Abu Dhabi T10 2021: Qalandars hammer Deccan Gladiators by 33 runs in one-sided encounter
A sparkling 71 not out from captain Sohail Akhtar and an excellent all-round show with the ball saw Qalandars outshine Deccan Gladiators by 33 runs in match 12 of Abu Dhabi T10 2021.
Chasing 119, Cameron Delport and Mohammad Shahzad got Deccan Gladiators off to an impressive start.
Delport picked up Sohail Tanvir’s variations and hit him for two boundaries.
After a sedate start, Shahzad charged down the track to slam Shahid Afridi for a boundary and followed it up by drilling the next ball past the bowler.
The standout shot in Shahzad’s innings was an insouciant ramp over third man off an Ahmed Daniyal short ball.
Qalandars came back strongly as both the openers fell in the fifth over. Delport (19 from 11) was caught short by a direct hit from Azmatullah Omarzai at point.
Four balls later, Shahzad (27 from 17) was stranded down the pitch after missing a mighty swipe off Shahid Afridi and was easily stumped.
Azam Khan was also stumped without adding anything to the team's total off left-arm spinner Sultan Ahmed.
Ahmed then cleaned up opposition skipper Kieron Pollard to finish with excellent figures of 2 for 14.
Afridi too conceded only 14 in his two as Qalandars stopped Gladiators in their tracks.
Sunil Narine came and went first ball, guiding a Chris Jordan delivery to deep point.
Jordan helped himself to two wickets in the 9th over to end with sensational figures of 3 for 8.
A last-ball six by Imran Tahir could only take Deccan Gladiators to 85 for 8.
Abu Dhabi T10 2021 QAL vs DG: Sohail Akhtar’s brilliance leads Qalandars to 118
Qalandars skipper Akhtar smashed a sensational 71 not out from only 31 balls as the franchise posted 118 for 3 batting first.
Akhtar slammed five sixes and six fours in his knock.
Deccan Gladiators chose to field after winning the toss. Sunil Narine got them off to a great start as Sharjeel Khan (5) edged one onto the stumps.
Tom Banton, however, got into the act right away, reverse-sweeping and driving the spinner for fours.
Akhtar then took on Tahir and launched him for consecutive sixes.
The Qalandars duo kept finding the boundaries and Deccan Gladiators could not exercise any control over them.
Banton and skipper Akhtar added a whirlwind 81 for the second wicket. The partnership eventually ended when Zahoor Khan trapped Banton lbw for 36 from 20, after being hit for a couple of fours.
Akhtar went on to complete his half-century by launching Anwar Ali over wide long off for a maximum. Very next ball, he swatted one over cow corner for another six.
Asif Ali (2) fell to a sensational diving catch by Sharafuddin Ashraf, running in from fine leg in the last over by Ravi Rampaul, but Qalandars still managed to finish on a high.