Labuschagne's Hyderabad Kingsmen Overwhelm Smith's Multan Sultans in PSL Eliminator

Key facts

• Hyderabad Kingsmen beat Multan Sultans by 8 wickets in the PSL eliminator at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.
• Multan Sultans, dubbed the 'Aussie team', were bowled out for 159 after being asked to bat first.
• Steve Smith, Ashton Turner, Peter Siddle, and Josh Philippe were among the Australian internationals in the Multan lineup.
• Usman Khan scored 64 and Maaz Sadaqat remained 64 not out, sharing a century second-wicket stand.
• Labuschagne was dismissed for 11 by a catch from Sahibzada Farhan.
• Glenn Maxwell took 1-28 off three overs for Hyderabad.
• Hyderabad chased down the target with 28 balls to spare, finishing at 2-162.
• Hyderabad will face Islamabad United in the second eliminator; the winner plays Peshawar Zalmi in the final.

A Dramatic Turnaround for the Kingsmen

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. Labuschagne, captain of a Hyderabad Kingsmen outfit that 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 has been praised for his leadership while notching a couple of key half-centuries during the competition. “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.”

The Clash of Australian Teammates

The eliminator pitted Labuschagne's Hyderabad against an Ashton Turner-captained Multan Sultans team featuring Steve Smith, Peter Siddle and Josh Philippe — a veritable Australian contingent. Neither of the two veterans had vintage days for Hyderabad Kingsmen in their eliminator clash on Wednesday. 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.

Multan's Collapse and Hyderabad's Chase

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 (69 not out) to give them a defendable target. 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. 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 (64 not out) ensured no alarms as they eased to victory on 2-162 with 28 balls remaining. 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, with Smith getting clouted for two straight sixes near the end of the rout before grabbing the consolation wicket of Usman.

What Lies Ahead for the Kingsmen

Labuschagne’s team will now meet Islamabad United, featuring Chris Green, in Friday’s second eliminator, with the winners going to the final in Lahore on Sunday against Peshawar Zalmi, who boast another Australian allrounder Aaron Hardie. The path to the title remains steep, but the Kingsmen have momentum after their dominant performance. “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, reflecting on Multan's exit. For Hyderabad, the dream of lifting the PSL trophy remains alive, driven by a captain who has turned around a winless start into a shot at glory.

The bottom line

• Hyderabad Kingsmen, after losing their first four games, have won their way to the second eliminator of the PSL.
• Marnus Labuschagne's leadership and key half-centuries have been central to the team's turnaround.
• Multan Sultans, despite featuring several Australian internationals, failed to capitalize on their batting depth.
• Usman Khan and Maaz Sadaqat's unbroken century stand sealed the chase for Hyderabad.
• The winner of Friday's eliminator between Hyderabad and Islamabad United will face Peshawar Zalmi in the final.