Sharjah: Hasan Ali produced his third four-wicket spell in five matches to guide Peshawar Zalmi to their third victory in five matches in the early match of Pakistan Super League (PSL) on Sunday.
Hasan restricted Multan Sultans to 145 in 20 overs by taking four wickets for 17 runs before his team raced to a five-wicket victory in the 14th match of the league at the Sharjah Stadium.
It was Multan’s fourth defeat in five matches.
Chasing the total, Peshawar rode on in-form opener Imam-ul-Haq’s 52 off 44 balls with five boundaries and one six and Kieron Pollard’s whirlwind 25 (10 balls with four sixes) to ensure the victory with two balls to spare.
Multan, who were put into bat, slipped from a commanding 80 for one in eight overs to be all out for 145. In the last five overs, Multan scored just 28 runs and lost seven wickets.
Johnson Charles’ 53 runs off 34 balls with four boundaries and three sixes went in vain.
Hasan continued his habit of striking early and bowled Multan opener James Vince with the second ball of the first over.
It is the third time he has picked a wicket in the first over in this PSL.
Charles, who joined Umar Siddiq went for his shots and hit Hasan for a boundary in the third over and Umaid Asif for a six over mid-wicket.
The pair put on 80 runs for the second wicket when Liam Dawson had Siddiq caught at long off boundary by Pollard for 20. In the 10th over, Umaid Asif ended Charles’ fine half century by having him caught at mid-wicket by an agile Imam-ul-Haq.
Skipper Shoaib Malek and Daniel Christian steered Multan past the 100-run mark in the 13th over. The pair put on 33 runs in 5.5 overs before Sameen Gul had Christian (17) out. He attempted a six over square leg but David Malan plucked the ball off the air with one hand.
Shahid Afridi joined Malek and took the score on 140, before Malek went for a pull off Hasan in the 19th over and gloved the ball to wicketkeeper Kamran Akmal for 22.
In the same over, Hasan also picked the wicket of Afridi, who hit high to Pollard at long on for 14. Hasan then trapped Hammad Azam leg before with the next ball to be on a hat-trick chance.
Peshawar lost an early wicket when for opener Kamran Akmal fell in the first over — trying to pull Mohammad Irfan only to get caught by Mohammad Illyas at square leg for four. Imam and Dawid Malan began fluently and Peshawar went past the 50-run mark in 7.2 overs. The pair needed 80 runs in the last 10 overs.
Haq and Malan put on 68 runs in 10.1 overs when Malan edged Christian to wicketkeeper Siddiq for 38. Haq raced to his half-century in 42 balls and added 40 runs in as many 4.5 overs for the fourth wicket before Dawson cut high in the air to Ilyas for 18. When Peshawar needed 32 more runs from 22 balls, Junaid trapped Haq leg before for 52.
Pollard creamed Irfan for four sixes in the 18th over to ensure the victory.
