Mustafa pushes Kings over the line
sharjah — And with that, another of UAE’s cricketers left a indelible mark on the T10 League. And Rohan Mustafa couldn’t have chosen a better stage to do so.
It was the first semifinal at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and with his side — the Kerala Kings — in a bit of bother, Mustafa sliced it down third man for a boundary to score the winning runs.
With that, the Kerala Kings edged the Maratha Arabians by five wickets and with five balls to spare in low-scoring affair on Sunday night. The 29-year-old Mustafa had featured in all the three fixtures previously but didn’t get a chance to bat. But when he did, Mustafa made the most of it.
After his captain Eoin Morgan had warmed up on a cold night with 53, it was meant to be a cruise for the Kerala Kings.
But then, another UAE player was to provide a twist to the tale. After opener Paul Stirling was run out, pacer Zahoor Khan forced Morgan into a pull and the skier was lapped up by Rilee Rossouw, in the same over.
Then, the old fox Mohammad Sami sent back Kieron Pollard for nought and Shakib Al Hasan was run out off the next ball.
Four runs were needed off the last over and Mustafa guided left-arm spinner Roelof van der Merwe to end the contest. Earlier, the Maratha Arabians were all over the place after being asked to take the first dig with a little more than half their side gone with just 31 on the board.
And it took a rearguard from West Indian Dwayne Bravo and captain Imad Wasim, as well as Mohammad Sami to nudge the Maratha Arabians to 97 for nine. That total had seemed below par for the course but the Kerala Kings were made to work for it.
It was the Kerala Kings pacer Sohail Tanvir who wrecked the Maratha Arabians innings, with the leftarmer snapping up three for 12 in his two overs. Rayad Emrit took two for 16, while Liam Plunkett picked up two for 28.
The Maratha Arabians endured starting troubles with Tanvir softening them up with twin big blows. Opener Alex Hales was castled for nought and then Rilee Rossouw, the highest run-getter, was caught by Emrit after making just five.
Once slit open, Plunkett pierced them further by removing Ross Whiteley and Asghar Stanikzai off consecutive balls — Whiteley caught by wicketkeeper Nicholas Pooran and Stanikzai gobbled up b Rohan Mustafa. Roelof van der Merwe was to follow soon enough, bowled by Emrit, and opener Kamran Akmal, who had made nine from nine, edged Wahab Riaz to Pooran.
The Maratha Arabians were gasping for breath but Bravo and Wasim managed to resuscitate them with a 45-run stand for the seventh wicket.
There was interesting tussle between Bravo and his countryman Pollard with the former winning the battle hands down and taking the bragging rights.
Bravo smoked Pollard for three sixes, two on the trot, as 21 runs came off that sixth over. Plunkett too was taken apart by Bravo, with the allrounder smacking him for a six, and two boundaries, as the Maratha Arabians reached 70.
Bravo’s 27 came from 19 balls with three sixes and a boundary, while Wasim scored an eight-ball 18, with the help of two boundaries and a six. Sami scored 13 from seven balls with a boundary and a six to swell Maratha Arabians’ score.