LAHORE: Multan Sultans won the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11th 13th match by 6 wickets thanks to Steve Smith’s brilliant half-century and Mohammad Nawaz’s 3 wickets.
Chasing a target of 167 runs, the 2021 champions easily cruised to victory with 4 wickets and 15 balls to spare.
Sultans gave the run chase a high start as their opening pair of Sahibzada Farhan and Smith put on 71 in five overs before Alsari Joseph dismissed the former with the first delivery of the next over.
Farhan scored 32 runs off 14 balls with 4 fours and 2 sixes.
The Sultans suffered another setback in an over, with Josh Phillipe scoring 18 runs off 15 balls as Saud fell to Shakeel.
With the scoreboard reading 96/2 in eight overs, Shaun Masood joined Smith in the middle and the duo put on a quick 40 to put the Sultans within touching distance before being dismissed by Hasan Nawaz in the 14th over.
Smith top scored for Sultans with 53 off 35 balls with 7 fours and a six.
Nawaz struck again in his next over, caught by Arafat Minhas (six) lbw, to reduce Sultans to 148/4.
But Masood held firm and led the Sultans over the line with an unbeaten 46 off 30 balls in the 18th over with the help of two sixes and several fours.
Among the Gladiators’ bowlers, Hasan took 2 for 17 from his 2 overs, while Alzari Joseph and skipper Saud Shakeel claimed a scalp each. Sultans captain Ashton Turner’s decision to field first paid off. Shakeel.
The Gladiators started their innings in disarray as they lost both their openers Khawaja Nafe (12) and Shamil Hussain (two) for just 15 runs in three overs.
After an early stumble, Hasan Nawaz (20) joined captain South in the middle and the duo looked to recover by anchoring a 55-run partnership for the third wicket.
Minhas struck again in the 10th over, dismissing Riley Roseau (one) and reducing the 2019 champions to 72/4.
South, meanwhile, stood his ground and stitched another crucial partnership for the Gladiators – 47 runs for the fifth wicket with Jacobs – eventually succumbing to Nawaz on the first delivery of the 17th over.
The skipper top-scored for the Gladiators with a 41-ball 56 with 6 fours and a six.
Navas led the Gladiators’ batting charge in the 17th over, dismissing Tom Curran, who collected one off three balls.
Jacobs, on the other hand, batted till the end but suffered a well-deserved half-century as he scored an unbeaten 49 off 31 balls with 4 fours and 3 sixes.
Nawaz sparked the Sultans’ bowling with three wickets for 30 runs in his four overs, followed by Minhas with two wickets, while skipper Turner chipped in with a scalp.