Sports Bulletin

 Karachi (Sports News): Hyderabad Kingsmen hunted down the 189-run target set by the Karachi Kings in 19.1 overs to claim the first ever duel of the Sindh Derby and their first HBL Pakistan Super League triumph as well in fifth try here at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Saturday night.Peshawar Zalmi are the only unbeaten team in the tournament and sit atop the points table with nine points. Hyderabad Kingsmen will now face the third-placed Islamabad United on Sunday evening.Hassan Khan (33 not out, 16b, 2x4s, 2x6s) and Muhammad Irfan Khan (29 not out, 20b, 2x4s, 1x6) blitzed an unbeaten 24-ball 50-run stand for the seventh wicket to seal the win after Karachi Kings had affected a collapse worth five for 43 in in the middle overs to reduce Kingsmen to 139-6 in 15.1 overs.Irfan thumped Hasan Ali for a six down the ground to lay the foundation for the match-winning stand in the 16th over after the former had removed Kusal Perera for a 14-ball 17.The duo then took turns against Ihsanullah, Mohammad Abbas Afridi and Hasan Ali in the subsequent overs striking another three fours and two sixes combined to hand Karachi Kings their second consecutive loss in the tournament.Earlier, Maaz Sadaqat (37, 29b, 4x4s, 2x6s) and skipper Marnus Labuschagne provided their side with a blazing 36-run opening stand in just 16 balls before the latter fell to Khushdil Shah. Labuschagne struck three fours and two sixes in a 10-ball 26.Usman Khan (27, 13b, 3x4s, 2x6s) then entered the fray and stitched a brisk 60-run stand off 32 balls with Maaz as Kingsmen gathered 76 runs off the powerplay and then 11 off Adam Zampa’s first over. With 102 required off 78 balls, the rot set in with Abbas Afridi removing Usman on the last ball of the eighth over.Zampa accounted for Maaz, Salman Ali Agha castled Saim Ayub and Abbas Afridi got rid of the HBL PSL debutant Glenn Maxwell in a space of 19 balls to send alarm bells to Kingsmen ranks. Perera and Irfan rebuilt with a 21-ball 27-run stand before the former holed out to Muhammad Waseem at the deep midwicket.Abbas Afridi picked up two wickets, while Salman, Khushdil, Hasan and Zampa picked up one wicket each.At the start, Kingsmen opted to bowl and conceded 188-8 in 20 overs as n0.4 batter Saad Baig notched his maiden HBL PSL fifty before becoming the first-ever batter to be tactically retired out in the league and Moeen Ali chipped in with a 16-ball 44 comprising one fours and five sixes.Saad walked in the sixth over after Muhammad Waseem (25, 19b, 4x4s) and Salman Ali Agha (24, 16b, 2x4s, 2x6s) were split following a 45-run stand by Hunain Shah. Mohammad Ali had removed Reeza Hendricks fourth ball into the innings to give the Kings a head start.Azam Khan, who struck two sixes and one four in his 19-ball 26, put on a 61-run fourth-wicket partnership to keep the innings intact after Waseem’s departure. Moeen’s blazing 44 pushed Kings towards a healthy total after he walked in at 117-4 in 14.3 overs.Moeen shifted the gears by hitting Maxwell for two consecutive sixes in the 16th over before launching Saim for three sixes and a four across five balls in a 22-run 17th over.At this point Moeen threatened to take over the fastest half-century record before Hunain delivered a boundary-less 18th over and Mohammad Ali dismissed him in the 19th. Saad was called back in the penultimate over after he had scored 53 off 37 balls hitting six fours.Hunain closed the innings with brilliant four-run over and bagged the figures of three for 19 in his four. Ali picked up two for 35, while Labuschagne accounted for Azam.Scores in brief:Karachi Kings 188-8, 20 overs (Saad Baig 53 retired out, Moeen Ali 44, Azam Khan 26, Mohammad Waseem 25, Salman Ali Agha 24; Hunain Shah 3-19, Mohammad Ali 2-35)Hyderabad Kingsmen 189-6, 19.1 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 37, Hassan Khan 33 not out, Muhammad Irfan Khan 27 not out, Usman Khan 27, Marnus Labuschagne 26; Mohammad Abbas Afridi 2-30)Player of the Match – Hassan Khan (Hyderabad Kingsmen)Sunday’s fixture: Hyderabad Kingsmen v Islamabad United at National Bank Stadium, Karachi; 7.30pm PKT

 Karachi (Sports News): Peshawar Zalmi continued their unbeaten run in HBL Pakistan Super League 11 with a commanding 76-run win over defending champions Lahore Qalandars in Match 19 at the National Bank Stadium on Saturday.Kusal Mendis and Babar Azam once again laid the platform with a 109-run second-wicket stand before a clinical bowling effort led by Sufyan Moqim and Michael Bracewell skittled Lahore for 97 in 17 overs. The result lifted Peshawar to nine points from five matches at the top of the standings, while Lahore stayed in the bottom half.Put in to bat, Peshawar were rocked early when Mohammad Haris fell for 18 off 10 balls in the third over. Babar and Mendis then took charge with a measured rebuild.Mendis brought up first HBL PSL half-century off 35 deliveries