New York Strikers’ skipper Kieron Pollard plays a shot during their match against Northern Warriors.

Gulf Today, Sports Reporter

A spirited bowling display by New York Strikers restricted Northern Warriors to 88 for 3 in 10 overs. Northern Warriors, however, refused to surrender easily and fought till the last over before losing the match by three wickets with only five balls remaining in the ninth match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Northern Warriors total of 88 was mainly through Colin Munro, who hit an unbeaten 44 off 27 balls with three boundaries and three sixes. Though New York Strikers thought it would be an easy win, wickets began to fall regularly. Led by Northern Warriors’ skipper Angelo Mathews, Abhimanyu Mithin and Tabraiz Shamsi , each of them picked two wickets to almost pull off an exciting win.

Muhammad Waseem (23) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (22) played a vital role in this well fought New York Strikers’ win. This defeat snapped Northern Warrior’s run of two consecutive victories.

Having to score only at run rate of 8.80 per over, New York Strikers’ openers Muhammad Waseem and Rahmanullah Gurbaz began by scoring nine runs off Mathews’ first over. The second over from Abhimanyu Mithun saw Waseem pick a boundary and a six. By the end of the third over, New York Strikers were at a commanding 35 for no loss.

Tabraiz Shamsi, who bowled the fourth over, had Waseem caught by Adam Hose at deep mid-wicket while attempting a slog shot for 23.
Kusal Perera joined Gurbaz and steered the score past the 50-run mark in 4.5 overs. At the half way mark, New York Strikers needed only 36 runs more from the remain five overs.

Shamsi struck again in the sixth over to clean bowl Gurbaz for 22. Skipper Kieron Pollard hit Shamsi to deep mid-wicket for a boundary but fell in the next over mistiming a pull into the hands of Omarzai at square leg off Mithun for 5.

Meanwhile, Morrisville Samp Army’s Gujarat-born US team wicketkeeper Monank Patel produced three stumping and took three catches to lead his team’s victorious march past Team Abu Dhabi.

Samp Army posted an impressive 118 for 5 through knocks of 29 runs each from Faf du Plessis and Karim Janat. Jason Holder too hit a quick unbeaten 29. Team Abu could muster only 83 for 8 with Holder bagging three wickets for 12 runs and Moeen Ali with two wickets for four runs. It was Abu Dhabi’s third consecutive defeat from three matches.

Team Abu Dhabi won the toss and elected to field. Samp Army opener Ibrahim Zadran went for his shots right away and hit opening bowler Kyle Mayers for two boundaries and a six in the first over and took 17 runs off the over. Rumman Raaes stopped Zadran by having him caught by Dwaine Pretorius at mid-off for 17. The third over was Faf Du Plessis’ turn to display his aggressive shots. He hit Pretorius for two sixes off the second and third ball and smashed a boundary off the fourth and then hit another six off the fifth to take 24 runs off that over.

Skipper Moeen Ali lasted only five balls to score two run before edging to wicketkeeper Tom Banton off Tymal Mills. In the fifth over, Du Plessis got run out for 29 through an excellent effort by Banton who flicked the ball to the stumps. Du Plessis had gone off the crease not aware where the ball had gone. At the half way mark, Samp Army were 53 for 3.

Noor Ahmad bowled a tight sixth over giving away only eight runs. Karim Janat hit Roelof van der Merwe for a six to long-off. Van der Merwe had Najibullah Zadran stumped by Banton off the fourth ball for 10. Next man Jason Holder hit Van der Merwe for a boundary to take 11 runs off that over.

In the eighth over. Holder hit a boundary and Janat a six off Noor Ahmad to swell the total. Janat also hit Raees’s first ball of the ninth over for a six.
Mills struck with the first ball of the last over to have Janat caught by Leus du Plooy at deep mid-wicket for 29. His knock off 13 balls had three sixes. Holder smashed the last three balls from Mills for sixes. The first six was a might shot over deep square leg. The second six sailed over long-on and the third was pulled over deep square leg. Holder remained unbeaten on 29 off just ten balls with two boundaries and three sixes. Nineteen came of that over and Samp Army posted a total of 118 for 5.

In another match, Delhi Bulls produced a splendid all-round show to outplay Chennai Braves by 65 runs in the 11th match of the tournament.

Delhi Bulls posted 126 for 6 through fine knocks from Johnson Charles (40), James Vince (37) and skipper Rovman Powell (35).

Chasing the target, Chennai's batting cracked before the tight bowling from Delhi Bulls bowled them out for 61 in 8.5 overs.