Abu Dhabi,
Northern Warriors opener Kennar Lewis and Hazratullah Zazai thrashed Team Abu Dhabi’s bowling attack to breeze to a ten-wicket win with one over to spare in the sixth match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Northern Warriors, after winning toss and electing to bowl, restricted Abu Dhabi to 103 for 7 in 10 overs with Tabraiz Shamsi leading the tight bowling attack with two wickets for 17 runs. Lewis and Zazai batted smoothly, hitting sixes and boundaries with ease. Lewis remained unbeaten on 46 off 27 balls with five boundaries and two sixes, while Zazai, who started slowly, went on to crack an unbeaten 52 off 27 balls with five boundaries and three sixes.
England’s Alex Hales and Tom Banton opened the innings for Team Abu Dhabi. Angelo Mathews, fresh from his hat-trick spell in his last match against Samp Army, bowled a tight opening over giving away just three runs. UAE’s Angur Sanghwan who bowled the second over would have got Banton out for 6 had Kennar Lewis at mid-off managed to hold on to a tough mis-hit shot. Banton celebrated his luck by hitting the next two deliveries for boundaries to take 15 runs off that over.
Now Team Abu Dhabi needed some big hits. Leus du Plooy, fresh from his unbeaten knock of 47 against Chennai Braves, got out to a duck to Neesham, caught by Lewis at long-on. When only three more overs were left, Hales too got out to Shamsi, caught by Zazai at deep-mid-wicket for 20.
UAE’s Asif Khan hit Shamsi for a six to deep mid-wicket. Dwaine Pretorius fell to Mathews hitting high to Colin Munro at covers for 2. UAE’s Alishan Sharafu smashed Mathews over the cover for a six. A top edge from Asif went for a six to third man off Azmatullah. Ultimately, he got run out to the second ball of the last over for 19.
Brief scores:
Northern Warriors bt Team Abu Dhabi by 10 wkts.
Team Abu Dhabi 103 for 7 in 10 overs (Tom Banton 33, Alex Hales 20, Tabraiz Shamsi 2 for 17) Northern Warriors (Kennar Lewis 46n.o. Hazratullah Zazai 52n.o).
Player of the Match: Tabraiz Shamsi