backing up his hundred from the previous game and continued to anchor the innings while Babar rotated the strike.The captain reached 43 from 40 balls — a knock that took him past 4,000 career runs in HBL PSL — before falling to Usama Mir in the 16th over, caught by Abdullah Shafique.Mendis followed shortly after, top-scoring with 74 from 48 balls laced with five fours and four sixes, edging Shaheen to Abdullah.Bracewell struck a quickfire 21 from 10 deliveries with a four and two sixes before falling to Mustafizur Rahman (4-0-30-2), while Iftikhar Ahmed remained unbeaten on seven to guide Peshawar to 173 for seven.Shaheen (4-0-22-3) was the pick of the Lahore bowlers, while Ubaid Shah (3-0-29-1) and Usama Mir (4-0-39-1) shared two wickets.In reply, Lahore's chase never gained traction. Shoriful Islam (4-0-21-3) struck in the second over to remove Mohammad Naeem for one, before Nahid Rana (3-0-15-2) sent back Abdullah (21, 15b, 5x4s) in the sixth.Bracewell then accounted for Fakhar Zaman (21, 19b, x4s), who was playing his 100th HBL PSL match to become only the third player to reach the milestone, caught by Babar at long-on, to leave the Qalandars 45 for three.The off-spinner returned to dismiss Haseebullah for three in the ninth over while Sufyan Moqim (4-0-21-3) struck in the very next over to bowl Asif Ali without scoring as the scoreboard read 56 for five.Bracewell (4-0-18-3) then delivered the decisive blow, removing the dangerous Sikandar Raza (14, 13b, 2x4s) in the 11th over caught to leave Lahore reeling at 64 for six.Sufyan bowled Shaheen for five in the 12th over before Nahid Rana had Usama Mir caught behind by Mendis in the 13th. Sufyan then completed his three-wicket haul by dismissing Ubaid Shah stumped by Mendis in the next over to reduce Lahore to 75 for nine.A late 22-run partnership between Dunith Wellalage (20, 24b, 3x4s) and Mustafizur offered brief resistance before Aamir Jamal ended the innings in the 17th over, dismissing the latter.Scores in brief:Peshawar Zalmi 173-7, 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 74, Babar Azam 43, Michael Bracewell 21; Shaheen Shah Afridi 3-22, Mustafizur Rahman 2-30)Lahore Qalandars 97 all out, 17 overs (Abdullah Shafique 21, Fakhar Zaman 21, Dunith Wellalage 20; Michael Bracewell 3-18, Sufyan Moqim 3-21, Nahid Rana 2-15)Player of the Match: Kusal Mendis (Peshawar Zalmi)

Karachi Sports News): :Quetta Gladiators romped to a 61-run win over Rawalpindiz after an emphatic performance with both bat and ball in the 18th match of the HBL Pakistan Super League here at the National Bank Stadium, Karachi on Friday night.Rawalpindiz, who lost their fifth consecutive game in the tournament, were restricted to 121 in 17.3 overs in pursuit of a 183-run target courtesy two wickets each from Saud Shakeel, Jahandad Khan and Usman Tariq.Earlier, Gladiators were helped to a healthy total with a steady half-century from player of the match Rilee Rossouw and a fiery knock of 39 from Hasan Nawaz. Following his unbeaten six-ball 21 not out on the back of two fours and as many sixes, Jahandad struck on the first ball of the innings removing Rawalpindiz skipper Mohammad Rizwan to help Quetta get off to the best possible start in the defence of the target.Rawalpindiz’ stop-start innings involved three wickets inside the powerplay before they lost seven for 44 after being 72-3 at the halfway mark. Saad Masood’s late hitting in aa 19-ball 31-run knock comprising one four and three sixes took them across the 100-run mark.Usman Khawaja returned to the HBL PSL after 2021 and was run out for seven, while Yasir Khan fell to Abrar Ahmed for a 14-ball 21 after hitting debutant Khalil Ahmed for a six and two fours in the second over.Daryl Mitchell (30, 32b, 2x4s, 1x6) and Abdullah Fazal (20, 19b, 1x4, 1x6) put on 32 runs for the fourth wicket before Usman broke the stand in the 11th over. Left-arm spinner Kashif Bhatti, who was playing his second HBL PSL game in nine years, accounted for Sam Billings with Rawalpindiz 82-5 in 11.5 overs.Saud’s two wickets came in the only over he bowled and dismissed Mitchell and Asif Afridi, Usman bagged his second removing Mubasir before Rawalpindiz capitulation was sealed with two more wickets in the 18th over.Gladiators’ innings was headlined by the second-wicket 87-run stand between Rossouw (53, 42b, 6x4s, 1x6) and Saud (42, 39b, 3x4s). Debutant Ben Sears castled Sam Harper to give Rawalpindiz their first wicket of the day in the fourth over. He later returned to break the partnership dismissing Saud.Hasan Nawaz’ 16-ball 39 included five sixes only and provided them impetus as Rawalpindiz started striking regularly. Jahandad walked in at 156-5 in 18.2 overs and helped his team end the innings on a high taking 14 runs off the last over.Sears ended with three for 41 in his four overs, while Mohammad Amir picked up two wickets. Mubasir dismissed Rossouw for his only wicket.

