Table-topping Multan Sultans rounded off their home leg of the PSL by handing Quetta Gladiators a first defeat on Sunday.

Half-centuries by Reeza Hendricks and captain Mohammad Rizwan provided Sultans with a strong total of 180 for 4 with Tayyab Tahir also contributing 35 off 22 balls in his first game of the season after Dawid Malan fell ill.

Gladiators failed to capitalise on good starts and were restricted to 167 for 9 as fast bowlers Mohammad Ali and David Willey picked up three wickets each to lead Sultans to a 13-run win.

Ali, who thrived with both the new and old ball, is now the leading wicket-taker in the tournament with 13.

Sultans’ four wins in five home games gave them eight points while Gladiators, who won three successive games before Sunday’s loss, are second with six. Sultans’ only defeat this season came at the hands of Peshawar Zalmi.

“You can’t get satisfied because it will be a different challenge when we play our five away games,” Rizwan said.

Ali hit the top of Jason Roy’s off stump in his second over as the Englishman exposed his stumps while attempting a big shot. Willey also struck inside the powerplay when he had Saud Shakeel caught at long-on before captain Rilee Rossouw and Khawaja Nafay steered Gladiators back into the game.

Rossouw fell to a brilliant low catch by Khushdil Shah in the covers that ended a threatening 62-run stand and Ali had Nafay caught off a slower ball in his return spell as Gladiators’ chase got derailed after they slipped to 124 for 5 in the 15th over.

Willey plucked a brilliant skier off his own bowling to dismiss Sherfane Rutherford and Ali capped another impressive day by having Mohammad Amir clean bowled off a full-pitched delivery.

Earlier, after being sent in to bat, Hendricks featured in two solid partnerships and scored his third half-century of the season in five games.
Hendricks added 79 runs with Rizwan for the second wicket and a further 77 with Tahir by counterattacking pacers Amir and Mohammad Wasim in the death overs.

Rizwan was dismissed soon after completing his half-century when he holed out at deep midwicket. Hendricks’ robust 47-ball knock, which featured four sixes and seven fours, ended in the last over when he was caught in the deep while going for a big shot against Amir.