LAHORE - Peshawar Zalmi edged out the Multan Sultans by five wickets in the ninth fixture of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) Season 9, putting a brake on the Sultans’ dominant run in the league.
The victory was set up by a concerted team effort from Zalmi, who managed to chase down a competitive target set by the Sultans in a pulsating match at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Friday night.
Multan Sultans, batting first, put up a total of 174 runs in their allotted 20 overs. The innings was highlighted by Dawid Malan’s scintillating 52 off 25 balls, embellished with three fours and as many sixes, while opener Yasir Khan contributed a solid 43 off 37 balls. However, the Sultans’ batting lineup couldn’t capitalize on their starts, with most batsmen getting out after getting set, thanks to a disciplined bowling performance by Peshawar Zalmi. Arif Yaqoob was the pick of the bowlers for Zalmi, claiming 3 wickets for 43 runs, while Luke Wood and Naveen-ul-Haq each bagged two wickets, keeping the Sultans’ total within reach.
Peshawar Zalmi, in their chase, showed determination and depth in their batting lineup. Despite losing early wickets, the middle order, led by Haseebullah Khan’s brisk 37 off 18 balls and Babar Azam’s classy 31, kept the scoreboard ticking. Contributions from the middle and lower order, including a quickfire 23 off 11 balls by Rovman Powell, propelled Zalmi towards the target. The chase was characterized by crucial partnerships that helped overcome the loss of wickets at key moments. Multan Sultans’ bowlers, despite putting up a fight, struggled to contain the flow of runs in the crucial overs. David Willey and Mohammad Ali managed to take two wickets each, with Willey being particularly economical. However, the collective effort from Zalmi’s batters proved too much, as they successfully chased down the target with five wickets in hand.
SCORES IN BRIEF
PESHAWAR ZALMI 179/8 in 20
overs (Haseebullah Khan 37, Babar
Azam 31; Mohammad Ali 2-23, David
Willey 2-28) beat MULTAN SULTANS
174 (Dawid Malan 52, Yasir Khan
43, Reeza Hendricks 28; Arif Yaqoob
3-43, Luke Wood 2-13, Salman Irshad
2-39) by 5 wickets.
