Karachi Kings finally broke their eight-match losing streak in the Pakistan Super League 2022 with a 22-run win over Lahore Qalandars, while defending champion Multan Sultans recorded the second-highest total in PSL history to set up a record-breaking 117-run victory over Quetta Gladiators. (More Cricket News)
On the same wicket where Multan had earlier racked up 245-3, Karachi pinned down Lahore to 127-9 after getting bowled out for 149 in 19.5 overs.
Left-arm fast bowler Mir Hamza took the heart out of Lahore's chase with 4-27 that included key wickets of Fakhar Zaman (1) off his first ball and then shut down the chase by removing Harry Brook (26) and David Wiese (31) in the death overs.
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“We were 10-15 runs short, but we got the key wicket of Fakhar Zaman early and it helped us,” Karachi captain Babar Azam said. Earlier, young fast bowler Zaman Khan (4-16) and Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan (4-17) struck with regular intervals and restricted Karachi to what appeared to be a below-par total.
Rashid entertained a capacity crowd at the Gaddafi Stadium in his second last PSL game this season when he had Pakistan under-19 captain Qasim Akram (26) clean bowled and followed it up by having top-scorer Babar (39) stumped in successive overs.
Rashid, who will not be playing in the PSL playoffs next week because of national duty, clean bowled Imad Wasim and Chris Jordan off successive deliveries before Zaman wrapped up the innings by claiming the last two wickets.
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Lahore have 10 points from eight games and have already qualified for the playoffs while Babar's Karachi have two points and are sure to finish at the bottom of the table with their last league game against Quetta on Sunday.
RUTHLESS MULTAN THUMPS QUETTA
Led by captain Mohammad Rizwan's (83 not out) fifth half-century this season and a whopping 71 off just 26 balls from Rilee Rossouw, Multan plundered the second highest ever total in the PSL after Rizwan had won the toss and opted to bat first.
Multan's 245-3 total fell just short of Islamabad United's PSL record of 247-2 against Peshawar Zalmi at Abu Dhabi last year.
Quetta folded meekly for 128 in 15.5 overs against the pace and spin of Multan with Umar Akmal scoring a rapid 23-ball 50 while Jason Roy (38) and captain Sarfaraz Ahmed (17 not out) were the only other batters to reach double figures.
Fast bowlers Shahnawaz Dahani and David Willey finished with identical figures of 2-22 while left-arm spinners Khushdil Shah and Asif Afridi also picked up two wickets apiece.
Ruthless Multan held the previous record of largest victory in the PSL when they beat Quetta by 110 at Abu Dhabi last year.
Multan's impressive run in the tournament continued as they've lost only one game out of nine and have 16 points. Quetta are in the bottom half of the table with six points from nine games with just one game remaining against last-place Karachi Kings on Sunday.
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The in-form opening pair of Rizwan and Shan Masood, who made 57, laid the foundation of a big total with a century-stand in the first 10 overs.
South Africa's left-hander Rossouw then hit boundaries at will after Masood was trapped leg before wicket in the 12th over by tall Pakistan international fast bowler Mohammad Irfan in his first PSL game this season.
Rossouw smashed nine fours and four sixes and Multan blasted 81 runs off the last five overs against expensive fast bowlers Sohail Tanvir (0-52) and Ghulam Mudassar (1-56). Spinner Noor Ahmed was also not spared, finishing with 0-52.
