Gladiators hand T10 holders Warriors fourth defeat while Tigers maul Braves
Deccan Gladiators made it three wins from four games following an emphatic victory over Northern Warriors with six wickets and 17 balls to spare in the Abu Dhabi T10 league yesterday.
The defending champions Warriors went in to bat first, keen to set up a first win in the tournament at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. But UAE international Abdul Shakoor, playing in his first game, went the first ball he faced, trapped in front by Wahab Riaz.
Odean Smith struck in the next over when he had Moeen Ali caught behind by Tom Moores. Gladiators’ bowlers stifled the runs and the Warriors were soon reeling at 32-5 at the halfway mark.
Things did not improve much as the Warriors trickled over to 70-6 in their innings.
Wanindu Hasaranga was the pick of the Warriors bowlers. The Sri Lankan leg-spinner continued to impress, taking 2-5 from two overs, while the Warriors have now lost all four of their matches.
“I bowl with the intention of taking wickets and that seems to be working well for me,” said Hasaranga, who joins Team Abu Dhabi’s Merchant de Lange on top of the bowling charts with eight wickets.
The Gladiators themselves had a bit of a wobble, losing four wickets for 31 in four overs before Moores (21) and David Wiese (27 off 9 balls) ensured they did not lose the grip on a game their bowlers had done so well to swing in their favour.
Wiese, who had played a big role in taking Namibia to the Super 12 stage of the recently concluded T20 World Cup in the UAE, sealed the match with his third six by hoisting Kennar Lewis’s first ball over the deep mid-wicket fence.
Warriors captain and Pakistan bowler Riaz complimented his bowlers for a tremendous job. However, he felt his team could have won more convincingly while chasing a modest target.
“The bowlers know exactly what they need to do but there is always some areas to improve,” he said.
“In chasing 70, I thought we could have got the win much earlier and losing lesser wickets. So there is always room for improvement and we will keep working on those grey areas.”
In the late game, Johnson Charles and Hazratullah Zazai went berserk as they guided Bangla Tigers to a thumping nine-wicket victory over Chennai Braves. The Tigers bowlers did well to restrict Braves to 90-6 but it was their batting that took the spotlight.
Charles and Zazai dealt in boundaries as they shared an opening-wicket stand of 67 from just 19 balls. Charles set the tone for the chase by carting Munaf Patel for three sixes in the first over. Not to be outdone, Zazai then took Curtis Campher to the cleaners, scoring 26 in the second over.
Charles hit five sixes and a four before Mark Deyal trapped him leg before for a 12-ball 36.
Zazai’s nine-ball cameo included four fours and three sixes. Will Jacks gate joined the party with a six and two fours as the Tigers reached the target in just 4.2 overs.
“Chasing this small total we just wanted to get on with it and get to it as fast as possible,” Charles said after picking up the player of the match award.
“It was ‘you stay over there and I stay here and keep hitting’. There was no need to run when it is raining sixes.”
The win took the Gladiators’ tally to six points, alongside Delhi Bulls. Team Abu Dhabi head the table with four wins.