Multan Sultans crush Islamabad United to secure PSL playoff berth

James Vince smashed 61, including five fours from a single over, to secure a nine-wicket success in a match reduced to nine overs a side due to rain

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Multan Sultans are into the Pakistan Super League playoffs for the first time after James Vince starred in a comfortable win over Islamabad United in Rawalpindi.

In a match reduced to nine overs a side due to rain, two-time winners Islamabad stumbled to 91 for 7 from their full allocation.

Colin Munro top-scored with 25, an innings which included hitting Shahid Afridi for three successive sixes in the fourth over.

Imran Tahir (2-13) and Junaid Khan (2-17) helped stem the flow on a pitch which has been good for batting throughout the competition.

Unsurprisingly, the target proved to be well below par as Sultans completed their fifth win of the group stage, taking them into unchartered territory in the competition.

Vince was the star of the show, scoring 61 from a mere 24 deliveries at a strike-rate of 254.16. He brought up his half-century in just 20 balls - the fastest by an Englishman in PSL history.

The highlight of the knock was the five straight fours he dispatched Akif Javed for in the second over. The 21 he eventually managed was the most in his entire T20 career.

✅ Five fours in five balls
✅ A 20-ball half-century

All in a day's work for James Vince...#PSL2020pic.twitter.com/5aEzXAfC5C

— The Cricketer (@TheCricketerMag) March 8, 2020

Moeen Ali came in for a brief cameo with his third four securing the nine-wicket success which came with 14 balls still remaining.

The wins takes Sultans onto 11 points, meaning they can finish no lower than fourth in the PSL group table.

Victory in any of their final three matches against Quetta Gladiators, Peshawar Zalmi or Lahore Qalandars will likely secure them a top-two finish and a place in the Qualifier on March 17 in Karachi.

The winner of that clash will progress directly to the PSL final in Lahore on March 22.

Sultans have never previously reached the sharp end of the tournament, finished fifth in the group on both of their outings in 2018 and 2019.