LAHORE: Steve Smith stroked his maiden Pakistan Super League half-century as Multan Sultans annihilated Quetta Gladiators by six wickets at the Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday. The win enabled Sultans to join Karachi Kings on six points, though with one more match played, while Gladiators stayed sixth with two points from four matches.

Smith scored 53 off 35 balls with seven fours and a six as the 2021 champions achieved the 167-run target with 15 balls to spare. Smith fell to a stunning sequence involving Rilee Rossouw, who sprinted from deep square leg to toss the ball to substitute fielder Saqib Khan at deep midwicket before losing his balance over the ropes.

When Smith departed, Sultans needed 19 runs from 33 balls. Pakistan Test captain Shan Masood finished the job, returning unbeaten on 46 off 30 balls with two fours and two sixes — a timely reminder to the selectors of his value in the middle-order in white-ball cricket.

After the Gladiators limped to 166 for seven, Sahibzada Farhan (32, 14b, 4×4, 2×6) and Smith gave the Sultans a blazing start of 71 off 31 balls that virtually sealed the outcome of the match. Smith then added 25 for the second wicket with Josh Philippe (18) before Shan joined him for a 40-run third-wicket stand off 33 balls.

Pakistan’s T20I spin pair of Abrar Ahmed and Usman Tariq endured another disappointing outing. Abrar conceded 46 runs from four overs and Usman went for 25 from his four, with both remaining wicketless.

Earlier, Gladiators’ 166 for seven revolved around Saud Shakeel’s 41-ball 56 with six fours and a six, and an unbeaten 49 off 31 balls with four fours and three sixes from Bevon Jacobs. Ahmed Daniyal’s breezy 22 off nine balls with two fours and a six — before he retired hurt with a hamstring injury — also helped the 2019 champions to their final total.

Daniyal and Jacobs put on 42 for the eighth wicket off 18 balls. The highest stand of the innings, however, was the third-wicket partnership of 55 off 42 balls between Saud Shakeel and Hasan Nawaz (20). Saud also added 47 for the sixth wicket off 38 balls with Jacobs.

For Sultans, Mohammad Nawaz was the most successful bowler with three for 30, while Arafat Minhas stood out with an impressive 4-0-14-2.

Scores in brief:

Match 13 – Multan Sultans beat Quetta Gladiators by six wickets

QUETTA GLADIATORS 166-7, 20 overs (Saud Shakeel 56, Bevon Jacobs 49 not out, Ahmed Daniyal 22 retired hurt, Hasan Nawaz 20, Khawaja Nafay 12; Mohammad Nawaz 3-30, Arafat Minhas 2-14)

MULTAN SULTANS 167-4, 17.3 overs (Steve Smith 53, Shan Masood 46 not out, Sahibzada Farhan 32, Josh Philippe 18; Hasan Nawaz 2-17)

PLAYER OF THE MATCH – Mohammad Nawaz (Multan Sultans)

MONDAY’S FIXTURES: Multan Sultans v Rawalpindiz (7pm), Lahore.