Somerset all-rounder stars as James Vince’s Multan Sultans are beaten in opening Pakistan Super League encounter

Vince and his Multan Sultans colleagues looked on course for victory when Islamabad United slipped to 117-7 chasing 151 for victory.

But Gregory dominated an unbroken stand of 35 for the eighth wicket with Zafar Goha, who scored just three, as Islamabad won with six balls to spare.

Gregory, batting at No 7, struck six fours and a six in his 31-ball unbeaten 49.

Carlos Braithwaite (2-23) and ex-Hampshire all-rounder Shahid Afridi (2-24) – the latter playing his 323rd T20 game just a week before his 41st birthday - had put Islamabad in big trouble after English openers Alex Hales (29) and Phil Salt (13) had fallen inside the opening seven overs.

Opener Mohammed Rizwan (71 off 53 balls) had earlier dominated Multan’s 150-8 total in the National Stadium in Karachi.

Vince, batting at No 3 and fresh from a man of the match display in the Australian Big Bash final, scored just 16 while another of his former Ageas Bowl colleagues, Rilee Rossouw, was second top scorer with 25.

Ex-Gosport Borough batsman Chris Lynn, the Multan skipper, opened with Rizwan and made just a single.

Pace bowler Shaheen Shah Afridi - who played for Hampshire in last year’s T20 Blast - was man of the match as Lahore Qalanders defeated Peshawar in their opening game today.

He bagged 3-14 off his four over stint, including a rare maiden, as Peshawar were restricted to 140-6 - ex-England international Ravi Bopara top scoring with 50.

Lahore went on to win by four wickets.