MULTAN, Pakistan, CMC – A career-best, undefeated 110 from Pakistan wicketkeeper-batsman Mohammad Rizwan overshadowed muted performances from former West Indies captains Kieron Pollard and Carlos Brathwaite to lead Multan Sultans to a nailbiting three-run win over Karachi Kings in the Pakistan Super League yesterday.
Pollard faced only two balls and was not out on two in the Sultans’ innings, which was dominated by Rizwan’s hundred, a 64-ball blitz that included 10 fours and four sixes and paved the way for the Sultans’ 196 for two from their 20 overs.
Brathwaite had a rare off day with the ball, conceding 19 in his only over with the new ball, and the Kings made the Sultans sweat when James Vince hit 75 from 34 balls and Imad Wasim 46 not out from 26 balls, and almost got them over the finish line in the match at the Multan Cricket Stadium.
The Kings launched their attempt to overhaul the target with a 72-run opening stand between Vince and Australia international Matthew Wade.
When Wade was lbw to Usama Mir in the seventh over, Vince continued to carry the momentum until he was run out in the 10th over with the Kings needing 92 from 61 balls.
Wasim came to the crease in the 12th over with 84 needed, when Haider Ali was caught behind off Khushdil Shah for 12.
But the Sultans held their nerve, especially in the final over, bowled by Abbas Afridi, who had Australian Ben Cutting caught by Pollard at long-off for 12 going for the potential match-winning maximum.
Kings needed five to win off the final ball, but Wasim, the Kings captain, could only slam the ball to Pollard on the boundary for a single.
The result gave Sultans their fourth win in five matches and kept that on top of the standings with eight points, and Kings slumped to their fourth loss in five matches and they are fourth on only two points.
Earlier, Sultans were put in to bat, and Rizwan blossomed in the second half of the innings after fellow opener Shan Masood cracked 51 from 33 balls and dominated their first wicket stand of 85.
Rizwan had scored half-centuries in three of the first four matches of the tournament and had remained not out in the other, but he remained until the end to fashion his maiden PSL hundred in front of the home crowd.
After Masood was caught at deep backward square leg off Shoaib Malik’s off-spin in the 11th over, South African Rilee Roussouw laboured for 21 balls over 29, but Rizwan was flowing at this stage, and kept the scoring tempo going in their 109-run stand.
Roussouw was caught at extra cover off the third-last ball of the innings from Mohammad Umar, bringing Pollard to the crease to keep out the last two deliveries.
