LAHORE: Blazing knocks by openers, Luke Ronchi and Colin Munro, and their 92-run opening stand steered Islamabad United to their first win in the 5th HBL Pakistan Super League (PSL), as they crushed Multan Sultans by eight wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium before a sizeable crowd here on Saturday night.

While United recovered from the defeat they suffered in the first match at the hands of Quetta Gladiators, Multan Sultans could not maintain the winning momentum they had after beating Lahore Qalandars in the opener at the same venue on Friday.

Ronchi and Munro made their task look easy as United raced to the target of 165 in just 16.4 overs. Ronchi, the top scorer with a fine knock of 74, fell when the win was just two runs away. He hit nine boundaries and two sixes, off just 45 balls.

The two openers started their onslaught in the second over, bowled by leg-spinner Imran Tahir, stealing 21 runs as they hit one six and one four each. Munro reached 50 before he was clean bowled by Shahid Afridi, at the total at 92 and the run-rate at an excellent 9.75 per over.

Ronchi was at 39 when David Malan joined him and soon United reached 100-1 in 10.4 overs. Ronchi completed his 50, mauling Moeen Ali to get 19 runs in the 12th over, with three fours and one six.

Sultans’ bowlers faced a tough time as only Ilyas (1-17) and Afridi (1-25) earned some success, while Imran Tahir paid heavily by conceding 44 runs. Lanky pacer Irfan conceded 43 runs.

Put in to bat first by United captain Shadab Khan, Sultans set what looked like a fighting total of 165-8, thanks largely to top scorer Zeeshan Ashraf who scored 50. Pacer Ammad Butt, who failed to excel against Karachi Kings in the opening match by conceding 50 runs, fared far better this time by picking up four wickets for 27 runs.

Sultans’ openers captain Shan Masood and James Vince made a cautious start, scoring only 31 runs in five overs.

United earned their first success when Faheem Ashraf in his first over had Shan caught by Musa for 21 off 20 balls. The total stood at 41 in 5.5 overs. But when Butt was brought in as the fifth bowler by Shadab, he put the Sultans in trouble by taking three wickets, reducing them to 4-87 in 11.5 overs. He had Moeen Ali (10) caught by Faheem and in the same over accounted for Rilee Rossouw, for a duck. When he sent back well-set James Vince, clean bowled for a well-played 42 off 31 balls, Sultans were in deep trouble as their total was only 87 in 11.5 overs. Vince smashed six fours and one six. However, top scorer Zeeshan played responsibly and featured in three partnerships to build a good total.

Faheem Ashraf took two wickets for 34, while Shadab failed to earn any wicket.

Scoreboard

MULTAN SULTANS:

Shan Masood c Musa b Faheem 21

J.M. Vince b Amad 42

Moeen Ali c Faheem b Amad 10

R.R. Rossouw c Faheem b Amad 0

Zeeshan Ashraf c Shadab b Faheem 50

Khushdil Shah c Ronchi b Akif 7

Shahid Afridi c Akif b Musa 11

Sohail Tanvir lbw b Amad 10

Mohammad Ilyas not out 3

Imran Tahir not out 3

EXTRAS: (LB-5, W-2) 7

TOTAL: (for eight wkts, 20 overs) 164

FALL OF WKTS: 1-41, 2-69, 3-70, 4-87, 5-111, 6-135, 7-153, 8-160.

DID NOT BAT: Mohammad Irfan.

BOWLING: Mohammad Musa Khan 4-0-24-1; Akif Javed 4-0-35-1; Faheem Ashraf 4-0-34-2 (2w); Shadab Khan 3-0-29-0; Amad Butt 4-0-27-4; Hussain Talat 1-0-10-0.

ISLAMABAD UNITED:

L. Ronchi c Vince b Ilyas 74

C. Munro b Afridi 50

D.J. Malan not out 35

C.A. Ingram not out 1

EXTRAS: (LB-1, W-4) 5

TOTAL: (for two wkts, 16.4 overs) 165

FALL OF WKTS: 1-92, 2-163.

DID NOT BAT: Hussain Talat, Asif Ali, Shadab Khan, Faheem Ashraf, Amad Butt, Mohammad Musa Khan, Akif Javed.

BOWLING: Sohail Tanvir 2-0-16-0 (2w); Imran Tahir 4-0-44-0; Mohammad Irfan 4-0-43-0 (1w); Mohammad Ilyas 2.4-0-17-1 (1w); Shahid Afridi 3-0-25-1; Moeen Ali 1-0-19-0.

RESULT: Islamabad won by eight wickets.

UMPIRES: Shozab Raza (Pakistan) and R.E.J. Martinesz (Sri Lanka).

TV UMPIRE: Rashid Riaz (Pakistan).

MATCH REFEREE: Mohammad Anees (Pakistan)

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Luke Ronchi.

Published in Dawn, February 23rd, 2020