Multan Sultans beat Islamabad United by 20 runs to register their fourth successive win in the Pakistan Super League on Tuesday after beating Shadab Khan’s scintillating 42-ball 91.
Powerful half-centuries from Tim David (71) and Riley Rossouw (67 not out) brought Multan to 217-5 as the defending champions scored 93 runs in the last five overs against the Islamabad pacers.
Islamabad captain Shadab dropped three catches and smashed nine sixes and five fours to keep his team in search of a record PSL run-chase. But two-time champions Islamabad missed the target after Shadab was dismissed in the final over and their team was eventually bundled out for 197 in 19.4 overs.
Left-arm spinners Khushdil Shah (4-35) and David Willey (3-38) continued to strike at regular intervals as Islamabad’s batsmen tried to fire ambitious shots to chase down the big target.
Despite taking some impressive catches, which included a brilliant running catch off Shah’s own delivery to dismiss Asif Ali (15), Multan gave Shadab several chances. Anwar Ali dropped a sitter before Shadab completed his half-century, while Shoaib Maqsood delivered a difficult opportunity at deep extra cover soon after Shadab completed his half-century.
Shah also gave Shadab another chance when he bowled the ball for a six as he attempted to take a difficult catch over his head.
Before going to bat, Islamabad had controlled the game by the 15th over with Multan’s score of 124-3. But David and Rossouw hit boundaries in the death overs against the precarious Islamabad pacers.
Hasan Ali (1-52) scored 35 runs in his last two overs, while Faheem Ashraf (0-47) scored 21 runs in his fourth over. Left-arm pacer Merchant de Lange was also not spared by David and Rossouw as they hit him for three sixes and a four in the 18th over.
Fast bowler Mohammad Wasim (1-39) hit three fours in the final over and found David’s edge too, but not before the batsman hit six sixes and half a dozen fours in his roller-coaster knock off 29 balls.
Rossouw provided the ideal finish by hitting Hasan for three sixes in the final over as the South African remained unbeaten in his 35-ball knock, hitting six sixes and four fours.
After successfully defending twice in two days, Multan now look a formidable outfit in the six-team event.
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