 Karachi (Sports News): Peshawar Zalmi crushed Karachi Kings by a record 159 runs in Match 17 of HBL Pakistan Super League 11 at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday night, riding on Kusal Mendis' record-breaking century and a combined bowling effort to skittle Karachi for 87 in 16.1 overs.The result lifted Peshawar Zalmi to second in the standings with seven points from four matches and a net run-rate of 2.87, while Karachi Kings slipped to fourth.Mendis became the first Sri Lankan to register a century in HBL PSL - a sparkling 109 off 52 balls including 14 fours and four sixes and also shared a 191-run second-wicket stand with captain Babar Azam — the highest partnership for any wicket in HBL PSL.The duo surpassed the previous mark of 176 set by Babar and Sharjeel Khan for Karachi Kings against Islamabad United in 2021.Babar finished unbeaten on 87 from 51 deliveries with 10 fours and two sixes, while Abdul Samad provided the late fireworks with an unbeaten 40 from just 12 balls including three fours and four sixes to lift Peshawar to a daunting 246 for three – their highest-ever total in HBL PSL, highest-ever team total at the National Bank Stadium and the sixth-highest in the league.In reply, Karachi never recovered from a disastrous start. Iftikhar Ahmed (2.1-0-9-3), the hero of Peshawar's last-ball thriller against Hyderabad Kingsmen last night, struck on the third ball of the chase to dismiss Muhammad Waseem for naught. Shoriful Islam (3-1-23-1) removed David Warner for zero in the very next over and Iftikhar struck again in the third over to trap Salman Ali Agha leg-before-wicket.At eight for three, the chase was already in tatters and Karachi’s middle order offered little resistance. Saad Baig flashed three boundaries in his 14 from 11 balls before falling to a Nahid Rana bouncer in the seventh over while Moeen Ali made nine from eight before holing out to Abdul Samad off Sufyan Moqim in the ninth.Azam Khan offered the only meaningful resistance with 25 from 27 balls including a six off Shoriful but he too was bowled by Sufyan in the 11th over with Karachi reeling at 65 for five.Sufyan (4-0-18-3) and Nahid (4-1-7-3) then ran through the lower order with Khushdil Shah (10, 14b, 1x4) edging Nahid behind for 10 and Mohammad Abbas Afridi (9) caught at long-on off Sufyan (4-0-18-3).Adam Zampa was bowled by Rana for a duck in the double-wicket maiden 14th over and the rout was completed in the 17th over when Iftikhar had Mohammad Hamza Sohail stumped by Mendis.Earlier in the day, Karachi captain David Warner had won the toss and elected to bowl first.Mendis, however, took apart Mir Hamza in the second over with back-to-back sixes to plunder 17 runs.Khushdil (4-0-37-1) had earlier provided the perfect start by removing Mohammad Haris on the second ball of the match for a duck caught by Salman at long-on but Babar joined Mendis in dismantling Karachi’s attack with a 15-run fourth over off Khushdil.Babar also brought up his 12,000 runs in T20 cricket; fastest to achieve the feat (338 innings) surpassing Chris Gayle (345 innings) and the just the second Pakistan batter to achieve the feat.Peshawar reached 66 for one at the end of the powerplay before continuing to accelerate. Mendis brought up his half-century off 25 balls in the eighth over with a clip through deep extra cover and raced to his maiden HBL PSL hundred in the 15th over working Adam Zampa around the corner to bring up the milestone off just 48 deliveries.The record-breaking partnership eventually ended at 191 when Mendis holed out to Haroon Arshad off Abbas in the 17th over for 109. Abbas struck again three balls later dismissing Michael Bracewell (6, 3b, 1x6) caught behind by Azam.Samad walked in and immediately took the attack to Karachi, hammering Abbas for three consecutive sixes in the penultimate over before Mir Hamza was taken to cleaners for 19 in the final over including two more maximums by Samad as the unbeaten 12-ball cameo took Peshawar past 240.Abbas (4-0-55-2) picked up the two of three Peshawar wickets to fall.Scores in brief:Peshawar Zalmi 246-3, 20 overs (Kusal Mendis 109, Babar Azam 87, Abdul Samad 40 not out; Mohammad Abbas Afridi 2-55)Karachi Kings 87 all out, 16.1 overs (Azam Khan 25; Nahid Rana 3-7, Iftikhar Ahmed 3-9; Sufyan Moqim 3-18)Player of the match: Kusal Mendis (Peshawar Zalmi)Friday’s fixture: Quetta Gladiators v Rawalpindiz at National Bank Stadium, Karachi; 7pm PKT

