LAHORE: A combined display of hard hitting by batters steered Peshawar Zalmi to a well-deserved five-wicket victory against debutants Rawalpindiz in a high-scoring match of the HBL Pakistan Super League 11 here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Needing 21 for victory in the final two overs, Michael Bracewell (35 not out) and Aamer Jamal (13 not out off four balls) stood firm to complete the job with five balls to spare as the duo added 24 runs for the undefeated sixth-wicket partnership. Bracewell was named man-of-the-match for his vital knock.

Chasing a gigantic 215, openers Mohammad Haris (47) and captain Babar Azam (39) along with Abdul Samad (33) and Kusal Mendis (31) had made invaluable contributions earlier as Zalmi completed the task — their highest-ever chase in PSL history — in their first game of the edition.

In a flying start, Haris and Babar posted 62 in powerplay to keep Zalmi in the hunt right from the word go.

During his 28-ball knock, Babar smashed four fours and a six while Haris struck four fours and a couple of maximums in his stay in which he also negotiated 28 deliveries.

As Zalmi cruised to 78-0, Asif Afridi gave Rawalpindiz a huge wicket when the slow left-arm orthodox spinner trapped Babar in front in the ninth over. The dismissal came through DRS after the umpire gave the right-hander not out.

Haris was next to go as he skied a short ball which was caught by Rawalpindiz captain Mohammad Rizwan off pacer Amad Butt as scoreboard read 96-2 at halfway stage.

Mendis, who cracked a four and a couple of sixes in his 17-ball cameo, added 32 runs with Aaron Hardie (eight) before the latter was dismissed by leg-spinner Rishad Hossain in the 14th over. And when Mendis was caught by Rishad at long-off off a slower Amad delivery in the 15th over, Zalmi looked in serious trouble.

However, Bracewell and Samad had other ideas amid a mounting required run-rate.

They added a stunning 64 runs off just 23 balls to bring their team back in the game. Bracewell faced 17 balls and plundered three fours and two sixes while Samad was more belligerent launching four sixes and a four in his 11-ball blitz.

Samad was sent back by fast bowler Mohammad Amir on the last ball of the 18th over before the Bracewell-Aamer pair rose to the occasion.

Fast bowlers Naseem Shah (0-51), Amir (1-49) and Amad (2-45) proved expensive while Rishad (1-35) and Asif (1-37 off 3.1 overs) got a wicket apiece.

Earlier after opting to bat first in daylight, Rawalpindiz posted a massive total courtesy opener Yasir Khan’s blistering innings of 83.

Yasir and fellow opener Rizwan (41 off 32 balls) took a hurricane 125-run start in 12 overs to give their team a solid foundation for a huge total.

After lifting their team 63-0 in powerplay, the opening pair raced to 100 in just 9.5 overs as a huge total looked certain.

Right-handed Yasir was far more aggressive than his partner, as he completed the half-century off only 28 balls. He faced only 46 deliveries during his stay while cracking seven fours and six sixes. Rizwan, on the other hand, hit five fours and a six.

Fast bowler Ali Raza gave Zalmi the first breakthrough in the 13th over when he induced Rizwan to play a miscued lofted shot and caught by Farhan Yousuf around long-on.

Zalmi took a sigh of relief in the 15th over when Yasir was caught by Aamer at deep square leg off Ali. Rawalpindiz were now 144-2.

Kamran Ghulam (20-ball 37) and Daryl Mitchell (23 off 13 balls) took the total to 150 in 15 overs and then lifted the run-rate with some powerful shots. Kamran clobbered three sixes and a brace of fours while Mitchell registered two maximums as they took the score to 185 before the former was caught by Farhan at backward point off pacer Hardie in the 18th over. Mitchell’s innings was ended by Aamer in the final over when the batter was caught by Hardie at long-on.

Aamer conceded 20 runs off the final five balls as Sam Billings (18 not out off eight, two fours and a six) cut loose.

Aamer took 1-45 runs off three overs while Ali claimed 2-42 from his three overs. Hardie gave away 36 runs for one wicket in three overs.

