Labuschagne leads Hyderabad Kingsmen to PSL eliminator victory over Smith's Multan Sultans

Key facts

• Hyderabad Kingsmen beat Multan Sultans by eight wickets in the PSL eliminator at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.
• Marnus Labuschagne scored 11 before being dismissed by a catch from Sahibzada Farhan.
• Steve Smith made 13 off 10 balls for Multan, caught off a quicker delivery from Mohammad Ali.
• Usman Khan (64) and Maaz Sadaqat (64 not out) shared a century second-wicket stand for Hyderabad.
• Hyderabad reached 2-162 with 28 balls remaining, chasing Multan's 9-159.
• Multan's three key Australian batters—Smith, Josh Philippe (6), and Ashton Turner (9)—were out with 51 on the board.
• Shan Masood top-scored for Multan with 69 not out.
• Glenn Maxwell took 1-28 off three overs for Hyderabad and did not bat.

Emotional win for Kingsmen after horror start

Marnus Labuschagne and Glenn Maxwell are celebrating a triumph over a posse of their Australian international teammates as they homed in on potential glory in the Pakistan Super League. Neither of the two veterans had vintage days for Hyderabad Kingsmen in their eliminator clash on Wednesday against an Ashton Turner-captained Multan Sultans team featuring Steve Smith, Peter Siddle and Josh Philippe. But Labuschagne, captain of a Kingsmen outfit who'd suffered a horror start to the tournament, was left celebrating an emotional win as his side moved one match from Sunday's final after dominating for an eight-wicket triumph at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium. "It's really hard to put into words what it means for the franchise; it is really special," beamed Labuschagne, who's been praised for his leadership while notching a couple of key half-centuries during the competition.

Labuschagne wins toss, sends old pal Smith in to bat

It was an anti-climactic end for Multan, dubbed the PSL's "Aussie team", as they were run through by a Hyderabad side always in command once Labuschagne won the toss and asked old pal Smith to take to the crease. Smith had been finding rich form, scoring 56, 106 and 30 in his last three innings, but he lost out on his early absorbing heavyweight clash with veteran Test paceman Mohammad Ali. He hit Ali for a couple of fours, but was dropped third ball at third man and then got caught from a quicker one three balls later that looped up off the splice, departing for 13 off 10 balls. It was a calamity for the Sultans, with wicketkeeper Philippe falling lbw for six and Turner caught for nine when trying to hit them out of trouble.

Masood's defiance gives Sultans a defendable target

So their three key Aussie batters were gone with only 51 on the board, and it needed a late show of defiance from Shan Masood (69no) to give them a defendable target. Multan finished on 9-159, a total that proved insufficient against Hyderabad's chase. "We lost a little bit of momentum over the last couple of games and we've unfortunately ended our campaign with some of our worst cricket," sighed Turner. Maxwell (1-28 off three overs) chipped in with a useful wicket and didn't even need to bat as the Kingsmen eased to victory.

Century stand seals victory for Hyderabad

Labuschagne was dismissed by a dazzling catch at point by Sahibzada Farhan for just 11 as Hyderabad pursued Multan's sub-par 9-159, but a century second-wicket stand between Usman Khan (64) and opener Maaz Sadaqat (64no) ensured no alarms as they eased to victory on 2-162 with 28 balls remaining. Smith got clouted for two straight sixes near the end of the rout before grabbing the consolation wicket of Usman. The win keeps Hyderabad's hopes alive as they move one match from Sunday's final. Labuschagne praised his team's resilience after losing their first four games. "I am so proud of the guys from where we were – not winning a game over the first four games and then finding our feet in the back half of the tournament," he said.

PSL knockout features six top Australians

The eliminator clash featured six Australian players: Labuschagne, Maxwell, Smith, Turner, Siddle, and Philippe. The match was billed as a showdown between compatriots, with Multan particularly reliant on its Australian contingent. However, only Maxwell contributed with the ball, while Smith, Philippe, and Turner all failed with the bat. The result underscores the depth of Australian talent in the PSL, but also the unpredictability of knockout cricket. Hyderabad, after a disastrous start, have now won consecutive matches to reach the brink of the final.

Outlook: Hyderabad one win away from final

Hyderabad Kingsmen now face a must-win match to reach Sunday's final. Labuschagne's leadership has been credited for the turnaround, though his personal form with the bat has been modest in the eliminator. The team will rely on the in-form Usman Khan and Maaz Sadaqat, who anchored the chase. For Multan, the defeat ends a campaign that promised much but faltered at the crucial stage. Turner acknowledged the team's poor cricket at the end. The PSL final is set for Sunday, with Hyderabad needing one more victory to claim a spot.

The bottom line

• Marnus Labuschagne's Hyderabad Kingsmen defeated Steve Smith's Multan Sultans by eight wickets in the PSL eliminator.
• Hyderabad recovered from a 0-4 start to the tournament to reach one match from the final.
• Multan's Australian trio of Smith, Philippe, and Turner failed, scoring a combined 28 runs.
• Usman Khan and Maaz Sadaqat shared an unbeaten 100-run partnership to guide Hyderabad home.
• Shan Masood's 69 not out was the only significant contribution for Multan.
• The PSL final is scheduled for Sunday; Hyderabad must win one more match to participate.