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Defending champions Multan Sultans clinched a nail-bitter contest on Monday (January 31) as they overcame Quetta Gladiators by just six runs in the final over. A match that went to the very end saw the Sultans defend just eight runs in the final over, thanks to David Willey, who gave away only one run and took two wickets to clinch the contest. The win sees the champions, Multan Sultans, remain unbeaten from their opening three matches as they top the league, in the early days.
Shan Masood top scores with 88 for the Sultans
The two teams were unbeaten going into the contest. Shan Masood continued from where he had left from against Lahore Qalandars, as he once again scored a fifty. He followed his 83-run knock against the Qalandars with an 88-run knock on the evening. He smashed six fours and four sixes in just 58 deliveries to set the tone. He was well-supported by Sohaib Maqsood (21) and South African Rilee Rossouw (21) who steered the Sultans innings beyond 150 runs. A cameo towards the end from Tim David with 28 runs off 16 deliveries saw Sultans finish at 174/4.
Iftikhar Ahmed almost does the job with his cameo
After a mixed start, Ben Duckett (47 off 32 deliveries) and Ahsan Ali (24) kept the 2019 champions in the hunt but lost wickets at regular intervals. With 50 runs needed off four overs, Iftikhar Ahmed played a nice little cameo as he scored 24 runs from Imran Khan's over to keep the Gladiators in the hunt. He scored three sixes and a four to scalp 24 runs in the 17th over. However, his cameo innings came to a close in the very next over as he was dismissed for 30 off 13 deliveries at a strike rate of 231.
Final over drama
With 15 runs scored in the penultimate over, the momentum was with the batting side. Willey was asked to defend eight runs, but with the new man and tailender Naseem Shah at the batting end, Willey produced two outstanding deliveries to keep the scoreboard shut. He did get a run on the third ball to put Tanvir on strike, but the former Pakistan speedster gave his wicket away on the fourth ball. This meant that seven runs were needed with two balls and a wicket in hand. Willey kept his nerves once again as Naseem was caught inside-out on the mid-wicket boundary to clinch the tie, as Gladiators were dismissed for 168.
The Sultans will have no time for recovery, as they take on Islamabad United on Tuesday (February 1) within 24 hours of their win. The Gladiators will try to bounce back from the defeat and will next take the field on Thursday (February 3) against Islamabad United at the Karachi National Stadium.