Scoreboard

RAWALPINDIZ:

Yasir Khan c Aamer b Ali83

Mohammad Rizwan c Farhan b Ali41

Kamran Ghulam c Farhan b Hardie37

Daryl Mitchell c Hardie b Aamer23

Sam Billings not out18

Abdullah Fazal not out5

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1, W-5)7

TOTAL (for four wickets, 20 overs)214

DID NOT BAT: Amad Butt, Rishad Hossain, Naseem Shah, Mohammad Amir, Asif Afridi

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-125 (Rizwan), 2-144 (Yasir), 3-185 (Kamran), 4-197 (Mitchell)

BOWLING: Shoriful 4-0-31-0 (4w, 1nb), Hardie 3-0-36-1, Ali 3-0-42-2, Aamer 3-0-43-1 (1w), Bracewell 3-0-33-0, Sufiyan 4-0-28-0

PESHAWAR ZALMI:

Mohammad Haris c Rizwan b Amad47

Babar Azam lbw b Asif39

Kusal Mendis c Rishad b Amad31

Aaron Hardie c Abdullah b Rishad8

Michael Bracewell not out35

Abdul Samad c Billings b Amir33

Aamer Jamal not out17

EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-1, W-6)8

TOTAL (for five wickets, 19.1 overs)218

DID NOT BAT: Farhan Yousaf, Sufiyan Muqeem, Shoriful Islam, Ali Raza

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-78 (Babar), 2-96 (Haris), 3-128 (Hardie), 4-130 (Mendis), 5-194 (Samad)

BOWLING: Amir 4-0-49-1 (1w), Asif 3.1-0-37-1 (1w), Naseem 4-0-51-0 (1w, 1nb), Amad 4-0-45-2 (2w), Rishad 4-0-35-1

RESULT: Peshawar Zalmi won by five wickets.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Micheal Bracewell

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2026

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LAHORE: Spinner Momin Qamar’s mesmerising bowling backed by Josh Phillippe’s attacking half-century and captain Ashton Turner’s quickfire knock helped Multan Sultans start their HBL Pakistan Super League 11 campaign with a five-wicket victory over Islamabad United here at the Gaddafi Stadium on Saturday.

Left-arm wrist spinner Momin, who was named man-of-the-match, picked up three wickets for 24 runs off three overs to check the advance of United who totalled 171-8 off the stipulated overs while Phillippe’s 55 off 35 balls and Turner’s 43 not out later proved very timely inputs for Sultans who achieved their target comfortably in 18.4 overs under lights.

After losing Sahibzada Farhan (two) who was caught by Faheem Ashraf off slow left-arm orthodox spinner Imad Wasim in the third over with 16 runs on the board, fellow opener Steven Smith (31 off 23) and Phillippe steered them to 49-1 in powerplay. Phillippe struck five fours and a brace of sixes.

Though Sultans lost the wickets of Smith, who was nicely caught at mid-off by captain Shadab Khan off pacer Salman Irshad in the eighth over, and Shan Masood (six) in the next over bowled by Shadab to slump to 70-3, they did not lose the momentum led by Phillippe.

Phillippe and Turner, who struck three fours and a six in his 28-ball innings, added a crucial 61 runs to steer Sultans to safety before the former was trapped in front by Shadab in the 15th over to leave Sultans at 131-4.

However, Turner and Arafat Minhas (25 off 11, four fours and a six) made sure their team remain on track. And though Arafat was caught by Mark Chapman on the edge of the circle at mid-off off Salman Irshad in the 18th over with the total at 162, the job by then had almost been completed.

Shadab and Salman Irshad earned two wickets each for 36 and 28 runs, respectively while Imad snared one wicket for 31. Fast bowler Salman Mirza remained quite expensive with 0-49 in three overs.

Earlier after being invited to bat first, Islamabad United failed to post a commanding total after getting a decent start from openers Devon Conway and Sameer Minhas.

Conway and Sameer put on a 48-run stand in powerplay before paceman Peter Siddle sent the former back to the dugout in the sixth over.

Conway made 26 off 23 with the aid of three fours and a six.

When wicket-keeper/batter Andries Gous (11) was stumped by Phillippe off slow left-arm orthodox spinner Arafat in the ninth over, the scoreboard read 69-2 while Sameer (28 off 21) after belting a four and a brace of sixes became the victim of Momin to further restrict United to 75-3 in the 10th over.

Shadab (four) was cleaned up by a Momin wrong-un in the 12th over to restrain United to 103-4.

Southpaw Mark Chapman (40 off 21, three fours and two sixes) at this stage stood up to the challenge making sure his team post a decent total. But when the New Zealander skied a Mohammad Nawaz delivery only to be gleefully grabbed by Smith at long-on, it badly hurt United at a crucial stage. From 130-5 in 15 overs, they could not post a total that could challenge the Sultans.

