Twitter Reactions: Multan Sultans stand top against Quetta Gladiators in hard-fought contest

Multan Sultans. (Photo Sourcee: FAROOQ NAEEM/AFP via Getty Images)

Multan Sultans beat Quetta Gladiators by nine runs in a scintillating affair in Match 28 of the ongoing Pakistan Super League (PSL) at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium on Saturday, March 11. The top-tier league has witnessed numerous matches being showered with 200+ scores and such was the case when Multan locked horns with Quetta.

Opting to field first, Quetta were already in backfoot as the rival side swiftly hit the ground running. Opener Usman Khan was at his ravaging best against a hapless Quetta bowling unit as he smashed his century in just 36 balls.

With this, he surpassed teammate Rilee Rossouw’s record (41 balls) of the fastest century in the history of the PSL. Meanwhile, skipper Mohammad Rizwan too hammered the rival unit as he got a quickfire 29-ball 55 and raised a partnership of 157 runs.

Usman concluded his innings with 12 fours and nine sixes to his name with a score of 120 off 43 balls. Following their dismissals, Tim David and explosive hitter Kieron Pollard extended their dominance as they got the boundaries and maximums with ease. The duo remained unbeaten and put up a 58-run partnership to steer the side to attain a mammoth 262 runs. Meanwhile, Qais Ahmad was the only bowler with two wickets to his name.

Gladiators fight back while chasing

Following the first innings, Multan already seemed clear favourites to clinch the two points. However, one cannot just forget the comeback made by Quetta Gladiators earlier, when they chased 240 in their previous outing, courtesy of Jason Roy’s carnage.

However, Anwar Ali took the onus of denting their dreams of chasing a second 200+ total as he got the vital scalp of Roy for just 14 runs. However, Martin Guptill and Omair Yousuf began firing for the side and were relentless in their fight during the chase.

Guptill got a 14-ball 37 whereas Yousuf scored 67 in just 36 balls before the duo was sent back to the dugout by young sensation Ihsanullah. Just when the game seemed to be slipping away, Iftikhar Ahmed stepped up and scored a sensational fifty of just 31 balls which included four boundaries and as many maximums.

Down the middle-order came Umar Akmal, who tried to put up a show in Rawalpindi with his maximums. However, Abbas Afridi’s hat-trick stole the game away from Quetta. Multan eventually won the contest by nine runs. Interestingly, a record 515 runs were scored in the contest which became the most runs scored in a single match in the history of T20 cricket.

Here is how Twitter reacted-