Hussain Talat stars as Islamabad United beat Multan Sultans for first win in PSL 2018

Denzil Pinto 21:02 25/02/2018
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    • Islamabad United ended Multan Sultans’ 100 per cent record to get their Pakistan Super League campaign up and running with a tense five-wicket victory on Sunday

    Multan Sultans, tournament debutants, made a flying start to the competition by overcoming Peshawar Zalmi and Lahore Qalandars in their first two matches. But they were soundly beaten by the 2016 champions, who had to work for their first triumph following their defeat to Peshawar Zalmi.

    Set 114 to win after Rumman Raees (3-14), Mohammad Sami (2-19) and Andre Russell (2-30) rattled Sultans’ batsmen, Islamabad had a nervy chase of their own. Imran Tahir nearly pulled off an unlikely win with 3-19 including two scalps in two balls but an unbeaten 48 from man-of-the-match Hussain Talat saw Islamabad home with 14 balls to spare.

    Here are the key points from the sixth game at Dubai International Stadium.

    DAY TO FORGET FOR SHEHZAD

    Ahmed Shehzad failed to get going and instead treated the T20 match as an ODI. When he lined up to face his 11th delivery, he had just two runs to his name and it didn’t get much better for the 26-year-old. His first boundary came off the 20th ball he faced before being put out of his misery by Steven Finn for 11. Just to put into context, Kumar Sangakkara and Dwayne Bravo only scored six runs from five deliveries but managed to score one boundary in their stay.

    SAMI STILL HAS IT IN HIM

    At 37, his international career is all but over but the fast-bowler proved he still can still do the damage with the ball. In previous PSL editions, he consistently performed well and against Multan Sultans showed once again how effective he can be. His pace accounted for big-hitters Dwayne Bravo and Sohaib Maqsood as he finished with 2-19. Expect him to become a key man for Dean Jones’ side.

    TALAT ONE FOR THE FUTURE

    Plying his trade since 2013, the 22-year-old batsman has 30 first-class games, 41 List A matches and 31 T20s under his belt and is particularly effective in the shortest format, averaging 37 in T20s. Against Multan Sultans, he showcased his potential with an unbeaten 48 off 34 deliveries. It was an extraordinary effort from the youngster, hitting four boundaries and three sixes, as he showed no signs of nerves under pressure.

    Shot of the Match

    Kieron Pollard targeted his West Indian team-mate Andre Russell, clearing his front leg to smash the ball into the second tier of the stadium.

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