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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.
Brief scores:
Team Abu Dhabi bt Delhi Bulls by 7 wkts. Delhi Bulls 97 for 3 in 10 overs (Adam Lyth 39n.o, Rovman Powell 31) Team Abu Dhabi 100 for 3 in 10 overs (Kyle Mayers 61)
Player of the Match: Kyle Mayers
Team Abu Dhabi restricts Delhi Bulls
Delhi Bulls won the toss and opted to bat, a diversion from the general trend of bowling first. Their opener Rilee Rossouw gave a good start hitting Dan Mousley for two consecutive boundaries off the last two balls of the first over to square leg and past cover.
The second over saw Quinton de Kock elegantly pull Binura Fernando for a six. Mousley ended Rossouw’s stay by having him caught and bowled for 10. It was a spectacular catch diving to his right. The fourth over ended De Kock’s stay too by Noor Ahmad. He had him caught by Zuhaib Zubair for 12. Skipper Rovman Powell walked in and hit Roelof van der Merwe for a six-over long-on and a boundary over extra cover. At the halfway mark, Delhi Bulls was 41 for 2.
Noor Ahmad bowled a brilliant sixth over giving away just five runs. In the seventh over, Adam Lyth opened up and hit James Fuller for two sixes and a boundary to take 18 runs off the over.
Skipper Dwaine Pretorius introduced himself and gave only a boundary to Lyth. Powell pulled Fernando for a six and also a boundary to take 16 runs off that over. The last over was bowled by Pretorius, and Lyth hit the first ball for a six-over mid-wicket. He then bowled two dot balls and gave away only a single off the fourth. Off the fifth ball too he gave no run to Powell and also got him out with the last ball of the innings caught in the covers by substitute Colin Ingram to restrict Delhi Bulls to three runs short of the 100-run mark. The pair had put on an unbeaten 71 runs in 40 balls.
Lyth was unbeaten on 39 off 24 balls with two boundaries and three sixes while Powell hit 31 off 20 balls with two boundaries and two sixes.
The thrilling chase towards the last ball win
Team Abu Dhabi openers Kyle Mayers and Tom Banton opened against the fiery pace of Fazalhaq Farooq who gave away just four runs off the over. They made up in the second over scoring three boundaries from Naveen Ul Haq. Banton hit Wasim Akram for a straight boundary.
Off the fourth over, Mayers lit up hopes of Team Abu Dhabi’s first win. He hit Gleeson for four sixes. The first two sixes came off the second and third deliveries to long on and over mid-wicket. The third six after a wide from Gleeson was hit over extra cover. Mayers also hit the last ball for a six to take 25 runs off that over and record the 50 runs-opening partnership too.
Naveen Ul Haq was re-introduced for the fifth over. Banton went for a pull and missed the delivery that hit him on the shoulder which forced him to retire hurt at 15. One-drop Leus du Plooy began by edging wide of the keeper for a boundary.
With 37 runs needed from the last five overs, Bravo used his experience to bowl a tight sixth over giving away only a boundary to Mayers. The seventh over from Fazalhaq was eventful as Mayers hit him for a six off the first ball to reach his half-century in 18 balls. Fazalhaq got Du Plooy out with the fifth ball having him caught by Bravo at square leg for 7.
This resulted in 17 runs needed off the last 18 balls. Bravo got Dan Mousley clean-bowled with the fifth ball and gave away just five runs. With 12 runs needed from 12 balls, Gleeson bowled brilliantly to give away only six runs before the last-over drama ended in a last-ball win.
Jason Roy and Junaid Siddique fined for breaching code of conduct
In the 23rd match, Chennai Braves’s Jason Roy and New York Strikers’ Junaid Siddique were reprimanded and fined by the Match referee. Roy has been fined 10% of the applicable match fee under the breach of the COC level 1.2.2. for hitting the wicket with the bat while walking back to the dugout after getting out. Junaid Siddique has been charged with 20% of the applicable match fee under the breach of COC level 1.2.5. for the use of an abusive word after dismissing Chennai’s Odean Smith.
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