Dubai: Northern Warriors’ power-hitters carried their team to their fourth successive victory in five matches in the Abu Dhabi T10 tournament at Zayed Cricket Stadium. The Warriors posted a mammoth 143-4 through Rovman Powell’s unbeaten 51 off 23 balls studded with four boundaries and four sixes.
Deccan Gladiators took up the challenge and bravely chased through Azam Khan’s breezy 54 off 22 balls with five sixes and four boundaries. They fell short of the target by just three runs despite Anwar Ali’s unbeaten 35 off just ten balls. It was their fourth defeat in five games. A total of 283 runs were hit by the two teams.
The run riot began soon after Gladiators won the toss and elected to field. Warriors lost an early wicket when opener Brandon King lofted Sunil Narine’s second delivery to Cameron Delport at long on. Nicholas Pooran began in his usual style by hitting Narine over the extra cover for a six.
Waseem Muhammad hit Zeeshan Zameer for two sixes and two boundaries to take 24 runs off that over. In the third over, the accurate Zahoor Khan ended Waseem’s knock by having him caught behind for 26.
Aaron Summers gave away only 11 runs from his fourth over. Ravi Rampaul, who bowled the fifth over, was hit by Powell for a six and a boundary to take 14 runs off the over. At the half way stage, Warriors looked comfortably placed at 72-2.
Pooran hit two consecutive sixes in the sixth over from Anwar Ali and fell getting caught at fine leg for 29. Powell continued to hit sixes and lifted Ali for a six over long on. Next man Fabian Allen too continued the six-hitting spree by lifting Narine over deep square leg. Zahoor Khan, who was re-introduced, checked the run flow giving away just five runs from his eighth over.
Allen and Powell picked one boundary each from Rampaul’s ninth over to take 12 runs. Anwar Ali, who bowled the last over was smashed by Powell to third man boundary. He also lifted him for a powerful six over long on. Allen got run out for 22 off the fourth ball but Powell reached his half century off the last ball. This is the fifth consecutive match that Powell has remained unbeaten. Ali gave away 22 runs in his last over.
Chasing the huge target, Wahab Riaz clean bowled Sunil Narine for a duck and gave away just six runs in the over. In the second over, Junaid Siddique gave away only five runs. Opener Mohammad Shahzad swung Rayad Emrit for a six over deep mid-wicket. Azam Khan went on to pick two more boundaries to get 19 runs off the over. He was severe on Dhananjaya Lakshan who bowled the fourth over hitting him for four sixes and a boundary to take 31 runs off that over. Azam also smashed Riaz, who was introduced back into the attack, to the mid-off boundary. At the half way mark Gladiators need 73 more runs.
Khan lifted Fabian Allen for a six over deep mid-wicket to reach his half century in 21 balls. He fell to the next ball, clean bowled by Allen’s Yorker. Allen also forced Shahzad to pull him to Lakshan at deep mid-wicket for 17. Cameron Delport fell for a duck pulling Siddique to Lakshan at deep square leg. When Siddique had Pollard lift straight to Allen at long on for 9, Gladiators hopes of reaching the target too diminished.
Anwar Ali hit Wayne Parnell to pick a six and a boundary off the last two balls of the eighth over. Needing 41 runs off the last two overs, Sharafuddin Ashraf hit Emrit for a six off the first ball of the ninth over to mid-wicket. Emrit clean bowled Ashraf for 13 runs with Gladiators needing 27 runs off the last eight balls. With 24 more runs needed off the last over, Parnell was lifted for a straight six by Ali. Off the third ball he picked another boundary. Parnell bowled the last two balls intelligently to ensure an exciting three runs win. Anwar remained unbeaten with a quick 35 off 10 balls with three sixes and three boundaries.
Brief scores
Northern Warriors beat Deccan Gladiators by three runs.
Northern Warriors 143-4 in 10 overs: Waseem Muhammad 26, Nicholas Pooran 29, Rovman Powell 51*, Fabian Allen 22
Deccan Gladiators 140-6 in 10 overs: Azam Khan 54, Anwar Ali 35*, Junaid Siddique 2-16, Fabian Allen 2-8
