HBL PSL X: Gous, Munro shine as United thrash Sultans for fifth straight win
Gous smashed 80* off 45 balls as Islamabad chased down 169 with 17 balls to spare
Alam Zeb Safi
Correspondent Nukta
Alam Zeb Safi is a sports journalist, having served in the capacity for 25 years. Covered so many international sports events on foreign soil also including England and Australia.
Islamabad United’s wicketkeeper appeals for a dismissal during their PSL clash against Multan Sultans in Multan on Wednesday.
@thePSLt20/X
Andries Gous blasted an unbeaten 80 while Colin Munro added a quick 45 as Islamabad United crushed Multan Sultans by seven wickets in their HBL PSL X clash Wednesday night, putting themselves on the verge of a playoff berth.
United chased down the 169-run target with 17 balls to spare at the Multan Cricket Stadium, recording their fifth consecutive win in HBL PSL X.
Gous, who had been dropped earlier in the tournament due to poor form, returned with a dominant knock, hitting six fours and five sixes in his 45-ball innings.
Colin Munro set the tone for the chase with a brisk 28-ball 45, laced with two sixes and five fours. He and Gous added 81 off 48 balls for the second wicket after the early dismissal of Sahibzada Farhan, who made 22 off 13 balls.
Farhan was removed by young fast bowler Ubaid Shah, who forced an edge to wicketkeeper Usman Khan. Munro was later caught in the deep by New Zealand off-spinner Michael Bracewell.
Mohammad Nawaz then contributed a steady 21 off 19 balls, partnering Gous in a 55-run third-wicket stand before falling to Chris Jordan.
Earlier, Multan Sultans struggled in the powerplay and managed just 36 runs without loss in the first six overs. They finished with 168-5 from their 20 overs.
Usman Khan top-scored with a 40-ball 61, including four sixes and four fours, and shared a 65-run partnership with Mohammad Rizwan. Rizwan scored 36 off 37 balls before falling to Shadab Khan.
Yasir Khan chipped in with 29 off 17 balls, but the middle order collapsed under pressure. Bracewell, Iftikhar Ahmed, and Michael Bracewell all fell cheaply, with Sultans reaching only 151-5 by the 19th over.
Kamran Ghulam added 13 off six balls in the final over, which included a six and a four off Salman Irshad.
United’s bowling unit shared the spoils, with Shadab Khan, Nawaz, Jason Holder, and Riley Meredith each picking up a wicket.
This defeat was Multan’s fourth in five games, putting them in a difficult position in the tournament standings.
Comments
See what people are discussing