Karachi (PCB Report)::Islamabad United brushed aside defending champions Lahore Qalandars by nine wickets in Match 16 of HBL Pakistan Super League 11 here at the National Bank Stadium on Thursday afternoon.Chasing a meagre 101, Islamabad got home with 58 balls to spare and nine wickets remaining – the second largest win in terms of balls remaining and fourth largest in HBL PSL history.The result lifted Shadab Khan's side to second in the standings with seven points from five matches and a net run-rate in excess of two, while the reigning champions slipped further down after a tough outing in which they were bundled out for 100 in 18.3 overs and then offered little resistance with the ball.Devon Conway anchored the chase with an unbeaten 59 off 35 deliveries hitting seven fours and three sixes, while Mohammad Faiq made 34 not out from 19 balls aided by six fours including the winning boundary as the pair shared an unbroken 93-run stand off just 49 deliveries to seal the win in the 11th over.In pursuit of 101, Islamabad got off to a brisk start before Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-0-22-1) provided Lahore a much-needed breakthrough in the third over, removing the in-form Sameer Minhas for five with a full delivery outside off that was sliced to Ubaid Shah at deep third.Conway, however, took charge from the other end, flicking Shaheen twice over the leg-side as Islamabad raced to 51 in the powerplay.The left-hander brought up his 56th T20 half-century in style off Sikandar Raza in the 10th over with a slog-swept six over midwicket, before leveling the scores with a boundary through the covers.Faiq, equally fluent at the other end, ended the contest in the very next over, whipping Ryan Burl flat through the deep midwicket region.Earlier, having been put in to bat, Lahore's innings derailed almost from the very first over. Imad Wasim (4-0-13-2) struck on the second ball of the match, removing Mohammad Naeem for a golden duck caught by Sameer Minhas.Haseebullah offered brief resistance with 19 from 22 balls hitting two fours, but Imad returned to dismiss Abdullah Shafique for 10 in the fifth over. Skipper Shadab Khan (4-0-18-2) then picked up Rubin Hermann for four to reduce the reigning champions to 41 for four inside nine overs.Sikandar Raza then chipped in 25 from 19 balls including three boundaries and attempted to rebuild alongside Asif Ali (15, 12b, 1x4, 1x6), but their stand was broken by Shadab in the 13th over before player of the match Chris Green (4-0-19-3) returned to remove Ryan Burl caught and bowled in the 14th over to leave Lahore reeling at 76 for six.Shaheen scored 9 off 19 balls, while the lower order's resistance was finally ended by Richard Gleeson (3-0-13-2), who picked up Haris Rauf and Ubaid Shah in the 18th over. Faheem Ashraf then removed Shaheen to wrap up the innings for the lowest HBL PSL team total recorded at the National Bank Stadium as Lahore lost their last six wickets for 28 runs.Scores in brief:Lahore Qalandars 100 all out, 18.3 overs (Sikandar Raza 25, Haseebullah 19; Chris Green 3-19, Imad Wasim 2-13, Richard Gleeson 2-13, Shadab Khan 2-18)Islamabad United 104-1, 10.2 overs (Devon Conway 59 not out, Mohammad Faiq 34 not out; Shaheen Shah Afridi 1-22)Player of the match: Chris Green (Islamabad United)

Lahore (Sports News):Multan Sultans bounced back from their first defeat of the season with a comfortable six-wicket victory over Quetta Gladiators while chasing 167 in the 13th match of the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday night.The win took Multan Sultans to the top of the points table with six points from four matches, level with Karachi Kings but ahead with better net run-rate.After being asked to bat first, Saud Shakeel's patient 56 off 41 balls aided by six fours and one six along with New Zealander Bevon Jacobs' unbeaten 49 off 31 balls featuring four fours and three sixes lifted Quetta to 166 for seven.Gladiators lost their opening batters Shamyl Hussain (2) and Khawaja Mohammad Nafay (12, 7b, 1x4, 1x6) inside the powerplay to Ashton Turner and Mohammad Nawaz, respectively.Saud and Hasan Nawaz (20, 22b, 3x4s) steadied the innings with a 55-run third-wicket partnership but Arafat Minhas broke through in the 10th over when Hasan was stumped by Josh Philippe.Rilee Rossouw (1) fell four balls later as Quetta slipped to 72 for four with Arafat (4-0-14-2) picking up his second wicket in a miserly spell.Saud held firm, bringing up his half-century off 34 balls before Nawaz struck twice in quick succession in the 17th over. He first removed Saud, who was caught by Steve Smith while trying to heave across the line and then dismissed Tom Curran, remarkably caught by Turner diving to his left at short cover, to finish with three for 