Nabi helps Bengal stop Sindhis in last-ball thriller

Though 11 runs were needed off the last over, Mohammad Nabi hit two consecutive boundaries off the last two balls to ensure victory and return a hero with an unbeaten 25 runs off 10 balls with three boundaries and six.

Earlier, Bengal opener Jason Roy put the team on the road to victory smashing 64 runs off 35 balls with five sixes and six boundaries.

His knock ensured that Sindhis’ Anton Devcich’s knock of 64 off 23 balls with five sixes and six boundaries went in vain.

Sindhis at one stage looked like posting a huge score when they were 81 for one in five overs, but were brilliantly restricted to just 134 through some tight bowling from Nabi with three wickets for 20 runs.

Bengal had won the toss and elected to field. Sindhis captain and in-form batsman Shane Watson fell in the second over from Aamer Yamin for six.

Samiullah Shinwari and Devcich went for their shots. Devcich hit Kevin Cooper for two consecutive sixes in the third over.

Shenwari hit Morne Morkel to long on for a six while Devcich scored three consecutive boundaries to take 20 runs off Morkel.

Devchich hit Sunil Narine, who bowled the fifth over, for three consecutive sixes and a boundary and reach his half century in 15 balls. Twenty-three runs were scored off Narine’s over and by the half way mark, Sindhis had scored 81 for 1.

Nabi ended the 86 runs partnership between Devchich and Shenwari by having Devchich stumped by wicketkeeper Sam Billings for 64 in the eighth over and gave away only eight runs in the over. Yamin too bowled a tight ninth over giving nine runs and in the last over Nabi had Thisara Perara stumped by Billings for 4. Nabi also dismissed Shenwari for 44. Though Ben Cutting hit the last two balls from Nabi for boundaries, Sindhis were restricted to 134 for 4.

Roy and Narine opened the innings. Jofra Archer gave just five runs off the first over. Narine and Roy hit Umaid Asif for one six each in the second over. Roy hit Ben Cutting for a boundary and six off the first two balls.

Roy hit leg spinner Fawad Ahmad for a boundary and a six. Narine then went on to hit Fawad for two consecutive sixes but fell to the last ball of the over, trapped leg before for 22 runs which was scored off six balls. The opening pair had put on 61 runs in four overs.

Roy hit Mohammad Nawaz over extra cover for a six and another six over midwicket to pick 18 runs off the over. Sherfane Rutherford too hit Fawad for a six and two consecutive boundaries. Roy by hitting Perara for a boundary took Bengal past the 100 run mark by the seventh over.

Cutting had Rutherford caught and bowled for 16 after the pair had added 45 runs in 3.2 overs. Bengal needed 29 runs of the last 16 balls. Nabi too hit Cutting for a six to maintain the run flow. Nabi also hit Archer for a boundary but Roy fell caught by Mohammad Nawaz at long off for 64 runs. Bengal needed 11 runs from the last over and Shenwari dropped Nabi off successive balls off Umaid Asif. Nabi smashed Asif through extra cover to equal the score and won the match by also hitting the last ball for a boundary through backward point.

Brief scores: Bengal Tigers bt Sindhis by seven wickets. Sindhis 134 for 4 in 10 overs (Samiullah Shenwari 44, Anton Devcich 64, Mohammad Nabi 3 for 20) Bengal Tigers 138 for 3 in 10 overs (Jason Roy 64, Sunil Narine 22, Mohammad Nabi 25n.o)