Multan
Multan Sultans came on top position of the HBL Pakistan Super League 2020 points table with a comfortable 30-run win over defending champions Quetta Gladiators at the Multan Cricket Stadium here on Saturday.
Left-handed middle order batsman Rilee Rossouw’s fastest century helped set-up the victory for the Multan Sultans team.
Chasing 200 runs for a win, the Gladiators were restricted to 169 for seven by Sultans. Opener Shane Watson played well with a whirlwind 80 runs on 41 balls. Watson hit seven fours and seven sixes before his dismissal in the 16th over derailed Gladiators’ chase.
Jason Roy who opened the innings with Watson scored added 30 off 27 balls while no other batsman could offer much to the disciplined Sultans attack.
Fast bowler Bilawal Bhatti drafted in the eleven in place of Shahid Afridi took three wickets while veteran leg-spinner Imran Tahir took two wickets.
Sultans recorded wins in all three home games of the HBL PSL 2020, while they also defeated Lahore Qalandars in Lahore, earlier in the tournament. The four wins have given them eight points and the top position on points table.
Earlier, Rossouw’s unbeaten century was the fastest in HBL PSL history. Rossouw hit six longest sixes and 10 fours in his 44-ball knock only on 44 balls to registered a new HBL PSL fastest century record.
Rossouw added 139 runs for the fourth wicket with his captain Shan Masood (46 off 32 balls, six fours), the partnership was compiled off a mere 64 balls. The two came together at the fall of Moeen Ali’s (6) wicket with the total reading 48 for three in 7.5 overs.
Their alliance though changed the complexion of the game with Rossouw doing the bulk of damage with a stunning onslaught that left the Gladiators bowlers helpless.
Mohammad Nawaz took one for 16 for the Gladiators, Mohammad Hasnain, Ben Cutting, Naseem Shah and Sohail Khan all took one wicket each but were all taken for plenty of runs by Multan Sultans players.
Yasir Shah comes in as a replacement for Mohammad Mohsin in Peshawar Zalmi’s squad, it was announced here on Saturday. The replacement was approved by the event’s technical committee which includes Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Wasim Khan, Bazid Khan, Marina Iqbal, Sameer Khosa and Dr Sohail Saleem, said a spokesman for the Board.
Mohsin, the 23-year-old leg-spinner, split the webbing between his middle and ring fingers of the left hand while fielding in his side’s HBL Pakistan Super League fixture against Lahore Qalandars in Rawalpindi yesterday. He will be out of action for at least a week.
Mohsin was picked by Zalmi in the Silver category and he has, to date, featured in two matches this season. Pakistan’s leading Test leg-spinner Yasir Shah donned Lahore Qalandars’ colours from 2017 to 2019 editions.
In 23 HBL PSL matches, Yasir, who was unpicked in the player draft for this edition, has taken 23 wickets at an average of 25.21.—APP