30 and leave Quetta reeling at 122 for six inside 17 overs.Jacobs counter-attacked impressively, rotating the strike with Ahmed Daniyal (22 retired hurt, 9b, 2x4s, 1x6) to push Quetta past the 160-mark.The innings ended on a concerning note for Quetta as Daniyal suffered a right hamstring injury while completing a third run off the fifth ball of the last over and was forced to retire hurt before Alzarri Joseph was run out off the final delivery.In reply, Multan opening batters Sahibzada Farhan (32, 14b, 4x4s, 2x6s) and Smith gave the chase a blistering start, racing to 50 in just 3.2 overs. Smith scorched a six and two fours in the opening over against Alzarri Joseph while Farhan took apart Abrar Ahmed for a six and a boundary in the second.Smith then ransacked four consecutive fours off Curran in the next over to gather 16 runs. However, Joseph broke through in the sixth over when Farhan miscued a heave and was caught by Abrar at short third but the damage was done with Multan at 71 for one.After scoring 83 for one in the powerplay, Multan’s cause was helped as Philippe (18, 15b, 2x4s) kept the momentum going alongside Smith before Saud broke the 25-run partnership in the eighth over, with Philippe chipping a catch to Abrar at short third.Smith continued to dominate, reaching his half-century off 29 balls before falling for 53 in the 14th over. Rossouw sprinted from deep square leg and took a stunning relay catch, tossing the ball to substitute fielder Saqib Khan just before tumbling over the boundary rope.At 136 for three, the game was still Multan's to lose. Shan Masood (46 not out, 30b, 2x4s, 2x6s) ensured there were no further hiccups, anchoring the chase with composed strokeplay. Hasan picked up his second wicket as he trapped Arafat leg-before in the 16th over at 148 but Shan and Turner sealed the victory with 15 balls to spare.Scores in brief:Quetta Gladiators 166-8, 20 overs (Saud Shakeel 56, Bevon Jacobs 49 not out, Ahmed Daniyal 22 retired hurt, Hasan Nawaz 20; Mohammad Nawaz 3-30, Arafat Minhas 2-14)Multan Sultans 167-4, 17.3 overs (Steve Smith 53, Shan Masood 46 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 32; Hasan Nawaz 2-17)Player of the match: Mohammad Nawaz (Multan Sultans)Monday’s Fixture - Multan Sultans v Rawalpindiz at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 7pm PKT 

Sameer Minhas blazed his second consecutive half-century as Islamabad United eased past 157-run target against Rawalpindiz with seven wickets in hand and 34 balls to spare in the 12th match of the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 here at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Saturday night.The inaugural HBL PSL champions took the bragging rights in the newly formed Twin Cities Derby by claiming a special Golden Bail from the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. This was also United’s highest winning margin in terms of balls remaining since June 2021.Islamabad United jumped to the second spot on the points table from fifth position with five points off four games. On Sunday, Multan Sultans will take on Quetta Gladiators at 7pm PKT.Sameer’s 36-ball 70 comprised of seven fours and four sixes as he shared a 58-run opening stand with Devon Conway, who struggled to get off the blocks before falling for just six off 11 balls in the sixth over.The young opening batter also finished as the holder of Inverex Solar Hanif Mohammad Cap for being the leading run-scorer in the tournament so far with 180 runs in three innings.Following a 62-1 powerplay, Islamabad continued to march towards the total with Sameer reaching his half-century in 25 balls. By the time Rawalpindiz managed to get him out in the ninth over the damage was almost done with United requiring a run-a-ball 65.Haider Ali (26 not out, 16b, 3x4s, 1x6) and Mark Chapman (24, 7b, 4x4s, 1x6) took no time to finish the game after joining forces at 112-3 in 11.3 overs. The duo shared an unbeaten 45-run stand off just 17 balls as Chapman struck Rishad Hossain for two fours and a six in the last three balls of 12th over to eke out 19 runs.No.3 Mohammad Faiq, who replaced Andries Gous in the playing XI, earlier departed for 19 off 16 with the help of two fours. For Rawalpindiz, Mohammad Amir, Rishad and Jalat Khan managed to get one wicket each.At the start, Rawalpindiz were asked to bat first by Shadab Khan and they were stunned by the incoming right-arm pacer Richard Gleeson, who got Yasir Khan caught in the second over and castled Mohammad Rizwan in the fourth.Kamran Ghulam and Daryl Mitchell (19, 15b, 2x4s) tried to salvage the innings from 