Multan Sultans defeated Peshawar Zalmi by seven wickets at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium to advance to the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 9 final.
Earlier in the day, Babar Azam won the toss and decided to bat first. Saim Ayub and Babar opened, while David Willey received the new ball.
The Englishman delivered in the first over, when Saim was caught at deep square-leg following a superb set-up. Khushdil Shah, shockingly, bowled the second over and gave 10 runs on two boundaries.
Babar maintained his onslaught of boundaries, hitting three in a row in the latter minutes of the powerplay. Mohammad Ali took Mohammad Haris’ wicket on the last ball of the powerplay; PZ stood.
Usama Mir, a leg-spinner, took PZ’s third wicket by sending Haseebullah Khan home. The batting side played carefully, finishing on 67/3 after ten overs.
Zalmi stuck to the safe approach, but Chris Jordan bowled Babar out for 46 in the 14th over, bringing PZ to 101/4. Tom Kohler-Cadmore was caught by Willey off Usama Mir’s bowling after scoring 24 runs from 24 balls. Rovman Powell returned to the dugout for 12 as PZ reached 130/6 in the 18th.
Aamer Jamal attempted a daring reverse-scoop, but was forced to go back for one as PZ dropped their seventh for 131 points. The innings ended at 146/7, as Jordan bowled a brilliant last over to restrict Zalmi.
Usama Mir bowled an economical session of 4-0-16-2, while Jordan posted outstanding figures of 4-0-28-2.
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The Sultans’ innings began with Yasir Khan and Mohammad Rizwan opening against Mehran Mumtaz. The left-arm spinner was hammered for a maximum on the second ball of the game.
Paul Walter bowled the fourth over and was smashed for three boundaries by Yasir; MS finished 36/0. The powerplay finished with MS at 45/0 and Yasir at 30*.
Rizwan’s unimpressive innings came to an end in the eighth over, as he returned for a 21-ball 15. Yasir reached his half-century in the ninth over, before being caught and bowled by Mehran in the eleventh. Usman Khan and Johnson Charles played steadily.
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