Lynn stars as Qalandars down Sultans to qualify for PSL 5 semis

An unbeaten century from Lahore Qalandars’ opener Chris Lynn propelled his side to the knockout stage of Habib Bank Limited (HBL) Pakistan Super League (PSL) for the first time in their history.

Chasing a target of 187 runs, Qalandars reached the target in 18.5 overs with Lynn scoring 113 runs off 55 balls with the help of 12 fours and eight sixes. He also bagged the award for player of the match for his brilliant innings.

Lynn’s fellow opener Zaman also provided able support by scoring 57 runs off 35 balls. His innings included seven fours and two sixes. The duo notched up a 100-run stand for the first wicket to give their side a perfect platform while chasing the target.

"It's great to get triple figures. I love playing in the day, but it was important to get to the semi-finals after five years of trying. It was difficult (playing in an empty stadium) but you have to create your own energy when fielding. We got some momentum with the bat, and just kept it going,” said Lynn during the post-match presentation ceremony.  

“Obviously, I love opening. Some days it comes off, other days it doesn't. I have played quite a bit in the subcontinent. Quite a bit in the IPL, but first time in Pakistan. My team-mates are awesome. They have given me a lot of support, and getting some wins under the belt is good," he added.  

Batting first, Multan posted 186/6 in their allotted 20 overs after being asked to bat first by Lahore.

Multan lost two wickets, Moeen Ali and Zeeshan Ashraf, with just four runs on the board but recovered well courtesy a 75-run partnership between captain Shan Masood (42 runs) and Ravi Bopara (33 runs).

Despite the duo departing in quick succession, middle-order batsman Khushdil Shah took the attack to the opposition bowlers and smacked a fantastic unbeaten knock of 70 runs from only 29 balls. His innings included five fours and six maximums.    

For Qalandars, pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi and all-rounder David Wiese claimed two wickets each.   

Speaking about his side’s defeat and the changes made, Shan Masood said: "We had to look out for the senior players in the squad. If we make the final, that will be the fourth game in three days. Rohail played a good innings, and we have some backups for the big games now. One way of looking at it is that we got that one loss out of the way. We have assesed the conditions, because we will play the day game (in the semi-finals). Our partnership was good, and getting to 180+ was a good effort. Hopefully, we can give Peshawar a tough time."