15-2 in 3.5 overs and managed a 51-run stand off 37 balls. Kamran was the chief aggressor in the partnership as he hit Salman Irshad for three fours in the sixth over and Shadab for a six in the eighth.Mitchell fell to Salman at the halfway mark with 66 runs on the board. That the Rawalpindiz were able to score 90 off the last 10 overs was due to no.7 batter Dian Forrester’s fireworks late in the innings.Forrester remained unbeaten for 44 off 19 balls including two fours and four sixes, of which the fours and two sixes came against Salman in the last over of innings as it went for 20.Abdullah Fazal’s 16 off 23 was also vital in the later half of the innings as he smashed two sixes in his outing. Forrester shared a 11-ball 21-run stand with Abdullah, a 14-ball 18-run partnership with Rishad and an unbeaten 21-run stand with Mohammad Amir Khan.For United, Gleeson, Faheem and Salman picked up two wickets each, while Imad returned frugal figures of 4-0-15-1.Scores in brief:Rawalpindiz 156-7, 20 overs (Kamran Ghulam 50, Dian Forrester 44 not out, Abdullah Fazal 23; Richard Gleeson 2-21, Faheem Ashraf 2-22, Salman Irshad 2-52)Islamabad United 157-3, 14.2 overs (Sameer Minhas 70, Haider Ali 26 not out, Mark Chapman 24 not out)Player of the match – Sameer Minhas (Islamabad United)Sunday’s fixture – Quetta Gladiators v Multan Sultans at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 7pm PKT

Lahore (Sports News): Defending champions Lahore Qalandars inflictedfirst defeat on Multan Sultans in the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 as they romped to a 20-run victory while defending 185 in a rain-shortened 13-over match here at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Friday night.Player of the match Mohammad Naeem's explosive 60 off 28 balls and Parvez Hossain Emon’s quick-fire 45 off 19 balls in an 86-run opening partnership set the platform before the bowlers held firm to defend a steep total.After a delay of nearly two hours due to persistent rain, Ashton Turner won the toss and chose to bowl in a contest reduced to 13 overs per side.Debutant pacer Mohammad Ismail conceded 26 runs in the opening over, including 10 in wides, setting a new record for the most expensive first over in HBL PSL history.Naeem and Emon pounced, racing to 50 in 3.2 overs and ending the shortened 3.5-over powerplay at 66 without loss.Emon provided destructive blows early on, targeting Mohammad Nawaz for two sixes and a four in the fourth over before taking Faisal Akram for three consecutive sixes at the start ofthe next. He departed after blistering two fours and five sixes in his knock in the sixth over, caught at deep mid-wicket off Ismail.Dropped on 16 by Arafat Minhas, Naeem made the Sultans pay, combining with Abdullah Shafique (33, 14b, 3x4s, 2x6s) to maintain the onslaught. At 134 for one after eight overs, the Qalandars looked on course for a total close to 200.The Sultans clawed back impressively in the final five overs, conceding 51 while taking four wickets. Ismail (3-0-47-2) removed Abdullah in the ninth over, while Akram had Naeem caught at mid-wicket in the next after striking four fours and as many sixes.Peter Siddle then bowled Rubin Hermann two overs later and Asif Ali was run out in the last over of the innings.Sikandar Raza's unbeaten 13 off eight, including back-to-back boundaries off the innings' final two deliveries, pushed the Qalandars to 185 for five, aided by 23 extras including 14 wides.Chasing 186 at an asking rate over 14 runs an over, Multan required a brisk start but instead lost Steve Smith (9, 10b, 2x4s) bowled by Qalandars’ skipper Shaheen Shah Afridi (3-0-32-1) in the third over with the score on 17. Two deliveries later, Ubaid Shah (3-0-34-1) had Josh Philippe caught by Shaheen at mid-off to leave Multan reeling at 18 for two.Sahibzada Farhan (24, 15b, 1x4, 2x6s) counter-attacked with a couple of sixes off Shaheen in the sixth over but Mustafizur Rahman struck in his first over to have him caught off Abdullah, reducing the Sultans to 50 for three inside six overs.Shan Masood then launched a counter-attack, blazing 44 off just 18 balls with seven fours and a six to haul Multan back into the contest. However, Mustafizur (3-0-37-2) struck again in the 10th over, trapping the left-hander leg-before-wicket to leave the Sultans at 100 for four.Turner refused to surrender, smashing an unbeaten 52 off 22 deliveries laced with two fours and five sixes. He found an ally in Arafat Minhas (25, 11b, 1x4, 2x6s) and their fifth-wicket stand of 57 off 20 balls briefly raised Multan's hopes but in vain.Sikandar broke the partnership in the final over, having Minhas caught by substitute Dunith Wellalage and the equation proved too steep despite Turner's heroics.Scores in brief (13 overs per side):Lahore Qalandars 185-5, 13 overs (Mohammad Naeem 60, Parvez Hossain Emon 45, Abdullah Shafique 33; Mohammad Ismail 2-47)Multan Sultans 165-5, 13 overs (Ashton Turner 52 not out, Shan Masood 44, Arafat Minhas 25, Sahibzada Farhan 24; Mustafizur Rehman 2-37)Player of the match: Mohammad Naeem (Lahore Qalandars)

