Fletcher, Singh star in Pakhtoons’ win
sharjah – Once again there was no respite for the bowlers from the willow of Andre Fletcher. The West Indian is in ominous form in the second edition of the T10 League being played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
With scores of 32, and two unbeaten knocks of 68, the 30-yearold once more proved that he is a bowler’s nightmare with a scintillating 47 from barely 18 balls (three fours and five sixes) as Pakhtoons surpassed Bengal Tigers’ total of 93 for 6 with seven wickets in hand and 15 balls to spare.
Fletcher currently tops the scorer’s list with 215 runs.
The Tigers started well in defending 94 when Mujeeb-Ur-Rahman conceded only two runs and bagged a wicket. Fletcher took his time to settle down and after playing three dot balls from Aamer Yamin opened his arms and spanked him for a four and two sixes.
Inspired by the West Indian, Shafiqullah took Mujeeb to the cleaners with two fours and a six in the next over. And, before one could blink an eyelid Pakhtoons were 50-1 in 3.3 overs.
Earlier, put into bat, Bengal Tigers were going at a good pace. In two overs they were cruising at 26 for no loss, but India’s former leftarm pacer RP Singh struck a double blow in his second over, and the team’s third, by sending back both the English batsmen — Jason Roy (12) and Luke Wright (4) — to finish with impressive figures of 2-14.
In the next over Mohammad Irfan trapped Sunil Narine plumb in front of the wicket. The West Indian was threatening to take the attack apart with a six and two fours during his nine-ball stay but could not get his bat down in time from a faster ball from the gangling Pakistani bowler and was hit on the boot.
Another wicket in the next over — Sam Billings mistimed a Liam Dawson delivery and dragged it on to his stumps — and Bengal Tigers were looking down the barrel at 41-4 in 4.5 overs.
But 20-year-old West Indian Sherfane Rutherford and Mohammad Nabi didn’t get bogged down and played their shots. Rutherford launched into Shahid Afridi hitting him for two sixes and Nabi meted the same treatment to Dawson until a mix-up resulted in Rutherford falling short of his crease while going
Fletcher smashed 47 runs off 18 balls in T10 League tie against Bengal Tigers. —
for the second run.
Rutherford was in sublime form striking three sixes for his 12-ball 24. Had he been around for a few more overs Bengal Tigers could have posted a decent total.
Thereafter Pakhtoons’ bowlers got on top and though Nabi scored Photos by M. Sajjad Photo by M. Sajjad 17 with two sixes, Irfan (1-9), Sohail Khan (1-19) and Liam Dawson (1-24) ensured they tied the Bengals down to 93 for 6. > Bengal Tigers 93 for 6 in 10 overs (Sherfane Rutherford 24, Mohammad Nabi 17, Aamer Yamin 11 not out; RP Singh 2-14) > Pakhtoons 94-3 in 7.3 overs (Andre Fletcher 47, Colin Ingram 27 not out).
Pakhtoons had finished on top of Group A, while Bengals Tigers were placed second in Group B.