Player of the Match
Player of the Match

10.54 pm So Zalmi create history by becoming the first T20 franchise team to post 240+ two matches in a row... and then create further history by failing to defend the total on both occasions.

The playoff equation has gotten very interesting after today. Zalmi need to beat Islamabad United to clinch a playoff spot in their final match. If they do that and Multan beats Quetta in their last game, then Multan will jump past Islamabad into second place. If Zalmi lose to Islamabad, then they'll need Multan to beat Islamabad to ensure Zalmi reach the playoffs.

Otherwise, a Zalmi loss combined with a Multan loss could open the door for Quetta to steal the fourth and final playoff spot instead of Zalmi based on net run rate. Zalmi would have to lose by a decent margin and Quetta would need to chase down a target in relatively quick time in order for that to happen though because Zalmi enjoy a significant net run rate advantage at the moment. But Quetta are still mathematically alive. So many permutations possible to unfold over the final three matches.

Zalmi stand-in captain Tom Kohler-Cadmore: "Last game we saw Jason Roy score an unbelievable hundred and Rilee's was just as good tonight. Obviously we have got a lot to work on, but when the batters play that well, sometimes you have to take your hat off to them and say well done. The par score here is over 200. You know you're going to go for boundaries but you have to limit those to one an over instead of two or three. I think there's multiple places you can look at and as a team we didn't execute. The way Rilee came out tonight, he put us under pressure from ball one and you need a plan when players are batting that well. We're still in a good place to qualify, and as long as you do that, then you've got three games and you can win the trophy."

Rilee Rossouw is unsurprisingly named Player of the Match: "I think I took something from what Jason Roy said the other night. When you're chasing such a high score, you have to go from ball one. Lucky for me, it's paid off tonight. I want to say this might be [my best T20 innings ever] because it's a run chase and that's extra pressure and everything adds up and maybe it's my best knock ever. [On Kieron Pollard's flat six over extra cover]. I laughed because I think Tom Kohler-Cadmore told cover to come in on the one and then after that it was like, 'Back up to the ring or you're gonna get killed here!' He hits the ball very hard. He did a fantastic job. He took his time to get in there and once he did, he hit everything for six. So well done Polly. It's unbelievable [for batting]. Some lucky shots, some bad bowling gets you to 240. I still think there's a place to bowl out there. You just need to execute it somewhere."

That's it for today's coverage. Come back tomorrow for another crucial PSL encounter when Sultans come straight back out against Quetta Gladiators. A win by Sultans will clinch a playoff spot for Zalmi. A loss and Zalmi may still need another win in their final match to claim the fourth and final playoff spot. Until then, take care!

19.1
4
Arshad Iqbal to Usama Mir, FOUR, length ball on fifth stump, Usama shuffles across to flick this over the keeper, one bounce over the rope. Sultans have clinched a playoff berth!

END OF OVER:
19 | 15 Runs 1 Wkt | MS: 240/6 (3 runs required from 6 balls, RR: 12.63, RRR: 3.00)

  • Anwar Ali24 (8b)
  • Usama Mir7 (2b)
  • Azmatullah Omarzai4-0-62-2
  • Wahab Riaz4-0-32-1

Farzand : "Pollard catch of the tournament could be the difference for ML today". That was some moment.

18.6
6
Azmatullah Omarzai to Anwar Ali, SIX, dropped! Full on the stumps, hammered flat to long-on. Leaping effort on the boundary by the fielder in place but it bursts off his fingertips and continues high over the rope. Zalmi coach Daren Sammy is shaking his head in disbelief in the dugout.
18.5
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to Usama Mir, 1 run, stomach high full toss on fifth stump, Usama swings over this. Might want to check his bat to see if there's a hole in it. The ball goes off the keeper to deep third for one. Usama wants a no ball called and it is referred to the third umpire. Usama got onto his toes to play this and it passes him at waist height as a result. It was identical to the full toss that dismissed Rovman Powell that he was equally unhappy with that it was deemed legal.
18.4
6
Azmatullah Omarzai to Usama Mir, SIX, what a way to get off the mark in the penultimate over! Length ball on the wide guideline, just reaches out to flay this over the point boundary. Arguably the shot of the day.

Usama Mir arrives under slight pressure.

Wahab is the first of many of the Zalmi players to come up to Rossouw and shake his hand after a magnificent knock has ended. Rossouw raises his bat to acknowledge the crowd, acting as though the job is done. But there's still 16 needed off 9 and suddenly only 4 wickets in hand.

