Sports Desk
Steven Smith’s half-century and disciplined bowling guided Multan Sultans to a six-wicket victory over Rawalpindiz in the 31st match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at Karachi’s National Bank Stadium on Tuesday.
Set to chase a daunting 166-run target, the 2021 champions knocked the winning runs for the loss of four wickets and eight balls to spare.
The Sultans got off to an underwhelming start to the pursuit as they lost opener Sahibzada Farhan (20) in the fourth over with 29 runs on the board.
Smith, who has been batting cautiously until Farhan’s dismissal, switched gears and put the Sultans into a commanding position by knitting a quickfire 69-run partnership for the second wicket with Josh Philippe before both perished in successive overs.
The veteran top-scored for the 2021 champions with a brisk 56 off just 31 deliveries, studded with five fours and three sixes, while Philippe made a cautious 19-ball 17.
With the scoreboard reading 100/3 in 11.3 overs and a further 66 runs required off 51 deliveries, skipper Ashton Turner joined his deputy Shan Masood, and the duo batted sensibly to put Sultans within touching distance by knitting a 57-run partnership.
Razaullah broke the stand on the first delivery of the penultimate over by dismissing Masood, who made 20 off 22 deliveries.
Turner, on the other hand, remained unbeaten with a 21-ball 37 as he steered the Sultans over the line in the same over alongside Arafat Minhas, who made seven not out.
Asif Afridi was the pick of the bowlers for the Pindiz, taking two wickets for 28 runs in his four overs, while Razaullah and Saad Masood could claim one apiece.
Opting to bat first, the debutants accumulated 166/6 in their 20 overs, courtesy of a handy fifth-wicket partnership between Mitchell and Dian Forrester.
The Pindiz, however, got off to a dismal start to their innings as they lost the top-order duo of Shahzaib Khan (zero) and Yasir Khan (four) inside two overs with just six runs on the board.
Following the early stutter, Mitchell joined captain Mohammad Rizwan in the middle, and the duo batted cautiously to put together 63 runs for the third wicket until the former was stumped off Arafat Minhas in the 11th over.
The Pindiz skipper could muster 26 off 29 deliveries with the help of one six and a four.
Mitchell was then involved in a crucial fourth-wicket partnership with Sam Billings, which yielded 52 runs off 39 deliveries before Mohammad Wasim Jr dismissed the latter with a short-pitched delivery in the 17th over. The wicketkeeper batter contributed with a 20-ball 29, featuring two fours and a six.
Billings’s dismissal paved the way for Forrester to walk out and bat at No.6, and the left-handed batter added valuable runs at the backend for Rawalpindiz with a blistering 37-run cameo, coming off just 15 deliveries and featuring three sixes and as many fours.
Mitchell, on the other hand, ensured holding on to the other end firmly during the unbeaten 45-run partnership and returned after top-scoring with 58 not out from 46 deliveries, studded with three fours and two sixes.
For Sultans, Mohammad Imran, Peter Siddle, Wasim Jr and Minhas could pick up one wicket apiece.
