Sport | Cricket
Abu Dhabi Chairman's XI win cliffhanger
It was a typically entertaining Twenty20 encounter that ended on a thrilling note as the Abu Dhabi Cricket Club's Chairman's XI eked out a 4-run win over Lashings World XI at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium here on Monday night.
- By M. Satya Narayan, Senior Reporter
- Published: 00:05 February 27, 2008
- Lashings World XI's Dinesh Mongia in action during the Twenty20 match against Abu Dhabi Cricket Club Chairman's XI at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Monday. Mongia remained unbeaten on a sparkling 79.
- Image Credit: Ahmed Kutty/Gulf News
Abu Dhabi: It was a typically entertaining Twenty20 encounter that ended on a thrilling note as the Abu Dhabi Cricket Club's Chairman's XI eked out a 4-run win over Lashings World XI at the Zayed International Cricket Stadium here on Monday night.
Few hundreds who attended the day-night match, the first Twenty20 international here in Abu Dhabi, were treated to a fine exhibition of class and powerplay, with the local stars managing to pull off a great win in the final over.
Former Indian star Dinesh Mongia marked his Lashings debut with a hurricane knock of 79 off just 38 balls which almost helped the club side, packed with former internationals, snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
The Chairman's XI scored 171 for 8 and with Mongia in a murderous mood, Lashings came close, but skipper Saqib Ali brought himself on and picked up 2 wickets off 2 balls that denied the visitors a win.
Mongia belted three fours and three sixes in one Khurram Khan over. He was facing Saqib with 16 required off the last 6 balls.
West Indian Jimmy Adams, who had put on 66 runs in a Mongia-dominated stand, was at the other end. But Mongia could only manage a single and Adams and Adam Holioake were bowled off successive balls to tilt the balance.
Phil Defreitas failed to score off the next ball, before blasting a six and a four off the final two balls. But Lashings were by then a beaten side.
Earlier, Lashings won the toss and put the home team in with Chris Silverwood generating some lively pace. Despite losing some early wickets, Amjad Javed and Alawi Shukri scored 24 (13 balls) and 31 (23 balls), respectively, which lifted the Chairman's XI.
Saqib chipped in with a neat 22, while the 9th-wicket unbeaten stand of 27 between Khurram (7) and Arshad Ali (17 off 8 balls with a six and a four) proved crucial.
For Lashings, Silverwood picked up 3 wickets and Ed Giddins claimed 2, while Chris Cairns gave away 21 off his 4 overs.
After former Sri Lankan skipper Marvan Atapattu (0) and Grant Flower (5) fell cheaply to Fahad Al Hashimi, it was up to the two Lashings debutants, Grame Hick and Mongia, to save the pride of the former legends.
Hick, who still looks supremely fit, hit 9 fours, including 4 in an over, before falling for 43 to Arshad Ali. Cairns and Rashid Latif also fell immediately and after that, Mongia and Adams tried to pull it off.
While Hicks's shots had class written all over them, Mongia unleashed a brand that has made the Twenty20 so popular. Six sixes and five fours saw Mongia win the Man-of-the-Match award, though the Chairman's XI had the last laugh.
"This is my first ever match for Lashings and hope it is the first of many," said Mongia.
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