Steve Smith struck his maiden half-century in the 2026 Pakistan Super League (PSL 11) as Multan Sultans cruised to a comfortable six-wicket win over Quetta Gladiators at Gaddafi Stadium in Lahore on Sunday.
Chasing 167, Multan made their intentions clear from the outset with an explosive opening stand between Steve Smith and Sahibzada Farhan. The pair raced to 63 runs in the first four overs and brought up their 50-run partnership in just 3.2 overs, putting Quetta immediately under pressure.
The Sultans finished the powerplay on 83/1, matching their own tournament record for the highest score in the first six overs this season.
With the asking rate under control early, Multan eased through the remainder of the chase. After Smith’s attacking knock laid the platform, the batting side needed 84 runs from 84 balls, allowing them to rotate strike comfortably and pick up boundaries when needed.
Smith’s innings ended after he was dismissed near the boundary through a relay catch involving Saqib Khan and Rilee Rossouw, but by then the damage had already been done. He was the standout batter in the chase and gave Multan the perfect start.
Shan Masood then played a calm and measured knock in the middle order, remaining unbeaten on 40 off 36 balls to ensure there were no late hiccups in the chase.
Earlier, Multan’s spinners played the key role in restricting Quetta Gladiators to 166. The decision to operate with spin from both ends after the powerplay looked unusual on a batting-friendly surface, especially on a ground where big targets had already been chased earlier in the tournament.
However, the move worked as Quetta once again struggled against spin. Khawaja Nafay and Shamyl Hussain were dismissed inside 2.1 overs, putting the Gladiators under early pressure.
Quetta recovered through a 55-run partnership between Saud Shakeel and Hasan Nawaz. The stand was eventually broken after sharp work behind the stumps by Tim Seifert, who stumped Nawaz off Arafat Minhas.
Minhas then struck again in the same over to remove Rilee Rossouw, leaving Quetta in trouble despite a composed knock from Saud Shakeel, who top-scored with 56 off 41 balls.
Late resistance came from Bevon Jacobs, who remained unbeaten on 49 off 31 balls, while Ahmed Daniyal added a quick 22 off just nine deliveries. Daniyal’s innings was cut short after he appeared to injure his hamstring while running the third run on the penultimate ball of the innings and was taken to hospital.
Multan’s spin unit proved decisive overall. Arafat Minhas was the most economical bowler with 2 for 14 in four overs, while Mohammad Nawaz picked up three wickets. Across 16 overs of spin, the Sultans conceded only 91 runs and claimed all six wickets.
The result was Multan’s third win in four matches, taking them back to the top of the PSL points table.
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