Veteran Tambe still has the flair
CLAIMS FIVE-FOR AS SINDHIS RECOVER FROM HUGE FIRST-DAY DEFEAT TO WIN BY 9 WICKETS
Defending T10 League champions Kerala Knights, who crushed the Pakhtoons by eight wickets on the opening day, fell to a deadly five-wicket spell from India’s veteran leg-spinner Pravin Tambe to lose by nine wickets to Sindhis yesterday at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.
Tambe displayed why he is one of the most dangerous bowlers in India’s domestic cricket with a spell of 5 for 15.
The accurate bowler, who had won the hearts of Indian Premier League (IPL) fans at the age of 41 by producing deadly spells for Rajasthan Royals, showed that even at his present age of 47, he can wreck teams.
When Gulf News asked whether he has proved that a bowler can improve with age, Tambe said: “I never think of my age. I enjoy this game so I will keep enjoying this game and try taking wickets.”
To a query on how thankful he is to IPL to bring him to the limelight, he said: “If you dream about something and you achieve that it is a nice feeling.”
Tambe said he said he had to first admit that T10 is for entertainment. “As a bowler I have to think that you should not give any sixes or fours. If you survive in that you will get wickets and that is how I got wickets. I enjoy bowling in any format what matters to me is wicket. I don’t rate any performance as my best because my job as a bowler is to keep improving each and every game.”
Opening the bowling, he picked up the wicket of the dangerous Chris Gayle for a duck off the second ball. Off the fourth ball he removed captain Eoin Morgan and then Kieron Pollard and Fabian Allen for no scores to produce a hat-trick.
In his second over, he cleaned up Upul Tharanga for 4.
Creditable show
From a pathetic 21 for 6, Sohail Tanveer (23) and Wayne Parnell’s unbeaten 59 off 24 balls with four sixes and seven boundaries, Kerala managed to cross the 100-run mark and post a total of 103 for 7.
Chasing the score, Sindhis, who were demolished on the first day by Rajputs in the opening match, put up a creditable show. Openers Shane Watson and Anton Devcich put on 50 runs in the first four overs and 80 runs in 5.3 overs. Sandeep Lamichchane removed Devcich for 49. His knock off 20 balls contained four boundaries and four sixes. Watson remained unbeaten on 50 off 24 balls with four boundaries and four sixes.
Aamer Yamin bagged four wickets off four consecutive deliveries to give Bengal Tigers a rousing start earlier in the day.
The Pakistan medium pacer from Multan returned with figures of four for four in two overs to restrict Northern Warriors, made up of mostly West Indies players to 94 for seven after Bengal had posted a challenging 130 for one from their quota of 10 overs.
“In T10 you have to do different things. Variations are very important. I read the batsman and bowled accordingly. This performance is a big boost for me.”