Dubai: Team Abu Dhabi logged their first points when Jamie Overton cracked an unbeaten 38 off just 11 balls to snatch the match from Pune Devils in the 10th match of the Alubond Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium on Sunday.
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 four in their 10 overs.
Team Abu Dhabi had won the toss and followed the usual trend of opting to bowl first. Usman Shinwari, who opened their bowling, let Tom Kohler-Cadmore get only one boundary in the over. In the second one, Cadmore hit Rohan Mustafa for three consecutive boundaries to launch his attacking innings.
Obed McCoy struck with the first ball of the third over by bowling Kennar Lewis with a slower delivery for five. He gave just three runs in that over. Next man Chadwick Walton smashed Paul Stirling for a boundary and a six in the fourth over to pick 13 runs off the over.
Chasing the target, Chris Gayle and Paul Stirling, walked out to open. 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 when the ‘Universe Boss’ played on to his wicket for nine. UAE captain and left-arm spinner Ahmed Raza cleaned up Wright, who went for a slog sweep for six with the third ball of the fight over. Clarke continued his big hitting by taking two boundaries off Raza’s final deliveries.
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.
Viljoen, who was introduced for the seventh over, had Duckett caught and bowled for 20 with his second delivery and yorked Clarke with the third ball. Overton, along with Zadran, began the counterattack. Overton hit Amir for two boundaries in the eighth over and picked up crucial 15 runs to put the team firmly on course to win.
Brief Scores: Team Abu Dhabi bt Pune Devils by five wickets. Pune Devils 129 for four in 10 overs (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 61 n.o, Chadwick Walton 23, Devon Thomas 21, Obed McCoy 2 for 9) Team Abu Dhabi 130 for 5 in 8.3 overs (Paul Stirling 23, Joe Clarke 29, Ben Duckett 20, Jamie Overton 38 n.o.; Hardus Viljoen 3/36). Man of the match: Obed McCoy.
