Left-hand batsman Rilee Rossouw hit the fastest-ever Pakistan Super League century as the Multan Sultans registered a convincing 30-run win over Quetta Gladiators on Saturday to go top of the table with eight points from four wins.
Rossouw’s unbeaten 100 off 44 balls, which included 10 fours and six sixes, helped Multan post a strong total of 199-5. Captain Shan Masood (46) shared a 139-run fourth-wicket stand with Rossouw.
Shane Watson (80 off 41 deliveries) kept Quetta in the hunt with his first fifty in this year’s PSL but once he was dismissed in the 16th over, Quetta’s chase faltered with the team eventually finishing on 169-7.
Moeen Ali, who dropped Watson on 69 off Imran Tahir, made amends in the leg-spinner’s next over by taking a clean catch at long off.
“That was just one of a kind (innings), if anyone could have done it, it was Rilee Rossouw,” Masood said after his team secured their third home victory of the season to extend a perfect record in Multan.
“He (Rossouw) just teed off… made the job easy,” the captain added.
Seamer Bilawal Bhatti, playing his first game for Multan after replacing Shahid Afridi, took 3-26 while the experienced Tahir took 2-27.
Bad weather in Rawalpindi saw Quetta’s scheduled flight to Multan on Friday evening getting cancelled and organisers had to fly out the title holders to the city on an Air Force plane just hours before the game started at Multan Cricket Stadium on Saturday.
Quetta didn’t look particularly tired as their fast bowlers restricted Multan to 48-3 in the eighth over before Rossouw opened his shoulders.
Rossouw completed his century in the last over off 43 balls and bettered Islamabad United batsman Cameron Delport’s previous record of a 49-ball hundred in the PSL, made against Lahore Qalandars in Karachi last year.
Quetta, with three wins and two defeats, have six points and are in second place in the six-team Twenty20 tournament.
