Team Abu Dhabi defeated Pune Devils by five wickets to register its first win in the Abu Dhabi T10 league at the Sheikh Abu Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on Sunday (January 31). Jamie Overton cracked a quick unbeaten 38 runs off just 11 balls, studded with four boundaries and three sixes, to snatch the match away from Pune Devils at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Overton accelerated the run chase when it was most needed and helped Team Abu Dhabi record its first victory of the season with nine balls to spare. Pune looked like sailing towards another victory after their opener Tom Kohler-Cadmore hit an unbeaten 61 off 25 balls with five boundaries and five sixes and had helped his team post an impressive 129 for four in 10 overs after being sent into bat.
Chasing the target, West Indian Chris Gayle (9) and Ireland’s Paul Stirling (23) stitched 34 runs for the opening stand before Team Abu Dhabi lost wickets in intervals, which includes Joe Clarke (29), skipper Luke Wright (6) and Ben Duckett (20).
But Overton had other plans and in the company of Afghanistan’s Najibullah Zadran (1 not out) added an unbeaten 40 runs for the sixth wicket to seal the win for Team Abu Dhabi.
Team Abu Dhabi needed another 59 runs from the last five overs. Ben Duckett accelerated the run flow by hitting skipper Nasir Hossain’s first three deliveries for a boundary and two sixes to pick 19 runs off the over.
Viljoen, who was introduced for the seventh over, had Duckett caught and bowled for 20 with his second delivery and yorked Clarke with the third ball. Overton along with Zadran began to attack. Overton hit Amir for two boundaries in the eight over to pick 15 runs. Abu Dhabi needed 13 runs from the last two overs. Overton smashed Ansari’s first delivery of the ninth over for a straight six to ensure the victory.
Brief scores: Pune Devils 129/4 (Tom Kohler-Cadmore 61 n.o., Chadwick Walton 23, Devon Thomas 21, Obed McCoy 2/9) lost to Team Abu Dhabi 130/5 in 8.3 overs (Paul Stirling 23, Joe Clarke 29, Ben Duckett 20, Jamie Overton 38 n.o., Hardus Viljoen 3/36)
(with PTI inputs)
