Multan out of race for HBL PSL playoffs after losing to Karachi

Karachi Kings, powered by James Vince’s fine fifty and Khushdil Shah’s all-round display, put Multan Sultans out of the event when they demolished them by 87 runs in their HBL PSL X game at the Gaddafi Stadium Lahore on Thursday.

This was the seventh defeat for Sultans from eight games. Kings moved to eight points from seven matches by virtue of their fourth win.

James Vince (65), Irfan Khan (40) and Khushdil Shah (33 not out) guided Kings to post 204-6 in the allotted 20 overs.

Afghan spinner Mohammad Nabi (3-14), Khushdil (2-26) and Mir Hamza (2-15) then bowled Sultans out for a paltry total of 117 in the 17th over.

Set to chase a seemingly tough target, Sultans had a poor start. Young pacer Abbas Afridi provided a much-needed breakthrough to Kings when he had the prized scalp of Mohammad Rizwan who fell for a duck.

Left-arm medium-pacer Mir Hamza then got rid of Usman Khan (1) before Aamir Jamal had Yasir Khan to leave Sultans gasping at 34-3 in the fifth over.

Yasir smashed three sixes and one four in his 17-ball 22.

Sultans kept losing wickets at regular intervals. Mohammad Nabi bowled Curtis Campher for an eight-ball 12, smacking one six and one four to leave them reeling at 59-4 in the eighth over. Then inside 58 runs, Sultans lost their last six wickets and were skittled out for a meagre total.

Nabi bowled extremely well, taking 3-14 in his quota of four overs while Khushdil Shah (2-26) took the prized scalps of Kamran Ghulam (29) and Iftikhar Ahmed (8).

Sultans skipper Mohammad Rizwan rued his side’s fielding as the key cause behind his team’s omission from the event.

“Our fielding was not up to the mark and if you drop catches of major players so it hurts you,” Rizwan said in the post-match press conference.

“The type of cricket which we played we did not deserve to win,” Rizwan was quick to add.

This is the second largest defeat by runs for Sultans in this season after they tasted a 120-run record loss at the hands of Peshawar Zalmi on April 19 in Pindi.

After opting to bat first James Vince (65 not out), Irfan Khan (40) and Khushdil Shah (33 not out) batted superbly to guide Karachi Kings to a decent total in the end.

Vince, who brought in his fifty off just 36 balls, smashed two sixes and five fours.

He was involved in a couple of two valuable partnerships. He added 78 runs for the fourth wicket association with Irfan Khan who hammered a 33-ball 40, smacking three huge sixes and two fours.

Vince then added 66 runs doe the fifth wicket partnership with Khushdil Shah who was simply unstoppable, hammering 33 not out of just 13 balls.

Khushdil, who has been in prolific form this season, smashed three sixes and two fours in his excellent knock which catapulted his team to a seemingly fighting total.

Earlier, skipper David Warner and Tim Seifert provided a good start to Kings. The duo added 53 runs for the opening stand. It was young pacer Ubaid Shah who broke the partnership by getting rid of Seifert.

Seifert smashed one six and three fours in his rapid 11-ball 22.

Soon afterwards David Willey removed Warner, held by Kamran Ghulam, after the skipper made a fiery 12-ball 30 to provide a good platform to his side.

In the next over Ubaid Shah hot rid of Omair bin Yousuf (1) with David Willey taking a diving catch at extra-cover while running towards his left.

And at this stage two major partnerships shepherded Kings to a good total.

Kings were 65-3 in the powerplay. They were 91-3 in ten overs and 138-4 in 15 overs. In the last five overs Kings scored 66 runs.

Ubaid Shah, although, got two wickets but was expensive as he conceded 49 runs in his quota of four overs. He conceded 16 runs in the fourth over of the innings after being smacked by Tim Seifert for a six and four and was hammered by James Vince for a glorious four.

Ubaid then gave away 19 runs in the second last over of the innings when he has struck by Vince for a six and a four and Khushdil also hit him for a huge six in the same over which remained the most expensive over of the innings.

David Willey remained the most economical bowler as he finished with 1-24 in his quota of four overs. Curtis Campher got 1-27 in four overs.