Other than Faheem Ashraf’s 17-ball 26 featuring three fours and a six, no batter made a worthy contribution — including Haider Ali (13) and Imad (eight) — as United succeeded in getting only 41 runs off their last five overs.

Haider was dismissed by Momin while the scalps of Imad and Faheem, the last man to be dismissed on the very final ball of the innings, were claimed by pacer Mohammad Wasim.

Momin took 3-24 off three overs, Wasim picked up 2-42 and Siddle registered 1-29 who were backed well by Nawaz (1-32 in three overs) and Arafat (1-16 in two overs).

Scoreboard

ISLAMABAD UNITED:

Devon Conway c Wasim b Siddle26

Sameer Minhas c Wasim b Momin28

Andries Gous st Philippe b Arafat11

Mark Chapman c Smith b Nawaz40

Shadab Khan b Momin4

Haider Ali c Smith b Momin13

Faheem Ashraf c Smith b Wasim26

Imad Wasim c Shan b Wasim8

Salman Mirza not out3

EXTRAS (LB 6, W 6)12

TOTAL (for eight wickets, 20 overs)171

DID NOT BAT: Richard Gleeson, Salman Irshad

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-48 (Conway), 2-69 (Gous), 3-75 (Sameer), 4-103 (Shadab), 5-130 (Chapman), 6-130 (Haider), 7-160 (Imad), 8-171 (Faheem)

BOWLING: Shehzad 3-0-18-0 (1w), Nawaz 3-0-32-1 (1w), Siddle 4-0-29-1, Wasim 4-0-42-2 (4w), Arafat 2-0-16-1, Momin 3-0-24-3, Turner 1-0-4-0

MULTAN SULTANS:

Sahibzada Farhan c Faheem b Imad2

Steven Smith c Shadab b Salman31

Josh Philippe lbw b Shadab55

Shan Masood c Salman b Shadab6

Ashton Turner not out43

Arafat Minhas c Chapman b Salman25

Mohammad Nawaz not out7

EXTRAS (B-2, LB-1, W-3)6

TOTAL (for five wickets, 18.4 overs)175

DID NOT BAT: Peter Siddle, Mohammad Wasim, Shehzad Gul, Momin Qamar

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-16 (Sahibzada), 2-61 (Smith), 3-70 (Shan), 4-131 (Philippe), 5-162 (Arafat)

BOWLING: Imad 4-0-31-1, Mirza 3-0-49-0 (1w), Gleeson 3.4-0-28-0 (1w), Salman 4-0-28-2, Shadab 4-0-36-2 (1w)

RESULT: Multan Sultans won by five wickets.

MAN-OF-THE-MATCH: Momin Qamar

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2026

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LONDON: England Test captain Ben Stokes will be sidelined for the first month of the county season as he recovers from facial injuries sustained in a training accident.

Stokes suffered a broken cheekbone after being hit by the ball during a net session with his Durham team-mates last month.

The 34-year-old said that his subsequent surgery was a success, although his photo on Instagram, showing a badly swollen and bruised face, revealed the extent of the horror injury.

The prolonged rehabilitation process means that Stokes has had to delay his return to action.

The all-rounder, who has not played since the final game of England’s Ashes series thrashing, was originally hoping to make his comeback against Kent in Durham’s first round of County Championship fixtures next week. But he now looks likely to sit out the first four matches before preparing for the New Zealand Test series by facing Worcestershire and Kent in May.

“He was going to play the first game, he’s been training so hard to be ready. But he won’t play in that, obviously. We have to wait for the specialists to clear him,” Durham coach Ryan Campbell said.

“Unf­ortunately, it’s made a change, the accidental bump. He is pencilled in for Worcester and Kent and I think it will just be those two, to be honest.

“He has got to recover from the facial injuries and then have to build up again. It is a long old summer and he will have that mapped out but is keen and ready to go.”

Campbell believes Stokes was lucky to avoid further damage given the nature of the grisly injury.

“It was so, so much worse than you’d think. The ball was hit so hard, we are just lucky he got away with it,” he said. “The initial whack was bad. If it hits him in the eye, it could have been horrific.

“His cheekbone worked the way it is supposed to: it caved in and looked after the rest of him. It is a bit scary but a reminder to all of us to keep our eye on the ball.”

Published in Dawn, March 29th, 2026

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