 Lahore (PCB Report)Sahibzada Farhan’s ninth T20 and second HBL Pakistan Super League century helped Multan Sultans scale the 226-run target, fifth-highest successful chase in the history of the tournament, with six wickets in hand and eight balls to spare against Hyderabad Kingsmen in the eighth match here at the Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore on Wednesday night.Kingsmen have now lost three out of their three matches. On Wednesday, the tournament will see its third double-header as Quetta Gladiators take on Islamabad United at 2.30pm PKT and Rawalpindiz go up against Karachi Kings at 6.30pm. On the back of fourth-highest powerplay score in HBL PSL history – 83 – Multan Sultans romped to their second straight win in the tournament after beating Islamabad United in their first game. Sahibzada remained unbeaten for 106 off 57 balls striking seven fours and eight sixes and provided Sultans with a blazing start putting on a 104-run opening stand with Steven Smith (46, 20b, 2x4s, 4x6s) in 8.1 overs. After scoring only six runs in Maheesh Theekshana’s opening over, the duo laid the foundation for the record chase by taking 16, 15, 15, 19 and 12 runs in each of the remaining powerplay overs. Sahibzada reached his half-century off 25 balls in the seventh over. Kingsmen employed some resistance as their left-arm spinner Hassan Khan provided his team with the much-needed breakthrough removing Smith in ninth over, while Saim Ayub dismissed Josh Philippe in the 10th for a four-ball nine. With 103 required off the last 10 overs, Sahibzada was on 65 off 35 balls after being dropped in the eighth over by Muhammad Irfan Khan off Maaz Sadaqat. Shan Masood’s blitzy 16-ball 29-run knock comprising two fours and as many sixes made sure the momentum remained intact for Sultans. Shan and Sahibzada added 45 runs for the third wicket before Saim got rid of former in the 14th over. An over later Ashton Turner fell prey to Theekshana with 190 runs on the board in 15.4 overs. At this juncture, Arafat Minhas walked in and struck a flurry of boundaries in his unbeaten 11-ball 26 not out including three fours in Mohammad Ali’s 17th over to bring the equation down to 19 needed off 18 balls. Arafat whacked Riley Meredith for another six and a four off successive balls to almost seal the game in 18th over as Sahibzada had to remain in his 90s for 21 balls before he brought up the record-equaling century off the first ball of Mohammad Ali’s penultimate over. Sahibzada, who won the game with a six in 19th over, now has joint-fourth most centuries in all T20s behind Chris Gayle’s 22, Babar Azam’s 11 and David Warner’s 10. For Sultans, Mohammad Wasim Jnr picked up two wickets, while Mohammad Nawaz, Turner and Siddle dismissed one batter each. Earlier, Hyderabad Kingsmen were helped to their first-ever 200+ total with rapid half-centuries from opening batter Maaz and no.5 Sharjeel Khan. Maaz put on a 59-run opening stand with Saim (27, 20b, 3x4s, 1x6) before Peter Siddle drew the first blood for Sultans. Kingsmen racked up 74 runs in the powerplay after which Turner removed Marnus Labuschagne in the eight over before Maaz raced to his 19-ball half-century – the joint-third fastest in HBL PSL history – on the fifth ball. Maaz departed for 62 off 26 balls striking five fours and as many sixes with Kingsmen 104-3 in 9.3 overs. Sharjeel walked in at this point and finished 51 not out off 26 balls on the back of three fours and four sixes. The left-hander, who was playing his first HBL PSL game since 2023, stitched some valuable stands including 23 off 11 balls with Usman Khan (25, 12b, 3x6s), 44 off 30 for the fifth wicket with Syed Saad Ali (23, 19b, 1x4, 1x6) and a blazing unbeaten 54 off 24 balls with Muhammad Irfan Khan (22, 13b, 2x4s, 1x6). Usman’s three sixes came across four balls against Momin Qamar in the 11th over, which yielded 20 runs, while Sharjeel struck Shehzad Gul for three sixes and two fours in the 18th over taking 30 off it – the joint-third most runs in a single over in HBL PSL history. Saim picked up two wickets, while Hassan and Theekshana had one each to their