Clinical Multan Sultans secure cushion of a top-two finish
They trounced Gladiators by 79 runs but both teams still have a shot at winning the PSL title
Associated Press
13-Mar-2024
Mohammad Rizwan's Multan Sultans were on fire early in their defence of 185 • Pakistan Super League
Multan Sultans 185 for 4 (Rizwan 69, Charles 53, Amir 2-40) beat Quetta Gladiators 106 (Yousuf 37, Willey 3-22, Mir 3-22) by 79 runs
Legspinner Usama Mir and fast bowler David Willey shared six wickets and routed Quetta Gladiators for 106 as table-toppers Multan Sultans completed their regular season with a 79-run win in the Pakistan Super League on Tuesday.
Sultans led the points table with seven wins and will take on No. 2 Peshawar Zalmi (12 points) in the Qualifier on Thursday with the winner advancing to the final.
It was a wake-up call for the revamped Gladiators, who will be playing their first PSL playoffs after four years. They will meet Islamabad United in the Eliminator on Thursday.
Half-centuries by captain Mohammad Rizwan (69) and Johnson Charles (53) of West Indies propelled Sultans to 185 for 4 after they were put in to bat.
Gladiators' chase got derailed in the third over when Jason Roy's run of poor form continued as Willey (3-22) had him trapped leg before wicket and Saud Shakeel (14) got run-out.
Willey then knocked back captain Rilee Rossouw's leg stump with an impeccable yorker inside the powerplay and Laurie Evans spooned a dolly to midwicket.
Mir (3-22), the leading wicket-taker of the tournament, then removed the Gladiators' top-scorer Omair Yousuf (37) before he quickly ran through the tailenders to give Sultans and emphatic victory with more than four overs to spare.
Earlier, Rizwan smashed his fourth half-century this season and Charles upped the ante in the death overs with his 29-ball knock before Iftikhar Ahmed provided an ideal finish with a quickfire 20 off eight balls.