Multan Sultans finished their home leg on a high after defeating Quetta Gladiators by 13 runs at Multan Cricket Stadium on Sunday evening. After posting 180-4 in the first innings, the Mohammad Rizwan-led side restricted Quetta 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.
Quetta 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 after 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 at 180-4. With his knock that yielded 72 from 47, which included seven boundaries and four maximums, Hendricks overtook Lahore’s Sahibzada Farhan to become the tournament’s current leading run-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, Quetta Gladiators lost both their opening batters inside the powerplay with Jason Roy falling on an exceptional delivery bowled by Mohammad Ali in the third over and Saud Shakeel getting caught at mid-on by Usama Mir off David Willey.
Khawaja Nafay and captain Rilee Rossouw batted together to add 62 runs for the third-wicket partnership until debutant Aftab Ibrahim got hold of the latter on the last ball of the 12th over. Rossouw walked back for 30 off 18, on the back of a four and two sixes.
Sajjad Ali, coming to bat as a concussion substitute for Sarfaraz Ahmed, could only make two off two before Rizwan stumped him off Usama Mir’s bowling.
Trouble deepened for Quetta as Nafay (36, 31b, 2x4s, 2x6s) found Usama behind point, awarding Ali his second wicket of the day.
Sherfane Rutherford contributed 21 from 14, including two maximums, before he was caught and bowled by Willey. In the same over, Mohammad Wasim Jnr also fell for just a run.
Amir chipped in with 12 off eight, including two fours, before Ali rattled his stumps in the penultimate over. Aftab, bowling the final over, removed Abrar on the final ball to award Multan the game by 13 runs.
Willey and Ali bagged three wickets while Aftab returned with two. Usama also dismissed one batter.
Scores in brief
Multan Sultans beat Quetta Gladiators by 13 runs
Multan Sultans 180-4, 20 overs (Reeza Hendricks 72, Mohammad Rizwan 51; Mohammad Amir 2-46)
Quetta Gladiators 167-9, 20 overs (Khawaja Nafay 36, Rilee Rossouw 30; Mohammad Ali 3-19, David Willey 3-37, Aftab Ibrahim 2-26)
