Jason Roy leads Chennai Braves’ nail-biting win over Team Abu Dhabi

By K.R. Nayar
From Zayed Cricket Stadium

Abu Dhabi. Chennai Braves won a nail-biting thriller beating Team Abu Dhabi by four runs through Jason Roy’s elegant unbeaten 84 in the fourth match of the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.

Team Abu Dhabi restricted Chennai Braves to 115 for 4 in 10 overs despite Roy’s knock which came off 39 balls with seven sixes and six boundaries. Leus du Plooy, a 28-year-old England county player, hit an unbeaten 47, and along with Colin Ingram (20n.o), they pulled Team Abu Dhabi close to victory.  But a tight spell of 13 runs from two overs and one wicket from Sam Cook upset Team Abu Dhabi’s hopes in this low scoring thriller.

Team Abu Dhabi had won the toss and elected to field. Chennai Braves’ openers Jason Roy and Kobe Herft put on 40 runs in 3.6 overs. Rumman Raees, who opened the bowling, was hit for one boundary each by Roy and Herft. Roy hit Kyle Mayers for a six over long leg for the first six of the match. Herft too scored a six off James Fuller who bowled the third over.

Herft was the first to go falling to Dwaine Pretorius caught by Kyle Mayers at long-on.  Noor Ahmad bowled a good fifth over giving away just five runs, and at the half way mark, Chennai was 45 for 1.

The sixth over was an eventful one with Roy hitting Tymal Mills for a six off the first ball. With the third ball, Mills removed George Munsey for 2 caught by Alishan Sharafu at deep mid-wicket. Roy hit the fifth ball for his third six. Noor Ahmad bowled another brilliant seventh over giving away just five runs.

Roy reached his half century in 28 balls with two consecutive sixes off Pretorius.  Next man Stephen Eskinazi hit straight into the hands of Raees off Pretorius for 4. Roy was at his aggressive best by hitting Mills for a boundary and two consecutive sixes to take 20 runs off the ninth over. The tenth over saw Roy add two more boundaries off Raees and remain unbeaten on 84 and give Chennai a total of 115 for 4.

Team Abu Dhabi’s chase began through openers Kyle Mayers and Alex Hales. Mayers began by picking a boundary and six off the first over from UAE’s left-arm spinner Aayan Afzal Khan. Mayer hit Sam Cook for his second six to mid-wicket. With the fourth ball, Cook had Mayes caught by Roy at mid-on for 18.

Hales hit Afzal Khan for a six to mid-wicket but Khan struck back to take the valuable wicket of Tom Banton. He had him caught by Stephen Eskinazi at long-off for 2. Leus du Plooy, who joined Hales, hit Imran Tahir for a six over backward point.

UAE pacer Junaid Siddique had Hales mistime to Cook at deep mid-wicket for 13. It was fine diving catch. With the score reading 48 for 3 at the half way stage, Abu Dhabi needed 68 runs from the last 30 balls. Imran Tahir removed Asif Khan forcing him to mistime his shot to Mohammad Nabi at long-on for 4.  The veteran leg spinner gave away only seven runs in that over.

Plooy hit McCoy for a six over point in the seventh over. In the last three overs, Team Abu Dhabi needed 44 runs. Colin Ingram hit Sidique for a six to square leg and another over the covers. This brought the target to 29 from 12 balls.

Sam Cook bowled a brilliant ninth over giving away just seven runs. That made it tough for Team Abu Dhabi having to score 22 from the last six balls. Ingram got a boundary off McCoy through the covers while Plooy hit a six over point and a boundary to short fine leg to make it nine runs off two balls and five off the last ball. McCoy kept his cool and bowled a dot ball to Plooy and won the match by four runs.

Brief scores: 
Chennai Braves bt Team Abu Dhabi by four runs. Chennai Braves 115 for 4 in 10 overs (Jason Roy 84n.o, Dwaine Pretorius 2 for 21) Team Abu Dhabi 111 for 4 in 10 overs (Leus du Plooy 47n.o, Colin Ingram 20n.o)

Player of the Match: Jason Roy