Abu Dhabi: Nicholas Pooran’s power-packed innings of 89 off just 26 balls with 12 sixes and three boundaries helped Northern Warriors post the second-highest score of 162 for 4 in the Abu Dhabi T10 to outplay Bangla Tigers. It was a shower of sixes from Pooran in the 11th match of the Alubond Abu Dhabi T10 at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium. At one stage it looked like Pooran was giving a lesson on power-hitting.
Bangla Tigers chased bravely through their skipper Andre Fletcher who hit 53 runs off 28 balls with four boundaries and four sixes. He was well backed by UAE’s Chirag Suri who hit an unbeaten 42 off 16 balls with five sixes, but they fell short of the target by 30 runs.
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Qais Ahmed, who bowled the fourth over, was hit for 23 runs. It included Pooran’s three sixes and one boundary. Though Simmons hit Karim Janat for a six, only 13 runs came off that over. The sixth over saw Pooran in full flow hitting Mohammad Irfan for three successive sixes. Pooran raced to his half-century in the seventh over off 17 balls.
When Garton was re-introduced in the eighth over, Pooran hit him for four successive sixes and two boundaries to take 32 runs off that over. Karim Janat removed Lendl Simmons by having him caught at long-off for 41. He also ended Pooran’s knock by having him caught by Andre Fletcher at extra cover off the next ball. That over yielded just five runs. In the last over from Qais Ahmed, Rovman Powell hit a boundary and a six to remain unbeaten on 13.
Wayne Parnell, who took a hat-trick in his last match, bowled the sixth over and gave away just seven runs. Suri lifted Allen for two consecutive sixes off the first and second deliveries of the eighth over. He also lifted the fourth delivery for another six to take 31 runs off that over.
Emrit was introduced again to bowl the ninth over. Fletcher lifted Emrit over long-on and reached his half-century in 22 balls. Bangla Tiger went past the 100 run mark through Suri’s elegant six over the point off Emrit. With 49 runs needed off the last six balls, Junaid Siddiqui trapped Fletcher leg before for 33 to end their chase. Suri remained unconquered with a quick 42.
Brief scores: Northern Warriors 162 for 4 in 10 overs (Lendl Simmons 41, Nicholas Pooran 89, Karim Janat 2 for 18) beat Bangla Tigers 132 for 3 in 10 overs (Andre Fletcher 53, Chirag Suri 42n.o) by 30 runs.
In the other match between Abu Dhabi and Pune Devils : Team Abu Dhabi’s Jamie Overton cracked a quick unbeaten 38 runs off just 11 balls studded with four boundaries and three sixes to snatch the match away from Pune Devils in the tenth match of the Alubond Abu Dhabi T10 at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium on January 31.
Overton, accelerated the run chase when it was most needed and helped Team Abu Dhabi record their first victory of the season with nine balls to spare. Pune looked like sailing towards another victory after their opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore had hit an unbeaten 61 off 25 balls with five boundaries and five sixes and had helped their team post an impressive 129 for 4 in the ten overs.
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Mustafa was introduced again for the sixth over and Walton greeted him through a six over cover point. With the fourth ball, Mustafa had Walton caught by Chirs Gayle at short fine leg for 23. Next man Alex Davies picked a boundary off Mustafa by edging to third man. McCoy produced another good over in the seventh over giving away just six runs and also dismissing Davies, caught behind, for 9.
Chasing the target, Chris Gayle and Paul Stirling, two of the hardest hitters in the game, walked in. Mohammad Amir bowled a tight first over giving away just four runs. The second over from Munis Ansari saw Gayle hit an elegantly flicked six over mid-wicket. Stirling would have fell at his score on six had Karan at deep mid-wicket not dropped him off Ansari. However, luck did not favour him again as Hardus Viljoen had him caught behind for 23 in the third over. Next man Joe Clarke began by hitting Viljoen for two successive boundaries.
Karan picked the prize wicket of Gayle in the fourth over, forcing him to play on to his wicket, for 9. UAE left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza clean bowled Wright, who went for a slog sweep, for 6 with the third ball of the fight over. Clarke continued his big hitting by taking two boundaries off the last balls from Raza.
Team Abu Dhabi needed another 59 runs from the last five overs. Ben Duckett accelerated the run flow by hitting skipper Nasir Hossain’s first three deliveries for a boundary and two sixes to pick 19 runs off the over. Overton along with Zadran began to attack. Overton hit Amir for two boundaries in the eight over to pick 15 runs. Abu Dhabi needed 13 runs from the last two overs. Overton smashed Ansari’s first delivery of the ninth over for a straight six to ensure the victory.
Brief scores: Team Abu Dhabi 131 for 5 in 8.3 overs (Paul Stirling 23, Joe Clarke 29, Ben Duckett 20, Jamie Overton 38n.o, Hardus Viljoen 3 for 36) beat Pune Devils 129 for 4 in 10 overs (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 61n.o, Chadwick Walton 23, Devon Thomas 21, Obed McCoy 2 for 9) by five wickets.
Qalandars vs Deccan Gladiators : A brilliant captain’s knock from Sohail Akhtar and a fine display of tight bowling helped Qalandars inflict a 33-run defeat on Deccan Gladiator in the 12th match of the Alubond Abu Dhabi T10 at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Akhtar cracked 71, and that came off 31 balls with five sixes and six boundaries. He was well supported by opener Tom Banton with 36 runs off 20 balls that included five boundaries and a six. Together they helped Qalandars posted a challenging total of 118 for 3 in 10 overs.
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Gladiators introduced UAE’s Zahoor Khan, the hero of their last match win over Team Abu Dhabi on the third day, to bowl the fifth over. He gave away 10 runs in his over. At the halfway mark, Qalandars were 54 for 1, needing some big hits.
Sohail Akthar managed only a six off Narine in the sixth over. In the seventh over bowled by Imran Tahir, Banton hit a six and managed 13 runs. Zahoor, who was introduced for the eighth over, trapped Banton leg before for 36. Akhtar reached his half-century in 23 balls hitting Anwar Ali for a six to long-off. He also hit the next ball for a six over mid-wicket to steer his team past the 100 run mark. Akhtar punished Rampaul by hitting the first two balls of the last over for boundaries. Rampaul dismissed Asif Ali, brilliantly caught by a diving Sharafuddin Ashraf at fine leg for 2 in the same over.
Chasing a run rate of 11.80, opener Mohammad Shahzad picked two boundaries off Sultan Ahmed’s first over. Cameron Delport too got two boundaries off Sohail Tanvir. Shahid Afridi was introduced for the third over and Shehzad hit him powerfully to the long-off boundary. The battle for runs continued as Shehzad glided Ahmed Daniyal for a six over third man.
When Sultan Ahmed had Azam Khan stumped for a duck and also clean bowled Kieron Pollard for 3, the match tilted in Qalandar’s favour. Sunil Narine too quickly followed hitting Chris Jordan to Asif Ali at deep cover for a duck. With half the side back in the dug-out for 52, Qalandars went for the kill and sailed to an easy victory.
Brief scores: Qalandars 118 for 3 in 10 overs (Sohail Akhtar 71n.o, Tom Banton 36) beat Deccan Gladiators 85 for 8 in 10 overs (Mohammad Shehzad 27, Sultan Ahmed 2 for 14, Chris Jordan 3 for 8) by 33 runs.
