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LAHORE: A clinical bowling effort backed by Usman Khan and Maaz Sadaqat’s gutsy half-centuries powered Hyderabad Kingsmen past Multan Sultans in the Eliminator 1 of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Wednesday.
The Kingsmen chased down a 160-run target without breaking a sweat on the loss of two wickets with 28 balls to spare, largely due to Usman and Sadaqat’s brisk fifties.
In pursuit of the target, Kingsmen made an early stutter when captain Marnus Labuschagne fell for 11 in the second over.
Usman Khan and Sadaqat then took control, sharing a match-defining 92-run partnership for the second wicket. Usman led the charge with an aggressive 64 off 35 balls, striking eight fours and three sixes before being dismissed in the 11th over.
Sadaqat carried on the momentum, finishing unbeaten on 64 off 35 deliveries, hitting eight fours and three sixes. He was ably supported by Saim Ayub, who added 15 not out, as the Kingsmen sealed victory in the 16th over.
For Multan Sultans, there was nothing much in the bowling charts, with Steve Smith and Mohammad Ismail taking one wicket each.
Earlier, Shan Masood’s fighting half-century took Multan Sultans to a respectable total
Put into bat first, Multan Sultans managed to amass 159-9 in 20 overs, thanks to Masood’s unbeaten 69 from 46 balls, including four sixes and four boundaries.
Kingsmen pacers — Mohammad Ali, Akif Javed, and Hunain Shah combined to jolt the opposition in the first five overs.
The inform duo of Sahibzada Farhan and Steve Smith added 28 in 2.5 overs before both were dismissed in quick succession. The former managed 15, whereas the latter managed 13.
Sultans woes were further compounded with Josh Philippe’s (6) wicket, trapped by Hunain in the fourth over.
Consequently, they were reduced to 36-3.
The slide continued as Shan Masood lost partners at the other end at regular intervals. At the halfway mark of the innings, Sultans lost six of their batters with their score reeling at 85-6.
Yet, Masood managed to tick the score with a vital 34-run on the ninth-wicket partnership with Faisal Akram. Eventually, the Sultans managed to cross the 150-run mark and post a fighting total.
For Hyderabad Kingsmen, all three pacers shared six wickets between them.
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