first-ball duck. Tayyab finished with an unbeaten 35 from 22, including four boundaries and a six.
Amir bagged two wickets while Abrar and Akeal picked up one each. Chasing 181, the Gladiators lost both their opening batters inside powerplay with English Jason Roy( 12) falling on an exceptional ball by Ali in the third over. Left-handed Saud( 24 off 13) was caught at mid-on by leg-incentive Usama Mir off David Willey, another player from England, as Gladiators were confined to 42- 2 in the sixth over.
Khawaja Nafay and Rossouw combined to add 62 runs snappily for the third gate until debutant leader Aftab Ibrahim dismissed the ultimate on the last ball of the 12th over as Khushdil Shah took a stunning catch at redundant cover.
Rossouw made 30 off 18, striking a four and two sixes. Sajjad Ali( two), coming in as a concussion cover for Sarfaraz, was stumped by Rizwan off Usama as Gladiators drooped to 107- 4 in the 13th over. They faced a massive reversal when Ali dismissed Nafay( 36 off 31) who set up Usama behind point in the 15th. The batter smashed two fours and numerous sixes.
Sherfane Rutherford contributed 21 from 14, including two sixes, before he was caught and sailed by Willey in the 17th over. In the same over, Mohammad Wasim Jr( one) also fell causing pugilists to slide to 136- 7. Left-handed Amir minced in with 12 off eight, including two fours, before Ali rattled his wholes in the penultimate over while Aftab in the final over, removed Abrar on the last ball of the innings to give Multan a well-justified triumph. Willey bagged three lattices while Aftab picked up two. So in PSL Match 11 the winner are Multan Sultan and now are ledding in the table point.