Abu Dhabi T10: Chirag Suri wins a personal battle against UAE skipper Ahmed Raza

Dubai: The Bangla Tigers are underlining their credentials as the dark horses when they hammered Pune Devils by eight wickets in the first of their Super League game of the Abu Dhabi T10 League on Monday.

Andre Fletcher, the Tigers captain, attributed to their win to a ‘‘total team effort’’ as they overhauled a target of 116 with seven deliveries to spare at Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. The West Indian, who along with his compatriot Jonathon Charles had been turning out to be a handful at the top of the order for their side, started off on a brisk note though the former fell for 14.

Chirag Suri, the UAE opener who came in at number three, took on the bowlers and won a little personal battle against his national team skipper Ahmed Raza - a veteran left-arm spinner - with some improvisations which came in for much praise later. ‘‘Suri knows what he can do. He has so many different shots,’’ his captain Fletcher said as the UAE batsman was unbeaten on 30 (15 balls, two fours and two sixes). Peter Moores, the Man of the Match, scored a fiery unbeaten 38 off 12 deliveries, which included one boundary and four sixes.

Raza was introduced into the attack for the fifth over. His vice-captain Suri hit him for two consecutive boundaries and a six over long on. Bangla Tigers, who were 51 for one - needed another 64 runs. Fletcher accelerated the run rate by hitting Karan for two consecutive sixes and a boundary but got run out off a direct hit from Kennar Lewis at the batsman’s end for 30.

Raza tightened the run flow giving away just seven runs in his seventh over. Tom Moores, however, made up for it in the eighth over hitting Monir Hossain for three successive sixes and get 23 runs off that over. This tilted the match in Bangla Tigers way as they needed only 16 runs from the last two overs. Moores hit Viljoen for a boundary and a six while Suri helped his team reach the target by pulling Viljoen for a six.

‘‘Some of the shots I played were just intuitive ones,’’ remarked Suri, who looked in good touch in a few cameos earlier in the tournament.

Earlier, Tom Kohler-Cadmore of Pune Devils continued with his good form with an elegant 48 off 25 balls (one four and four sixes) while Alex Davies chipped in with an unbeaten 41 to help their team reach a challenging 115 for three.

Cadmore, who hit an unbeaten 61 in his last match against Team Abu Dhabi, began by hitting Mujeeb Ur Reman’s third delivery of the first over for a boundary through the off-side and then lifted the next one for a six over long-off.

Brief Scores: Bangla Tigers beat Pune Devils by eight wickets. Pune Devils 115 for 3 in 10 overs (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 48 Alex Davies 41 not out) Bangla Tigers 119 for 2 in 8.5 overs (Andre Fletcher 30, Chirag Suri 30 not out, Tom Moores 38 not out). Player of the Match: Tom Moores