'Lynnsanity' returns as Chris Lynn makes 'brutal' cricket history
Chris Lynn has smashed a 52-ball century to propel Lahore Qalandars to their first Pakistan Super League semi-finals appearance, while defending champions Quetta Gladiators exited the Twenty20 tournament despite beating Karachi Kings.
Lahore, who thumped the table-topping Multan Sultans by nine wickets in an empty Gaddafi Stadium on Sunday, face Karachi in the last four. Multan will meet 2017 champions Peshawar Zalmi in the other semi-final.
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Lahore will host both semi-finals on Tuesday, and also the final on Wednesday, without fans present due to the coronavirus pandemic.
In reaching his century, Lynn smashed eight sixes and a dozen boundaries against a second-string Multan bowling attack.
He finished unbeaten on a career-best 113 off 55 balls as Lahore breezed to 1-191 in 18.5 overs in reply to Multan's total of 6-186.
“It's great to get triple figures ... it was important to get to that semi-final after five years of trying,” Lynn said.
“It was difficult (playing in an empty stadium) but you have to create your own energy when fielding.”
Chris Lynn scored his maiden century in the tournament and stormed Lahore Qalandars to an emphatic victory against Multan Sultans 💥💥💥#HBLPSLV #TayyarHain #CricketForAll #PEL #changeyourlife #LahoreQalandars_vs_MultanSultans pic.twitter.com/QgfZVbtKcq
— ICC (@Subhodeepindia1) March 15, 2020
Lynn helps Lahore make history
Lahore finished in third place with 10 points, a point behind Karachi. Lahore won three of their last four matches by chasing down targets of 180-plus in a remarkable turnaround of form after losing three in a row at the start of the tournament.
Lahore had finished last in all four previous editions of the PSL since 2016.
Shaheen Afridi (2-23) and David Wiese (2-24) shared four wickets between them, but Khushdil cut loose in the last five overs against fast bowlers Haris Rauf, who conceded 50 runs in his three overs, and Dilbar Hussain (0-37).
Lynn and Fakhar Zaman (57) blazed a 100-run opening stand off only 54 balls after Multan rested four frontline bowlers - Mohammad Irfan, Sohail Tanvir, Shahid Afridi and Imran Tahir - ahead of their match.
Usman Qadir, son of the late Pakistan legspinner great Abdul Qadir, had Fakhar stumped in the ninth over.
But Lynn continued to hit out with ease and won by smashing two successive sixes against fast bowler Ali Shafiq, who ended up with 0-40 off his 2.5 overs.
It was just the second defeat in the tournament for Multan, who ended the league stage on top with 14 points.
What a 100 by Lynn!!
— zainab abbas (@ZAbbasOfficial) March 15, 2020
Chris Lynn has become only the 2nd batsman to score a hundred for Lahore Qalandars (after Sohail Akhtar in Abu Dhabi T20 Cup) and the first Qalandar to do it in the Pakistan Super League.#LQvMS #PSLV2020
— Israr Ahmed Hashmi (@IamIsrarHashmi) March 15, 2020
lolllll brutal stuff from Lynn Lohaar.
— Ahmed (@azkhawaja1) March 15, 2020
In Karachi, Shane Watson (66) scored his only second half-century in this season's PSL as Quetta beat the hosts by five wickets after reaching 5-154 in 16.2 overs.
Khurram Manzoor, playing his first game for Quetta, scored an aggressive 63 and shared a 118-run stand for the second wicket with the Australian after Ahmed Shehzad again failed with the bat and was out for a duck in the first over.
Earlier, Cameron Delport made 62 off 44 before Karachi were restricted to 5-150 as young paceman Naseem Shah returned from an ankle injury and took 2-17 off his four overs.
