Peshawar Zalmi 110 for 3 (Ayub 49, Bryant 38, Aziz 2-17) beat Multan Sultans 108 (Hope 23, Daniyal 3-17, Sadaqat 2-12) by 7 wickets*
Peshawar Zalmi kept their playoff aspirations alive with a convincing seven-wicket win over Multan Sultans, needing just one more victory from their final two matches to likely set up a do-or-die clash with Lahore Qalandars. Their task was made easier by a struggling Multan side that has been easy pickings for most teams this season.
Ahmed Daniyal led a collective bowling effort in which all six Zalmi bowlers claimed wickets, dismantling the Sultans for just 108. In reply, Saim Ayub ensured a smooth chase, guiding Peshawar home with seven overs to spare.
Despite playing in front of a home crowd, Multan had little motivation and chose to bat first. Their innings never found momentum. Yasir Khan fell early trying to scoop Ayub, while skipper Mohammad Rizwan’s slow start ended with a sharp catch by Daniyal.
There was no real shift in momentum throughout the match. After a 26-run stand between Tayyab Tahir and Shai Hope, the innings unraveled quickly. Tahir fell hooking to square leg, while Ashton Turner was bowled behind his legs. A collapse followed, with Multan losing four wickets for just six runs, limping to 66 for 6. A few late blows from Hope and Mohammad Hasnain merely pushed them past 100.
Zalmi’s chase was mostly untroubled. Although Mitchell Owen departed in the first over, Ayub’s aggressive strokeplay, including two successive sixes off Ubaid Shah, all but ended any hopes of a contest. Shahid Aziz struck twice, removing Babar Azam and Ayub, but it had little impact.
Max Bryant, making only a limited appearance this season, capitalized on dropped catches and sloppy fielding, wrapping up the game in style with three consecutive boundaries off Ubaid. The emphatic win keeps Zalmi’s proud record of never missing a PSL playoff spot intact.
