Sheldon Cottrell claimed three wickets, and Mohammad Abbas Afridi returned exceptional figures of 1 for 5 from 2.3 overs, as Lahore crumbled for just 76 in pursuit of 161 for a place in the last two
Lahore: Multan Sultans 160-5, Lahore Qalandars 76 - Multan Sultans won by 84 runs
Lahore Qalandars fell apart at the seams with the bat as Multan Sultans reached the Pakistan Super League final in style.
The Qalandars, who finished top of the league stage of the PSL and have enjoyed the upper hand over Multan for much of the past two seasons, wilted in the face of a modest chase at the Gaddafi Stadium.
Sheldon Cottrell claimed three wickets, and Mohammad Abbas Afridi returned exceptional figures of 1 for 5 from 2.3 overs, as Lahore crumbled for just 76 in pursuit of 161 for a place in the last two.
Sheldon Cottrell celebrates a wicket during Multan Sultans' clash with Lahore Qalandars [Arif Ali/AFP via Getty Images]
Rashid Khan of Lahore Qalandars celebrates the wicket of Mohammad Rizwan of Multan Sultans [Arif Ali/AFP via Getty Images]
The defeat means Qalandars will go into the last-chance saloon shootout against either Islamabad United or Peshawar Zalmi on Friday.
It is not just the loss itself, but its nature that will bother Lahore. They were disciplined with the ball, with Rashid Khan leading the way with 1 for 18 from four overs, to restrict a power-packed Multan lineup in the first innings.
Mohammad Rizwan, Usman Khan and Tim David all got starts without going on to post match-changing scores, and only Kieron Pollard (57 off 34 deliveries) got away from the Qalandars bowling attack.
Haris Rauf reached speeds of 97mph during a fiery shift, and claimed the wickets of Pollard - who earlier hit Shaheen Shah Afridi for three sixes in one over, Khan and Khushdil Shah, and at the halfway point the match was finely balanced.
Kieron Pollard of Multan Sultans is dismissed during a clash with Lahore Qalandars [Arif Ali/AFP via Getty Images]
Lahore Qalandars celebrate a wicket during the PSL 2023 Qualifier against Multan Sultans [Arif Ali/AFP via Getty Images]
But it all went wrong in the chase for Lahore. Of the top seven, only one batsman - Sam Billings - reached double figures. Billings top-scored across the innings with 19, as Cottrell ripped through the top order.
The West Indies international returned figures of 3 for 20 from his three overs, and whichever bowler Rizwan threw the ball to found similar success, as Anwar Ali (1-13 in three overs), Ihsanullah (1-18 in three), Pollard (1-3 in one), and Usama Mir (2-12 in two) all contributed.
The Qalandars will need to quickly brush off the effects of such a thrashing. Multan have four days to prepare to reclaim the title they won in 2021.
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