18.3
W
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rossouw, OUT, length ball with pace on angled across sixth stump, Rossouw miscues a pull off the toe of the bat skying this to long-on and a superb catch is taking by TKC charging 20 yards to his right along the rope from long-on and dives to latch onto this 5 yards inside the rope.

RR Rossouw c Kohler-Cadmore b Azmatullah Omarzai 121 (87m 51b 12x4 8x6) SR: 237.25

18.2
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to Anwar Ali, 1 run, slower length ball on eighth stump, top edges a pull into vacant midwicket for one.
18.1
1
Azmatullah Omarzai to Rossouw, 1 run, slower ball banged in short on middle, pulled to deep backward square leg for one.

END OF OVER:
18 | 9 Runs | MS: 225/5 (18 runs required from 12 balls, RR: 12.50, RRR: 9.00)

  • Anwar Ali17 (6b)
  • Rilee Rossouw120 (49b)
  • Wahab Riaz4-0-32-1
  • Saim Ayub2-0-22-1

Kashan: "It seems that PZ will be the first team to not been able to defend 240 consecutively." Indeed, Zalmi are the first team in T20 franchise cricket anywhere in the world to score 240+ in consecutive matches. And they're on track to also become the first team in T20 franchise history to fail to defend those two 240+ targets in consecutive matches.

17.6
4
Wahab Riaz to Anwar Ali, FOUR, another short ball on off, another uppercut and this time the deep third man fielder who had been moved much finer is unable to stop this off one bounce. Clumsy effort and Wahab is fuming. Should have been no more than a single.
17.5
4
Wahab Riaz to Anwar Ali, FOUR, short on middle, the uppercut works this time getting it between the keeper and deep third man to the rope.
17.4
0
Wahab Riaz to Anwar Ali, no run, bouncer on off stump, goes to uppercut this over the keeper and misses.
17.3
1
Wahab Riaz to Rossouw, 1 run, length ball on fifth stump, slapped to long-on for one.
17.2
0
Wahab Riaz to Rossouw, no run, full on seventh stump, goes to drive and miscues this back to the bowler.
17.1
0
Wahab Riaz to Rossouw, no run, length ball on fifth stump, heaves across the line and misses.

END OF OVER:
17 | 14 Runs 1 Wkt | MS: 216/5 (27 runs required from 18 balls, RR: 12.70, RRR: 9.00)

  • Anwar Ali9 (3b)
  • Rilee Rossouw119 (46b)
  • Saim Ayub2-0-22-1
  • Azmatullah Omarzai3-0-47-1
16.6
6
Saim Ayub to Anwar Ali, SIX, full on the stumps, charges down the pitch and drives high and deep over long-on. Anwar getting some revenge after conceding the highest ever figures for a Multan bowler in the PSL.
16.5
2
Saim Ayub to Anwar Ali, 2 runs, full on leg stump, slog sweeps this to deep backward square leg, diving stop on the rope by the sub fielder saves two. Saad Masood is the man on for Babar, who has been off all innings with a fever.

Absaar Ahmad: "This is Absolutely Absurd, PZ has Somehow Found a Way to Lose 2 Matches after making 240 Target. "

16.4
1
Saim Ayub to Rossouw, 1 run, short on fourth stump, leans back and cuts over backward point for one.
16.3
1
Saim Ayub to Anwar Ali, 1 run, length ball on the legs, flicked to deep midwicket for one.
16.2
W
Saim Ayub to Khushdil Shah, OUT, fullish length ball on the stumps, slogs this trying to clear deep midwicket but gets more of a top edge and sails to Haris backpedaling to take this at head height two yards inside the rope.

Khushdil Shah c Mohammad Haris b Saim Ayub 18 (25m 14b 2x4 0x6) SR: 128.57

16.1
4
Saim Ayub to Khushdil Shah, FOUR, Khushdil gets into the act. Length ball on fifth stump, punched to the wide long-off rope.

Sultans 2nd innings Partnerships

WktRunsPlayers
1st8Shan MasoodMohammad Rizwan
2nd20Shan MasoodRR Rossouw
3rd99KA PollardRR Rossouw
4th21RR RossouwTH David
5th58RR RossouwKhushdil Shah
6th21Anwar AliRR Rossouw
7th17Anwar AliUsama Mir

Pakistan Super League

TeamMWLPTNRR
LQ1073140.915
MS1064120.5
IU106412-0.708
PZ105510-0.452
KK103760.756
QG10376-1.066