LAHORE, Mar 04 (APP): Rashid Khan’s miserly spell of leg spin bowling wove such a web around the Multan Sultans’ batters which they could never break and surrendered at 159-7 in pursuit of a par total of 180-9 by Lahore Qalandars in the 20th match of the HBL PSL 8 at the Gaddafi Stadium here on Saturday night. The victory meant that the Lahore Qalandars are very likely the first team to qualify for play-offs with 12 points from seven matches.
The Qalandars have emerged as a bowling powerhouse with yet again a flawless bowling performance from the fast bowlers and the spinners in a match between the two toppers of the HBL PSL 8.Lahore Qalandars, so far, have defended totals in all the six matches they batted first with 148 the lowest total defended against the Quetta Gladiators.
The destroyer-in-chief was Rashid Khan who bowled with precision and guile to run over the top order of Multan Sultan and claimed the wickets of Usama Mir, Rilee Rossouw and David Miller. Sikandar Raza got the better of top-batter Mohammad Rizwan in the only over he bowled for Qalandars. Rashid Khan was adjudged player of the match for his match-winning bowling feat.
Haris Rauf and Zaman Khan grabbed a wicket each for 30 and 23 runs in four and three overs respectively while Hussain Talat also claimed the wicket of Kieron Pollard in the last over the match. Shaeen Shah Afridi and and David Wiese went wicketless for 29 and 26 runs respectively.
Kieron Pollard was the highest scorer for the Mulatn Sultans while Muhammad Rizwan 30 (27), Shan Masood 19 (20), Usama Mir 17 (11) and Anwer Ali 17 (12) not out and Abbas Afridi 4 (1) not out.
Earlier, Multan Sultans bowlers restricted Lahore Qalandars batters to a par total of 180-9 despite a brilliant start from Mirza Baig and Abdullah Shafique of 50 runs in five overs for the second wicket but the middle order batters could not emulate the good work by Abdullah Shafique and Sam Billings. Fakhar Zaman got out without scoring in the first over of the match
Mirza Baig played a fluent innings of 17 runs off 11 balls before Ihsanullah got the better of him. The emerging opener shared a partnership of 50 runs off 27 balls with Abdullah Shafique. But it was the pair of Abdullah Shafique and Sam Billing who put up the highest partnership of 69 runs for Qalandars before Abdullah Shafique got out for 48 runs off 35. His innings was laced with one six and six boundaries.
Sam Billings was the most successful batter for the Qalandars as he hit 54 runs off 35 balls and the innings included two 6s and six boundaries. No other batter could make a significant contribution as middle orders batters were restricted to play freely by the Sultan bowlers. Sikandar Raza scored 14 (8), Hussain Talat 9 (10), Rashid Khan 0 (2), Shaheen Shah Afridi 9 (4) and Haris Rauf 0 (1) while David Wiese remained unbeaten on 15 off 12 balls.
Sameen Gull and Ihsanullah provided early breakthroughs to the Sultans but it was Kieron Pollard who got rid of Abdullah Shafique and Sam Billings in back to back overs. Qalandars could score 40 runs in the last five overs of the innings. Ihsanullah, Abbas Afridi, Kiron Pollard and Anwer Ali bagged two wickets each while Sameen Gull claimed one wicket for 29 runs off his three overs. Usama Mir and Khushdil Shah went wicketless with Mir conceding 37 off four overs while Khushdil was plundered for 17 runs off the only over he bowled.
With the victory against Sultans, Qalandars rule the roost and perch at the top of the points table with 12 points from seven matches and look very likely to have qualified for the play-offs. Multan Sultans are still second on the points-table from as many matches due to a better run rate with eight points with Islamabad United and Peshawar Zalmi place third and fourth with eight and six points.
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