Spinners Adil Rashid and Fabian Allen restrict Bangla Tigers to ensure Team Abu Dhabi an emphatic eight wicket win

From K.R. Nayar in Abu Dhabi

Team Abu Dhabi spinners Adil Rashid and Fabian Allen restricted Bangla Tigers to 74 for 5 and helped their team register an emphatic eight wicket win in the 24th match on the ninth day of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium on Thursday.

Adil Rashid... two wickets for just eight runs 

Chris Lynn cracking an unbeaten 33 off just 17 balls with four boundaries and six, well backed by James Vince’s 29 off 17 balls with four boundaries and a six, to steer Team Abu Dhabi to the target in just seven overs. Off spinner Adil Rashid took two wickets for just eight runs while left-arm spinner Fabian Allen bagged two wickets for 10 runs.

Team Abu Dhabi after winning the toss had elected to field. Bangla Tigers’ opener Hazratullah Zazai pulled the fourth ball of the first over from Naveen Ul Haq for a boundary. Zazai hit the first ball from Peter Hatzoglou for another boundary through extra cover and the flicked the next ball for a six. Adil Rashid struck with the fifth ball of the second over ending Zazai’s threat by having him caught by Chris Lynn at point for 17.

In the fourth over, Fabian Allen took the prize wicket of the consistent Iftikhar Ahmed, caught by Andrew Tye at deep midwicket for 2.  In the last two matches Iftikhar had hit unbeaten knocks of 83 and 54.

Tye bowled a brilliant fifth over giving away seven runs and Bangla Tigers could post only 36 for 2 at the half way mark. To make matters tougher for Bangla Tigers, Allen clean bowled opener Joe Clarke for 14. Chirag Suri too did not last long, scoring seven runs off eight balls before getting caught and bowled by Adil Rashid in the seventh over.

Lewis Gregory hit Hatzoglou’s fourth delivery for a six to mid-wicket and the fifth ball for a boundary to fine leg. In the ninth over Tye got Gregory caught behind by wicketkeeper Kamran Atta for 13. Naveen who bowled the first over, was re-introduced for the last over. He gave away just 11 runs and Bangla Tigers were restricted to a paltry 74 for 5 in 10 overs.

Chris Lynn ... timely knock

For the mighty Team Abu Dhabi team, to score just 75 off 60 balls wasn’t tough. Chris Lynn hit the first ball of the innings from Jake Lintott for a boundary past the point fielder. He also scored boundaries off the fifth and sixth deliveries to score 14 runs off the over. Alex Hales edged Jake Ball’s first delivery for a boundary to third man. Lynn then hit Ball over mid-on for a six.

Mrittunjoy Chowdhury struck with the second ball of the second over by getting Hales caught by Chirag Suri at third man for 6. James Vince joined Lynn but Mrittunjoy bowled a tight over giving away just four runs off the over. Vince and Lynn scored a boundary each off Lewis Gregory to take 11 runs off the over.

Rohan Mustafa came on to bowl the fifth over and Vince hit his second delivery to deep mid-wicket for another boundary. At the half way mark, Team Abu Dhabi were well placed at 50 for 1 needing another 25 runs from the remaining 30 balls.

Vince accelerated the race to the target by hitting Mrittunjoy for a boundary to deep square leg off the second delivery and flicking the fourth ball for a six. With only 12 runs needed off the next 24 balls, Vince pulled Lintott for a boundary to deep square leg. Lintott struck with the fourth delivery getting Vince clean bowled for 29. Brandon King walked in and swept Lintott next delivery to deep square leg for a six and win the match with 18 balls to spare.

Brief scores:
Team Abu Dhabi bt Bangla Tigers by 8 wkts. Bangla Tigers 74 for 5 in 10 overs (Adil Rashid 2 for 8, Fabian Allen 2 for 10) Team Abu Dhabi 76 for 2 in 7 overs (Chris Lynn 34n.o, James Vince 29)
Player of the Match: Chris Lynn