Team Abu Dhabi win last-ball thriller; Amir stars in New York Strikers victory

Bangla Tigers prevented Chennai Braves from performing any brave act and raced to a 27-run win in the 26th match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. After Robin Uthappa, playing in his first match, gave a quick start hitting 20 runs, Kusal Mendis (32) and Dasun Shanaka (34) provided Bangla Tigers a strong total of 126 for 5 in the 10 overs. Though Mohammad Nabi bagged three wickets for 15 runs, Chennai could not restrain their run flow.Chennai’s chase then failed to rise to the challenge. The only brave innings came from skipper Charith Asalanka who cracked 55 runs off the 26 balls with eight boundaries and two sixes. Through a fine display of tight bowling led by Haider Ali with two wickets for 17 runs, Bangla Tigers restricted Chennai to 99 for 6 in 10 overs. This win helped the Bangla Tigers move to the fourth slot with eight points.In the second match of the day, Kyle Mayers cracked a brilliant 61 runs to help Team Abu Dhabi pull off a thrilling last-ball win over Delhi Bulls in the 27th match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. Their seven-wicket win ended their six-match losing streak after Delhi Bulls elected to bat and were restricted to 97 for 3 in 10 overs.Mayers’ knock of 30 balls studded with five boundaries and five sixes also resulted in Delhi Bulls being ousted from the race for a place among the last four. They ended up in the fifth place with only six points.Team Abu Dhabi needed six runs off the last over. Wasim Akram bowled a dot ball to Colin Ingram off the first ball. Ingram took two runs off the second and ran for a risky single off the third. Mayers, who carried the innings on his shoulder, flicked straight to Adam Lyth at deep square leg at his score of 61.With three runs needed off the last two deliveries, a single was taken off the fifth ball. Two runs needed off the last ball, Ingram flicked the last ball for a boundary for his team’s first win.Amir stars in New York Strikers winFormer Pakistan left-arm pacer Mohammad Amir displayed the traits that had once hailed him as one of the world’s finest demolishers of batting lineups to produce a spell of four wickets for just seven runs to wreck Chennai Braves’ batting. His spell restricted Chennai to 75 for 9 and ensured New York Strikers a five-wicket win in the 23rd match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. With the win, the Strikers regained top position with 10 points.New York Strikers too got off to a shaky start losing three wickets for 30 runs, but Asif Ali through an unbeaten 23 ensured their victory with nine balls to spare. Sam Cook and Junaid Siddique’s effort with two wickets each went in vain.In the second game, Morrisville Samp Army stopped Deccan Gladiators through a pulsating chase and won by six wickets in the 24th match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium with four balls to spare.Chasing Deccan Gladiators’ challenging total of 115 for 7 in 10 overs, Samp Army skipper Moeen Ali led his team’s march to the target through an unbeaten 39 runs off 15 balls with four sixes and two boundaries. Karim Janat chipped in with an unbeaten 27 runs off just nine balls with four boundaries and a six. Together they put on an unbeaten 46 runs in 17 balls for the fifth wicket.Earlier, West Indies’ aggressive opener Andre Fletcher had cracked an unbeaten 52 off 27 balls with five sixes and two boundaries to give Deccan Gladiators the challenging total. Unfortunately, his effort went in vain. Pakistan pacer Salman Irshad bowled brilliantly for Samp Army to bag three wickets for 12 runs. He had also bagged three wickets in his previous match against Delhi Bulls.