A lesson from defeat for Ajman Titans before their play-offs

By K.R. Nayar 

Abu Dhabi.  No match is won till the last ball is bowled, and no tournament is won till the final contest of the tournament. Ajman Titans learned an invaluable lesson in the last group match despite having qualified for the play-offs. They lost to UAE Bulls, who bulldozed their way to a three-wicket win on Friday at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium. 

A pep talk from skipper Moeen Ali to his bowlers at the team hotel after the defeat . Photo by K.R. Nayar 

Despite Titans posting an impressive 126 for 5 in 10 overs, with their skipper Moeen Ali top-scoring with an unbeaten 29 off 11 balls, opener Aneurin Donald chipping in with 24 runs (off 11 balls), and Rilee Rossouw scoring 26 runs (off 12 balls), they could not record their fifth consecutive win in the tournament.

Bulls’ Tim David set the tempo through a 12-ball knock of 40, well backed by Sunil Narine’s 26 off 13 balls and Romario Shepherd’s 11-ball 19 runs, which put their team on track to victory. Their skipper and experienced all-rounder Kieron Pollard stayed on to score an unbeaten 27 off 11 balls and carried his team to victory with one over to spare. Had Titans extended the match to the last over, they could have finished second and played in Qualifier 1, based on run rate.

Donald’s smashing start

The day began with Bulls winning the toss and electing to bowl. Opener Donald, who has made it a habit to hit the first delivery for a boundary, did it in this match too, picking a boundary off Sunil Narine to deep backward point. He also hit the third delivery for a six to long-off and the fourth ball for another boundary through deep extra cover. Seventeen runs were scored off the first over — all by Donald. He also hit the first ball from Muhammad Rohid to backward square leg for another boundary.

Ajman Titans skipper Moeen Ali receives the power hitter of the match award from Matt Boucher, CEO Abu Dhabi Cricket 

Alex Hales also hit the first ball he faced — the fourth delivery of the over from Rohid — for a boundary over extra cover. After the fifth delivery went for a leg-bye to the boundary, Hales hit another boundary over extra cover. Seventeen runs came off the second over too.

Fazalhaq Farooqi struck the first blow by getting Donald caught by Kieron Pollard for 24. His 11-ball knock had three boundaries and one six. Rilee Rossouw hit the first ball he faced to deep extra cover for a boundary. Hales steered the fifth delivery from Farooqi for another boundary. Leg spinner Qais Ahmed, who bowled the fourth over, was hit by Rossouw for a straight six off the third delivery to steer Titans past the 50-run mark. Hales fell to the last ball of that over, top-edging to Farooqi at deep slip for 13.

Moeen Ali in flow again

Joe Clarke joined Rossouw, but Narine bowled a tight fifth over, giving away only nine runs. At the halfway mark, Titans were 64 for 2. Clarke hit Owais’s third delivery for a straight six but lofted him straight into the hands of Tim David at deep mid-wicket for 15. This brought skipper Moeen Ali to the crease. UAE’s Junaid Siddique was introduced for the seventh over, and Rossouw smashed his second delivery through extra cover for a boundary. He also pulled the next delivery for another boundary. Rossouw flicked the fourth ball into the hands of Qais at deep square leg for 26. His 12-ball knock had three boundaries and a six.

An impressive total, not enough

Rohid was reintroduced for the eighth over, and Dan Lawrence hit his third delivery into the hands of Pollard at long-on for 4. Moeen Ali hit the last ball of the over for a six to fine leg. Titans reached the 100-run mark in 8.1 overs. Chris Green smashed Siddique’s last ball of the ninth over for a boundary. Farooqi was reintroduced for the last over, and Moeen smashed his first delivery through deep extra cover for a boundary and pulled the next one for a six. He also picked another boundary past backward point off the fifth ball and remained unbeaten on 29. Nineteen runs were scored off the last over for an impressive total of 126 for 5 in 10 overs.

Skipper Moeen Ali... yet another unbeaten knock 

Chasing the target, Bulls’ opener Phil Salt hit the first ball of the innings from Wasim Akram for a boundary to long-on, but the second delivery he hit in the air to Hales in the same region. Akram trapped Rovman Powell leg-before off the next delivery for a duck. Tim David hit the first ball he faced for a boundary through extra cover. He also hit the last ball of that over for a six over mid-wicket.

Tim David’s breezy knock

In the second over, Akif Javed got Moores to slash to Moeen at second slip for a duck. That brought skipper Kieron Pollard to the crease. David hit Akif’s fourth delivery for a six to long-on and pulled the fifth ball for another six. He also smashed the last ball through extra cover for a boundary to take 17 runs off that over. Zaman Khan, who bowled the third over, was also hit by David for a huge six over long-on.

David hit Piyush Chawla’s first delivery of the fourth over for a six to long-off, but Chawla ended David’s knock, having him caught by Lawrence at mid-wicket for 40. His 12-ball knock had two boundaries and five sixes. Narine hit the first two deliveries from Chawla for sixes to long-on. Akram, who bowled the fifth over, was hit by Narine for a boundary to deep extra cover. He also gave away five wides. Narine picked another boundary to third man. By the halfway mark, Bulls needed another 51 runs to win.

Ajman Titans all set for the play offs 

Narine hit Green for a straight boundary off the second delivery but perished, caught by Zaman at deep mid-wicket for 26. His 13-ball knock had three boundaries and two sixes. Green gave away only eight runs in that over. Akif’s third delivery of the seventh over was hit by Pollard to square leg but he gave away only seven runs.

Zaman’s first delivery was hit by Romario Shepherd for a boundary to deep extra cover and the next for a six to deep mid-wicket. He also hit the fourth ball for another six to long-off. He perished to the last ball of that over, caught by Lawrence at wide long-on for 19.

Pollard sped up the victory with two sixes off Green — to long-off and deep mid-wicket. Though Green got Iftikhar Ahmed caught by Hales for a duck off the fourth ball, Pollard hit him for a six to deep mid-wicket and remained unconquered on 27 off 11 balls, with one boundary and three sixes, to ensure a three-wicket victory with one over to spare.