Peshawar Zalmi hold nerve in thriller to open their account
Arif Yaqoob and Naveen-ul-Haq stepped up at the death to deny table toppers Multan Sultans
Associated Press
24-Feb-2024
The Peshawar Zalmi players heave a sigh of relief after holding on in a thriller • PSL
Peshawar Zalmi 179 for 8 (Haseebullah 37, Ali 2-23, Willey 2-28, Mir 2-36) beat Multan Sultans 174 (Malan 52, Yasir 43, Yakoob 3-43) by five runs
Peshawar Zalmi's first win of the season came at the expense of table-toppers Multan Sultans in a nailbiter on Friday.
Peshawar totalled 179-8 after they won the toss, and Sultans were all out for 174. Sultans still lead the six-team table on net run rate after their first home loss in four matches.
Needing 22 off the final over, Sultans' Iftikhar Ahmed cracked two boundaries and a big six off Naveen-ul-Haq, reducing the target to six off the last two balls. The Afghan fast bowler, playing his first PSL game of the season, kept his cool and had Iftikhar caught behind after a video referral, then used the last ball to knock over the last man Shahnawaz Dahani.
Sultans' run chase was powered by Dawid Malan, who made a blistering 52 off 25 balls. Reeza Hendricks, with 28 off 27, played an anchor role in a 70-run stand with Malan, who smashed three sixes and three fours.
The batters fell in quick succession, and leg-spinner Arif Yaqoob undermined Sultans further when he took three wickets in an eventful 17th over. Usama Mir hit Yaqoob for two successive sixes, and David Willey was dismissed by a terrific catch on the boundary by substitute fielder Dan Mousley.
Earlier, Peshawar were launched by Haseebullah Khan's quickfire 37 off 18 balls and Babar Azam's 31. The death overs were also vital as Rovman Powell's 23 off 11 and Luke Wood's 17 off 12 lifted Peshawar.