Zalmi vs Sultans, 27th Match at Rawalpindi, PSL 2023, Mar 10 2023 - Match Result

10.54 pm So Zalmi create history by becoming the first T20 franchise team to post 240+ two matches in a row... and then create further history by failing to defend the total on both occasions.

The playoff equation has gotten very interesting after today. Zalmi need to beat Islamabad United to clinch a playoff spot in their final match. If they do that and Multan beats Quetta in their last game, then Multan will jump past Islamabad into second place. If Zalmi lose to Islamabad, then they'll need Multan to beat Islamabad to ensure Zalmi reach the playoffs.

Otherwise, a Zalmi loss combined with a Multan loss could open the door for Quetta to steal the fourth and final playoff spot instead of Zalmi based on net run rate. Zalmi would have to lose by a decent margin and Quetta would need to chase down a target in relatively quick time in order for that to happen though because Zalmi enjoy a significant net run rate advantage at the moment. But Quetta are still mathematically alive. So many permutations possible to unfold over the final three matches.

Zalmi stand-in captain Tom Kohler-Cadmore: "Last game we saw Jason Roy score an unbelievable hundred and Rilee's was just as good tonight. Obviously we have got a lot to work on, but when the batters play that well, sometimes you have to take your hat off to them and say well done. The par score here is over 200. You know you're going to go for boundaries but you have to limit those to one an over instead of two or three. I think there's multiple places you can look at and as a team we didn't execute. The way Rilee came out tonight, he put us under pressure from ball one and you need a plan when players are batting that well. We're still in a good place to qualify, and as long as you do that, then you've got three games and you can win the trophy."

Rilee Rossouw is unsurprisingly named Player of the Match: "I think I took something from what Jason Roy said the other night. When you're chasing such a high score, you have to go from ball one. Lucky for me, it's paid off tonight. I want to say this might be [my best T20 innings ever] because it's a run chase and that's extra pressure and everything adds up and maybe it's my best knock ever. [On Kieron Pollard's flat six over extra cover]. I laughed because I think Tom Kohler-Cadmore told cover to come in on the one and then after that it was like, 'Back up to the ring or you're gonna get killed here!' He hits the ball very hard. He did a fantastic job. He took his time to get in there and once he did, he hit everything for six. So well done Polly. It's unbelievable [for batting]. Some lucky shots, some bad bowling gets you to 240. I still think there's a place to bowl out there. You just need to execute it somewhere."

That's it for today's coverage. Come back tomorrow for another crucial PSL encounter when Sultans come straight back out against Quetta Gladiators. A win by Sultans will clinch a playoff spot for Zalmi. A loss and Zalmi may still need another win in their final match to claim the fourth and final playoff spot. Until then, take care!

Farzand : "Pollard catch of the tournament could be the difference for ML today". That was some moment.

Usama Mir arrives under slight pressure.

Wahab is the first of many of the Zalmi players to come up to Rossouw and shake his hand after a magnificent knock has ended. Rossouw raises his bat to acknowledge the crowd, acting as though the job is done. But there's still 16 needed off 9 and suddenly only 4 wickets in hand.

Kashan: "It seems that PZ will be the first team to not been able to defend 240 consecutively." Indeed, Zalmi are the first team in T20 franchise cricket anywhere in the world to score 240+ in consecutive matches. And they're on track to also become the first team in T20 franchise history to fail to defend those two 240+ targets in consecutive matches.

Absaar Ahmad: "This is Absolutely Absurd, PZ has Somehow Found a Way to Lose 2 Matches after making 240 Target. "