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Akeal Hosein and Chamika Karunaratne bowled out Delhi Bulls for a paltry 31 runs in 9.3 overs to give New York Strikers a thunderous 67 runs victory in the 18th match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium. Delhi Bulls’ total was the lowest ever in Abu Dhabi T10 history displacing Northern Warriors 46 all out against Qalandars in 2019.
Though Delhi Bulls restricted New York Strikers to 98 for 4 in 10 overs despite Rahmanulla Gurbaz’s unbeaten 49 and Odean Smith’s unconquered 25, they put on an embarrassing batting display. Four of their batters got out for duck, and except for Ravi Bopara (16) none of the other batters reached double figures. Hosein returned with figures of 3 for 7 while Karunarate bagged three wickets for 6 runs. New York Strikers also displaced Delhi Bulls from the top of the table to clinch the top slot. Bulls who began with three consecutive victories were also defeated by Samp Army in their last match and have slipped to the third slot.
New York’s batting star Gurbaz’s unbeaten 49 had come off 24 balls with two boundaries and five sixes. He dedicated his fighting knock to his elder brother. Smith’s unbeaten 25 was scored off 15 balls with one boundary and two sixes. Gurbaz and Smith had put on an unbeaten 67 runs off 27 balls for the fifth wicket.
Brief scores:
New York Strikers bt Delhi Bulls by 67 runs. New York Strikers 98 for 4 in 10 overs (Rahmanullah Gurbaz 49n.o, Odean Smith 25n.o, Wasim Akram 2 for 15) Delhi Bulls 31 in 9.3 overs (Akeal Hosein 3 for 7, Chamika Karunaratne 3 for 6)
Player of the Match: Chamika Karunaratne
Gubraz carries New York’s innings with unbeaten 49 Delhi Bulls won the toss and elected to bowl. Fazalhaq Farooqi bowled a brilliant first over giving away just three runs to New York Strikers openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Mark Deyal. He even beat his Afghanistan teammate Gurbaz twice with his moving deliveries. Deyal hit Naveen Ul Haq for a boundary to mid-on and a six over mid-wicket but fell to the fifth ball of the second over. Naveen forced Dayal to hit into the hands of his skipper Rovman Powell at mid-on for 11.Wasim Akram took the valuable wicket of consistent Muhammad Waseem with the third ball of the third over trapping him leg before for 1. Waseem made the mistake of playing across the line. With the fifth ball, Akram also got Kusal Perera caught by Fazalhaq at short third man for 2. Akram gave away just two runs and took two wickets in that over.Richard Gleeson was introduced for the fourth over and he yielded just five runs. Gurbaz hit Akram for two sixes off the third and fourth ball of the fifth over. Still at the the half way mark, New York could record only 35 for 3.
The age-less Dwayne Bravo clean bowled skipper Kieron Pollard for 2 with the third ball of the sixth over. Gurbaz picked a boundary off the last ball of Bravo’s over to mid-wicket but only six runs came off that over.
Odean Smith lifted Fazalhaq over long-off for a six off the first ball of the seventh over. Gurbaz hit his third six of his innings over fine leg off Gleeson. Smith too hit a boundary to long-on. It was still doubtful whether New York would cross the 100-run mark.
Though Smith hit Naveen for a six off the first ball of the eighth over, he could not force another big shot from the over. Gurbaz hit Bravo’s first ball of the last over for a huge six to mid-wicket. He also hit the third ball for another six over deep square leg. Gurbaz could get only a boundary to long-on off the last ball and missed reaching his half century by one run. New York ended up two runs short of the 100-run mark.
The crash of the Delhi Bulls batting
Delhi Bulls’s chase began on a shaky note. West Indies slow left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein had opener Johnson Charles leg before for a duck to the second ball of the first over. With the next ball, he clean bowled one-drop James Vince. In the second over, Mohammad Amir also got Rilee Rossouw caught by Chamika Karunaratne at mid-on for 4. Three wickets were thus down before the score reached double figures.
Wickets continued to fall in the third over too when Hosein clean bowled Usman who went for a sweep and missed the ball for 3. Karunaratne who bowled the fifth over got opener Quinton de Kock caught and bowled for five with the second delivery and the consistent skipper Rovman Powelll caught behind by Gurbaz for 2 with the fourth ball. With the fifth ball he also got Bravo caught behind while trying to flick. The score board read a pathetic 15 for 7 at the half way stage.
Sunil Narine had Navin Ul Haq brilliantly stumped by Gurbaz off the third ball of the sixth over for the fourth duck of the innings. Ravi Bopara and Gleeson held on till the ninth over before Gleenson too got caught behind by Gurbaz off Muhammad Jawadullah for 1. Bopara became the only batsman to reach double figures but hit a high catch off Odean Smith to Karunaratne at point for 16. Delhi Bulls were bowled out in 9.3 overs for a record low score.
