PSL 2023: Sam Billings powers Lahore into the Play-offs

Table-toppers Lahore Qalandars put another superb  performance on Saturday night at the Gaddafi Stadium to defeat Multan Sultans by 21 runs.

In the process, they became the first team to qualify for the playoffs of PSL 2023.

While chasing the 181-run target, Sultans got off to a decent start with Mohammad Rizwan and Shan Masood scoring 44 runs.

However, Masood fell in the seventh over of the innings after a brilliant catch by Shaheen Afridi on the bowling of Zaman Khan.

The left-hander scored 19 runs in 20 balls.

Sikandar Raza bagged the prized wicket of Mohammad Rizwan, who scored 30 runs in 27 balls, after a successful review. The on-field umpire turned down the LBW appeal but replay showed the ball hitting the stumps.

In a surprising call, Usama Mir was promoted up the order to score some quick runs but the gamble failed.

Mir was cleaned up by Rashid Khan after scoring 17 runs in 11 balls.

The Afghanistan leg-spinner also dismissed David Miller (1), after another successful review by the Qalandars, in the same over.

Rashid Khan finished with stupendous figures of 3-15 in four overs, also dismissing Rilee Rossouw.

Kieron Pollard scored 39 runs in 28 balls but that was not enough to get Multan over the line.

Zaman Khan, Haris Rauf, Sikandar Raza and Hussain Talat claimed one wicket each.

Multan were restricted to 159-7 in 20 overs.

Earlier, Sam Billings’ maiden half-century of the season and Abdullah Shafique’s 48 helped Lahore Qalandars to 180 for nine.

Lahore Qalandars lost Fakhar Zaman on only third ball of the match after Shaheen Afridi elected to bat.

Abdullah made his intentions clear from the first ball as he drove Sameen Gul down the ground for a boundary.

The right-hander has been in good touch this season and his bat continued to ooze runs as he added 50 runs for the second wicket with Mirza Tahir Baig (17 off 11).

He also added 69 for the third with Billings in an innings of 35 balls in which he smashed six fours and a six.

Billings also was in full flow, smashing six fours and two sixes in his 35-ball 54 before he became Kieron Pollard’s second wicket.

The all-rounder had caught and bowled Abdullah earlier.

Anwar Ali, Ihsanullah and Abbas Afridi also took two wickets each.

Scores

Lahore Qalandars 180-9, 20 overs (Sam Billings 54, Abdullah Shafique 48; Kieron Pollard 2-16, Anwar Ali 2-21, Abbas Afridi 2-25, Ihsanullah 2-33)

Multan Sultans 159-7, 20 overs (Kieron Pollard 39, Mohammad Rizwan 30; Rashid Khan 3-15)

Player of the match – Rashid Khan

Lahore Qalandars (Playing XI):

Fakhar Zaman, Mirza Tahir Baig, Abdullah Shafique, Sam Billings(w), Hussain Talat, Sikandar Raza, David Wiese, Rashid Khan, Shaheen Afridi(c), Haris Rauf, Zaman Khan

Multan Sultans (Playing XI):

Mohammad Rizwan(w/c), Shan Masood, Rilee Rossouw, David Miller, Kieron Pollard, Khushdil Shah, Anwar Ali, Usama Mir, Abbas Afridi, Sameen Gul, Ihsanullah

Points table