Openers in the thick of the action in Multan Sultans’ hot streak

Openers Steven Smith and Sahibzada Farhan scripted Multan Sultans’ facile win over Quetta Gladiators on Sunday, April 5, in Lahore. Chasing a very manageable target of 167, Sultans got home with 15 balls to spare after the right-handers added 71 runs from the first five overs. While the Sultans have pocketed three wins from four games, the Gladiators have the lateral inversion of that record, losing three from four.

While Joseph eventually dislodged the pair and Shakeel saw the back of Josh Philippe, Sultans were coasting at 106/2 at the halfway mark. At that point, the Gladiators needed a miracle which never transpired. Smith cashed in to bag his first half-century of the tournament whereas Shan Masood made a splash at the other end. Hasan Nawaz struck late to pick up a couple of wickets but it hardly mattered as Masood remained unbeaten to guide Sultans home. They now have a short turnaround time and play again in less than 24 hours.

Earlier, Sultans had pulled off the fifth-highest successful chase in Pakistan Super League history, riding on a magnificent hundred from Farhan to beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by six wickets in Lahore. Chasing 226, Sultans got over the line with eight balls to spare. Farhan led the charge with an unbeaten 106 off 57 balls while Smith made a quick 46 off 20.