name. Match 8: Multan Sultans beat Hyderabad Kingsmen by six wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore Hyderabad Kingsmen 225-5, 20 overs (Maaz Sadaqat 62, Sharjeel Khan 51 not out, Saim Ayub 27, Usman Khan 25, Syed Saad Ali 23, Muhammad Irfan Khan 22 not out; Mohammad Wasim Jnr 2-37) Multan Sultans 227-4, 18.4 overs (Sahibzada Farhan 106 not out, Steven Smith 46, Shan Masood 29, Arafat Minhas 26 not out; Saim Ayub 2-43) Player of the match – Sahibzada Farhan (Multan Sultans) Thursday’s fixture: Quetta Gladiators v Islamabad United at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 2.30pm PKT Rawalpindiz v Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 7.30pm PKT 

Lahore (PCB Report): Josh Philippe’s 35-ball 55, Ashton Turner’s unbeaten 43 off 28 and Momin Qamar’s 3-24 powered Multan Sultans to a five-wicket win over Islamabad United as they chased the 172-run target in 18.4 overs to register their first win in the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 here at the Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Saturday night.Coming in at 16 for one in the third over, Philippe joined forces with skipper Steven Smith to put the chase on the track with a 45-run stand for the second wicket. The pair took Mohammad Salman Mirza to cleaners, smashing three sixes in a 21-run fourth over.Philippe then collected two more boundaries off Shadab Khan in the seventh over to move Multan to 60 for one. Smith’s steady31 off 23 balls, featuring one four and three sixes ended in the next over when Salman Irshad forced a mistimed shot that Shadab safely pouched at mid-off.Shadab struck in the following over to remove Shan Masood for six. Philippe kept the momentum going, adding 61 runs for the fourth wicket with captain Ashton Turner as Multan raced to 131 in the 14th over and closed in on the target.After Philippe departed, Arafat Minhas arrived to provide the finishing touches with a rapid 25 off 11 balls, cracking four fours and a six. Turner stayed unbeaten on 43 hitting three fours and one six as Multan completed the chase with eight balls remaining.Salman Irshad (4-0-28-2) and Shadab Khan (4-0-36-2) picked up two wickets each.Asked to bat first, Devon Conway and debutant Sameer Minhas provided their side with a 48-run opening partnership. Conway took charge in the second over, striking Mohammad Nawaz for a four and a six, while Sameer showed early intent with two sixes; first off Mohammad Wasim Jnr over covers and then off Peter Siddle over cow corner.Siddle, however, responded well to break the opening stand in the sixth over, dismissing Conway for 26 off 23 balls, an innings featuring three fours and a six.Wicketkeeper-batter Andries Gous (11, 9b, 2x4s) then added 21 runs for the second wicket with Sameer before falling to Arafat Minhas in the ninth over. Gous’ wicket initiated a brief collapse as Momin Qamar removed for28 off 21 balls, which included one four and two sixes.Mark Chapman struck Momin for a six and two fours in the first three balls of the 12th over, but the wrist-spinner hit back in style by castling captain Shadab Khan with a googly.Chapman then combined with Haider Ali for a 27-run partnership to keep the innings on track. The left-hander’s brisk knock ended on the final ball of the 15th over with the score at 130 for five, after he top-scored with a 21-ball 40 which included three fours and two sixes.Momin struck again with the very next delivery, removing Haider Ali (13, 12b, 2x4s).Faheem Ashraf then provided the late impetus with a brisk cameo of 17-ball 26, hitting three fours and one six. He began with a boundary off Wasim Jnr in the 18th over, followed it up with two fours off Peter Siddle in the penultimate over, and capped his effort with a six off Wasim in the final over to power his side to 171 for eight in 20 overs. Apart from Momin’s three, Wasim Jnr picked up two wickets, while Arafat, Siddle and Nawaz struck once.Scores in brief:Match 4 – Multan Sultans beat Islamabad United by five wickets at Gaddafi Stadium, LahoreIslamabad United 171-8, 20 overs (Mark Chapman 40, Sameer Minhas 28, Faheem Ashraf 26, Devon Conway 26; Momin Qamar 3-24, Mohammad Wasim Jnr 2-42)Multan Sultans 175-5, 18.4 overs (Josh Philippe 55, Ashton Turner 43 not out, Steven Smith 31, Arafat Minhas 25; Salman Irshad 2-28, Shadab Khan 2-36)Player of the match – Momin Qamar (Multan Sultans) Sunday’s fixtures: Quetta Gladiators v Hyderabad Kingsmen at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 2.30pm PKTLahore Qalandars v Karachi Kings at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore; 7pm PKT