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ISLAMABAD, May 18 (APP):Hasan Nawaz’s brilliant batting steered Quetta Gladiators to a thrilling two-wicket win over Multan Sultans in their last league-stage game as they chased down the 186-run target on the last ball of the 20th over at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
Gladiators, who now sit atop the points table with seven wins and 15 points in 10 matches, handed Sultans their ninth loss of the HBL PSL X.
With Quetta requiring 11 runs off the last over, Hasan, who bludgeoned six sixes and two fours in the outing, only managed two runs off the first three balls against Mohammad Hasnain before launching him for six straight down the ground on the fourth ball.
The penultimate ball saw Abrar Ahmed run out at non-striker’s end while coming for the second run leaving Gladiators requiring two of the last ball, which was dismissed for another six over long on as Hasan finished with a 38-ball 67 not out.
At the start of the chase, Khawaja Muhammad Nafay (51, 26b, 5x4s, 4x6s) and Saud Shakeel (18, 24b, 2x4s) provided their team a strong start with a 77-run opening stand in 7.5 overs, which also included 60 off the Powerplay.
Sultans landed consecutive blows in 8th, 9th and 10th overs to leave Gladiators 87-3 before Hasan partnered with Dinesh Chandimal (17, 10b, 2x4s, 1×6) for a 29-run stand as the latter fell prey to Ubaid Shah in the 13th over. Danish Aziz departed for a five-ball duck in the subsequent over with scorecard reading 123-5.
Hasan, who has 317 runs to his name in 10 games, and Faheem Ashraf (16, 9b, 1×4, 1×6) then wrestled back as they collected 36 runs off 20 balls for the sixth wicket including consigning Dilshan Madushanka’s 15th over for 16 runs.
Gladiators required 46 runs off the last five overs with five wickets in hand, which they successfully notched with Hasan leading the charge as three wickets fell from the other end. For Sultans Shahid Aziz picked up three wickets for 29 runs in his four overs.
Earlier, Multan Sultans, who opted to bat first, were helped to 185-7 as Yasir Khan top-scored with a 25-ball 45 including six fours and two sixes. The right-handed opening batter also shared a 52-run second-wicket stand with HBL PSL debutant Jahanzaib Sultan (25, 21b, 2x4s, 1×6) as Mohammad Rizwan departed in the second over.
Usman Tariq, who finished with figures of 4-0-32-3, dismissed the Jahanzaib and Yasir in the 7th and 9th overs, respectively as Sultans reached the halfway mark with 82 runs on the board.
No.4 batter Tayyab Tahir (36, 24b, 2x4s, 3x6s) and another HBL PSL debutant Humayun Altaf (16, 13b, 2x4s) stitched a quickfire 26-ball 42-run stand to provide the innings impetus in the middle overs.
While, Muhammad Amir Barki remained unbeaten for a 16-ball 21 hitting one four and a six after walking in to bat at 120-4, it was No.8 batter Shahid Aziz’s (29, 14b, 2x4s, 2x6s) cameo, which took Sultans to a healthy total in the allotted 20 overs.
Scores in brief: Multan Sultans 185-7, 20 overs (Yasir Khan 45, Tayyab Tahir 36, Shahid Aziz 29, Jahanzaib Sultan 25, Muhammad Amir Barki 21; Usman Tariq 3-32). Quetta Gladiators 190-8, 20 overs (Hasan Nawaz 67 not out, Khawaja Muhammad Nafay 51; Shahid Aziz 3-29).