LAHORE: Young pacer Zaman Khan held his nerves calm to defend 13 runs within the closing over to energy Lahore Qalandars to the second consecutive PSL title after skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi’s all-round brilliance towards Multan Sultans, ARY News reported on Saturday.
Set to chase 201, the Sultans fell only one run in need of glory because the guests may accumulate 199/eight of their quota of 20 overs regardless of Rilee Rossouw’s half-century.
Sultans’ openers Usman Khan and Mohammad Rizwan scripted a flying begin to the run chase because the pair charged on the Qalandars’ bowlers proper from the beginning and amassed 41 runs inside 4 overs.
David Wiese then rattled Usman’s stumps handy a much-needed breakthrough to the Qalandars. He scored 18 off 12 deliveries.
Sultans’ skipper Rizwan then joined arms with Rossouw and stitched an important second-wicket partnership; including 64 runs at a brisk price earlier than Rashid Khan pressured Qalandars’ comeback.
The seasoned leg-spinner eliminated each set batters Rizwan and Rossouw in his successive overs and pulled down Sultans to 122/Three within the 13th over.
Rossouw top-scored for the Sultans with 52 in 32 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries and two sixes. Rizwan, nonetheless, scored 23-ball 34, hitting 5 boundaries.
Middle-order batters Kieron Pollard and Tim David stored Sultans within the hunt with an important 24-run partnership for the fourth wicket however Shaheen wreaked havoc by taking 4 wickets in his final two overs.
The left-arm pacers dismissed Pollard (19) in his third over earlier than eradicating David (20), Anwar Ali (1) and Usama Mir (0) in his final over and halted Sultans to 177/6 in 18 overs.
When all of it gave the impression to be going Qalandars’ means, Abbas Afridi glimmered a ray of hope for Sultans as he baton charged Haris Rauf within the 19th over, which went for 22 runs.
The recreation was hanging in steadiness when Zaman got here to defend 13 runs within the closing over with Khushdil set on his crease and Abbas putting astonishingly however the younger right-arm pacer held his nerves within the clutch scenario and but once more succeeded in defending the full for the Qalandars.
Following his distinctive demise bowling, the Qalandars managed to seal a slim one-run victory over the Sultans and have become the primary facet to win two PSL titles in a row.
Shaheen led the bowling assault for the Qalandars with 4/51, adopted by Rashid’s 2/26. Wiese, then again, made one scalp.
Lahore Qalandars’ inning
Opting to bat first within the closing, the defending champions managed to placed on a large complete to defend behind a superb fifty by Abdullah Shafique and Shaheen Shah’s brisk 44.
Openers Fakhar Zaman and Tahir Baig began off cautiously for the Qalandars because the pair may elevate 38 earlier than Ihsanullah dismissed the latter on the final supply of the fifth over to attract the primary success for the Sultans.
Baig scored a fast 30 in simply 18 deliveries, hitting 5 boundaries and a six.
Fakhar then joined arms with Abdullah and the duo added 57 runs for the second wicket however remained a contact gradual within the course of as they conceded 38 deliveries earlier than Fakhar fell sufferer to Usama Mir.
The left-handed opener remained the notable run-getter for the Qalandars with 39 off 34.
Sam Billings (9) then placed on a short partnership with Abdullah and will add simply 16 runs earlier than Sultans’ spinners Usama and Khushdil Shah modified the dimension of the sport.
Sultans’ spin duo struck thrice in 4 deliveries; eradicating Billings (9), Ahsan Hafeez (0) and Sikandar Raza (1) and bolstered their facet to halt the Qalandars to 115/5 in 15 overs.
Following the hunch, Qalandars’ skipper Shaheen stood up for his group by as soon as once more selling himself within the batting order and counter-attacked with belligerent hitting.
Shaheen stitched a match-defining 66-run partnership with Abdullah for the sixth wicket earlier than the latter lastly perished within the 19th over after enjoying a wise knock.
Abdullah prime scored for the Qalandars with 65 in 40 deliveries, laced up with 10 boundaries together with two sixes.
On the opposite hand, Shaheen continued his domination over clueless Sultans’ bowlers and took his facet to amass the 200-run mark by hitting a six on the ultimate supply of the innings.
He remained unbeaten along with his 15-ball 44 which featured two boundaries and 5 sixes.
Usama led the bowling assault for the Sultans with 3/24 whereas Ihsanullah, Khushdil and Anwar Ali may choose up a wicket apiece.
