Newcomers Multan Sultans tame Peshawar Zalmi in PSL opener

DUBAI: Debutants Multan Sultans didn’t waste time in making their presence felt as they conquered defending champions Peshawar Zalmi in their very first match of the HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL) here at the Dubai International Stadium on Thursday night.

Seasoned campaigners Kumar Sangakkara and Shoaib Malik were in their element as Sultans romped to the victory target of 152 with five balls to spare.Sangakkara, the veteran ex-Sri Lanka captain, was at his brilliant best as he hit a 51-ball 57 while skipper Malik finished the job with an unbeaten 42 off just 32 balls with the help of two sixes and two fours. West Indian pinch-hitter Kieron Pollard hit an unbeaten 21 off 13 balls that included four fours.

Earlier, Peshawar Zalmi, who were asked to bat by Shoaib Malik on a greenish track that assisted pace, seemed to be in trouble in the face of some tight bowling from Multan quicks before skipper Darren Sammy helped them post a respectable total with an 11-ball blitz in the final overs of the innings. The big-hitting Sammy hammered three towering sixes and two fours in his exciting cameo after the seasoned Mohammad Hafeez top-scored with a 52-ball 59 that included one six and six fours. Dwayne Smith contributed with a 23-ball 24. Mohammad Irfan was the pick of Multan bowlers, picking up 2 for 19. His extra bounce proved particularly troubling for last year’s leading run-scorer Kamran Akmal, who fell for a duck attempting to pull cross the line.

Sammy later lamented that his team was around ten runs short. They had a day to recover before their second game of the competition against Misbah-ul-Haq’s Islamabad United in Dubai on Saturday (today). Sultans faced Lahore Qalandars in their second game within 24 hours in Dubai on Friday night.

Multan Sultans won toss

Peshawar Zalmi

Tamim Iqbal c Junaid b Irfan 11

†Kamran Akmal c Viljoen b Irfan 0

D R Smith c Pollard b Imran 24

M Hafeez c Sohaib b Junaid 59

Haris Sohail c Sohail b Viljoen 14

*D J G Sammy c Sangakkara b Sohail 29

Hammad Azam not out 3

C J Jordan not out 1

Extras (lb 5, w 5) 10

Total (6 wickets; 20 Overs) 151

Did not bat: Wahab Riaz, Ibtisam Sheikh, M Asghar

Fall: 1-4, 2-22, 3-57, 4-101, 5-132, 6-150

Bowling: Sohail 4-0-36-1; Irfan 4-0-19-2; Junaid 4-0-30-1; Imran 4-0-37-1; Viljoen 4-0-24-1

Multan Sultans

†K C Sangakkara c Kamran b Wahab 57

Ahmed Shehzad c Hammad b Wahab 0

Sohaib Maqsood c Jordan b Asghar 21

*Shoaib Malik not out 42

K A Pollard not out 21

Extras (lb 8, nb 1, w 2) 11

Total (3 wickets; 19.1 Overs) 152

Did not bat: Saif Badar, Sohail Tanvir, G C Viljoen, M Irfan, Imran Tahir, Junaid Khan

Fall: 1-7, 2-54, 3-106

Bowling: Jordan 4-0-31-0; Wahab 4-0-19-2; Asghar 4-0-18-1; Hammad 3.1-0-33-0; Ibtisam 3-0-31-0; Sammy 1-0-12-0

Result: Sultans won by 7 wickets

Man of the Match: K Sangakkara (Multan Sulatans)

T20 debut: Ibtisam Sheikh (Peshawar Zalmi)

Umpires: T Robinson (England) and Ahmed Shahab (Pakistan). TV Umpires: R Martinesz (Sri Lanka). Match Referee: R Mahanama (Sri Lanka)