Paul Walter produced the innings of the Abu Dhabi T10 so far, smashing an unbeaten 62 off 26 balls as Arabian Aces crushed Royal Desert Champions by nine wickets in the sixth match of the tournament at the Zayed Cricket Stadium.
Chasing 113, the Aces lost just one wicket and got home in nine overs, with six balls to spare. Walter, named Player of the Match, hit five fours and five sixes at a strike rate of 238.46, and had earlier taken 1 for 22 with the ball. He put on a century opening stand with Tom Kohler-Cadmore, who made 42 off 27 before falling to Luke Wood, and Liam Livingstone finished the job with an unbeaten 5 off 2 balls.
It was a first win of the season for Moeen Ali’s side after their 51-run defeat to United Tigers on the opening day, and it was built on a disciplined bowling performance. Royal Desert Champions never recovered from losing three wickets in the first three overs, and despite Phil Salt’s best efforts they could only manage 112 for 6.
Salt top-scored with 55 off 26 balls, hitting six fours and two sixes, but he found no support. Muhammad Waseem fell for a golden duck to Walter, captain Nicholas Pooran made 17 off 8 before falling to Richard Gleeson, and Sherfane Rutherford also went without scoring. Janith Liyanage’s 20 off 14 and an unbeaten 14 off 9 from Chris Jordan gave the total some respectability, but it was never going to be enough on a good batting surface.
Salman Irshad was the pick of the Aces bowlers with 2 for 14, while Muhammad Arfan was outstanding with 2 overs, 7 runs and a wicket. Alzarri Joseph, who removed Salt, finished with 1 for 25, and Gleeson took 1 for 41 in a more expensive spell.
The result leaves Royal Desert Champions bottom of the table with two defeats from two games, while the Aces open their account and move to one win from two. United Tigers remain top of the standings with two wins from two after Azmatullah Omarzai’s second straight Player of the Match performance against UAE Bulls, and Yas Lions sit level with the Aces on two points after their win over Emirates Eagles.
The tournament continues on Monday, with Emirates Eagles facing Arabian Aces at 7:15 PM IST before United Tigers take on Royal Desert Champions at 9:30 PM IST. The Champions will be desperate to avoid a third straight defeat, while the Tigers will look to make it three wins from three and tighten their grip on top spot.
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