Multan Sultans downed Karachi Kings in a convincing 55-run win in the third game of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) season 9 at the Multan Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Sultans’ bowlers were up to the task as they restricted Kings to 130/8 while defending a target of 186. Pacer Mohammad Ali bagged figures of 3/23 on his PSL debut. He dismissed Daniel Sams, Hasan Ali and Mir Hamza.
David Willey, who was appointed Mohammad Rizwan’s deputy of Sultans for PSL 9, took 2/23 while Abbas Afridi returned with figures of 2/16.
Spinner Usama Mir was economical in his spell, bagging figures of 1/14.
Veteran Shoaib Malik was the top performer for the Kings, scoring 54 runs off 35 balls. Skipper Shan Masood made 30 off 31 while West Indies’ power-hitter Kieron Pollard provided some resistance in the end to narrow the margin by scoring 28*.
Earlier, Dawid Malan and Reeza Hendricks scored brisk half-centuries to take the home side to 185/2.
Put into bat first, the Sultans registered a commendable total on the board, thanks to a marathon second-wicket partnership between Malan and Hendricks.
The home side, however, had a contrasting start to their innings as Mir Hamza trapped their skipper Mohammad Rizwan (11) lbw on the first delivery of the third over with just 17 runs on the board.
The Sultans were unfazed by the early blow as Hendricks joined Malan in the middle to give them a steady start.
The duo batted with great determination to keep the scoreboard ticking and registered half-centuries at a decent strike rate.
Their 121-run partnership finally ended in the 17th over when Dawid Malan misjudged Daniel Sams’ slower delivery and launched the ball straight to substitute fielder Irfan Khan at deep midwicket.
Malan smashed four boundaries and a six on his way to a 41-ball 52.
Hendricks, on the other hand, stood his ground firm and carried his bat all the way through with an unbeaten 79 off 54 deliveries, laced with seven boundaries and three sixes.
He was involved in yet another crucial partnership for the Sultans when he added 47 runs for the third wicket alongside Khushdil Shah, who played an important cameo at the backend.
Khushdil scored 28 off 13, hitting four boundaries, to help Hendricks bolster the Sultans’ total.