Emphatic Win
MULTAN: Peshawar Zalmi secured a convincing seven-wicket win over Multan Sultans in the 25th match of the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 10 on Monday, with Max Bryant and Saim Ayub emerging as the standout performers in the chase.
Set a modest target of 109, Zalmi got off to a rocky start as David Willey dismissed Mitchell Owen in the opening over, putting early pressure on the chasing side. However, young sensation Saim Ayub anchored the innings confidently, scoring a brisk 49 off 33 balls, which included several well-timed strokes.
Saim was joined at the crease by skipper Babar Azam, but the usually dependable batter failed to make a significant impact, falling to Shahid Aziz for just eight. With the scoreboard reading 57/2 in the seventh over, Zalmi still had some work to do.
After Babar’s departure, Ayub and Bryant stitched together a 13-run stand before Saim narrowly missed out on a half-century, once again falling victim to Shahid Aziz.
Despite the setback, Max Bryant ensured there were no further hiccups. He took charge of the chase and played a composed knock, remaining unbeaten on 38, while Mohammad Haris supported him with an unbeaten 7. The pair guided Zalmi to victory in just 13 overs, finishing the match with seven wickets in hand.
Earlier in the day, Multan Sultans, after opting to bat first, struggled to gain momentum and were bundled out for 108 in 19.1 overs. Yasir Khan was the first to fall, dismissed by Saim Ayub for 10. Mohammad Rizwan tried to hold the innings together but was bowled out by Luke Wood for 17. After that, wickets fell at regular intervals, with only Tayyab Tahir (22) and Shai Hope (13) managing double figures.
Ahmed Daniyal was the pick of the bowlers for Zalmi, claiming three wickets, while Luke Wood bagged two. Sadaqat, Joseph, Raza, and Ayub all chipped in with a wicket each to dismantle the Sultans’ batting line-up.
With this win, Peshawar Zalmi bolstered their position in the PSL 10 points table, while Multan Sultans were left to reconsider their approach as the tournament progresses.
The ongoing PSL 10, which began on April 11, features six teams battling it out across four major venues—Lahore, Karachi, Rawalpindi, and Multan—with the final scheduled for May 18 at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
