Piyush Chawla’s magic hands Ajman Titans a hat-trick of victories

By K.R. Nayar 

Abu Dhabi.  Piyush Chawla bowled Ajman Titans to a glorious hat-trick of victories in the Abu Dhabi T10 at the Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium, igniting the evening with a spell that shimmered with precision and purpose. His magical 3 for 11 spell choked the ride of Vista Riders, restricting them to 71 for 7 while they chased the Titans’ competitive score of 105 for 7.

Piyush Chawla receives the Player of the Match award from Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary Emirates Cricket Board in the presence of Shaji Ul Mulk, Founder and Chairman of T10 Global Sports (right) and David East, CEO of Ajman Titans  

It was a spectacular display of tight, relentless bowling, stunning consistency, and electric fielding by the Titans, who, after losing their first two matches, have risen like a storm to win three matches in succession. This emphatic win has lifted the Titans to the second slot in the points table, and they now stand strongly favoured to storm into the play-off stage.

Shaji Ul Mulk, Founder and Chairman of T10 Global Sports presents the power hitter of the match to Ajman Titans' Alex Hales

A lesson on how to defend a modest total

Through this stirring win, the Titans showcased how a team need not waver under the pressure of a modest total, but can still conquer through accuracy, combined effort and belief. Leg spinner Chawla was backed beautifully by pacer Akif Javed, who scalped two wickets for just 16 runs. Off-spinner Chris Green once again lived up to his reputation as a miserly bowler, conceding just 10 runs for one wicket from two overs, supported well by Zaman Khan, who gave away only 11 runs for another wicket. Substitute Luc Benkenstein, fielding with tremendous athleticism and commitment, pulled off three brilliant catches that ensured Titans a thunderous 34-run victory.

Titans, who were put into bat, were given a brave and fighting total by opener Alex Hales, who top-scored with 35, and Dan Lawrence (22) on a wicket that wasn’t easy for stroke-making. 

 A match with twists and turns

 

Ajman Titans Chris Green receives Game Changer of the match award

The story of the match, after Riders won the toss and elected to bowl, was full of twists and turns, but eventually it was Titans’ resilience and spirited determination that carried them to a memorable win.

Sreesanth, opening the bowling, watched his first delivery lofted to long-off by opener Aneurin Donald for a boundary. Donald followed it with a six over mid-wicket off the third ball. Hales answered fiercely, cracking two boundaries off the last two deliveries, gathering 19 runs off the opening over and setting a thrilling tone.

Andrew Tye, bowling the second over, had Donald caught by Ansh Tandon for 11. Rilee Rossouw counterattacked, hammering Tye’s third delivery for a six to wide long-on and the next ball for a boundary. But Tye struck back, clean bowling Rossouw for 12 off the final ball of the over. Hales smashed a boundary off the third ball from Awais Ahmed in the third over, while Will Smeed edged one past wicketkeeper Unmukt Chand for a boundary off the last delivery, keeping the scoreboard moving briskly.

Gopal Jasapara, Operations Manger of Ajman Titans congratulates Piyush Chawla  

Sharafuddin Ashraf, who bowled the fourth over, dismissed Smeed caught-and-bowled for 7. Lawrence joined Hales, and Titans crossed the 50-run mark in just 4.1 overs. Hales struck his fourth boundary off Dwaine Pretorius, taking Titans to 57 for 3 at the halfway stage. Lawrence then stepped up, launching Ashraf for a majestic straight six off the third ball in the sixth over and repeating the feat off the last delivery to keep Titans surging forward.

 Hales show of aggression  

 Tye, Riders’ best bowler, returned for the seventh over, but Hales continued his dominance, picking two boundaries to backward square leg. Dhananjaya Lakshan brought temporary relief, delivering a tight over and dismissing Lawrence at mid-on for 22, a 13-ball knock that included two sixes. He gave away just five runs in that crucial over.

 

Awais then delivered a pivotal over, ending Hales’s superb knock of 35 off just 21 balls with six boundaries, catching him through Tye. Asif Khan fell next ball, clean bowled for a duck, as Awais gave away just two runs and took two wickets. Lakshan bowled the final over of the innings, but Chris Green smashed him through long-off for a boundary off the third ball. Titans crossed the 100-run mark on the fourth delivery, Green added another boundary to fine leg before perishing on the last ball, caught by Chand for 11. Titans closed with a fighting 105 for 7 in 10 overs.

Chasing, Riders began aggressively, with opener Chand hitting Wasim Akram for three consecutive boundaries—first to long-off, then to long-on and again to long-off. Fifteen runs came off the first over, swinging momentum in Riders’ favour. But Akif Javed struck back in the second over, removing skipper Faf du Plessis, caught by substitute Benkenstein for 3. A sharp then bouncer struck Ansh Tandon. Although Chand steered the last ball to the boundary, Akif gave away just seven runs in that over.

Brilliant Chawla show

Piyush Chawla entered in the third over and immediately turned the match, having Chand brilliantly caught by a diving Benkenstein at mid-wicket for 17 while conceding only six runs. Chris Green then continued the pressure, dismissing Ben McDermott, caught by Hales off the fifth ball and giving away only two runs. Zaman Khan followed with another frugal over, yielding just two runs and pushing Riders into deep trouble at 32 for 3 at the halfway mark.

 Wasim Akram returned for the sixth over and refused to give anything away, allowing just six runs. With 68 required off 24 balls, defeat began looming large over Riders. Matters worsened when Chawla removed Sean Dickson, taken by Benkenstein for 7—his third brilliant catch of the evening. Tandon briefly fought back with a boundary to deep mid-wicket, but Chawla dismissed him too, caught by Green for 8, and again giving away just six runs. Chawla finished with stunning figures of 3 for 11 in two overs. Titans’ bowling was so relentless that Riders took 7.4 overs just to reach 50. Green followed up with another frugal over, giving only eight runs in the eighth.

Akif continued the squeeze, inducing another catch from Green to dismiss Pretorius for 4. With 44 needed off the final over, Zaman Khan applied the finishing touch, clean bowling Harshit Kaushik for 12 with a blistering yorker. Riders were thus restricted to a paltry 71 for 7, handing Titans a commanding 34-run victory — a win that sparkled with intent, teamwork, energy and belief.